McDonald Hopkins LLC has produced a short video segment “Meet Christopher Hopkins” which you can view here. The video shares my thoughts on a number of topics, such as the best part of being a lawyer.

This one hour session, which you view live or via web (even after the fact), explains the key published opinions in Florida regarding social media discovery.  In addition to that, attendees will see the discovery requests which worked AND failed as well as obtain samples of up-to-date discovery requests.  Finally, …

The Florida Second District’s recent opinion in Estate of Dea v. PH Fort Myers, LLC et al. illustrates the complexity of enforcing arbitration in the assisted living / long term care context which requires consistent lawyering in writing arbitration clauses, admission agreements, and agreements for the sale of businesses as …

The House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence (HPSCI) released in December 2016 a partially-redacted copy of its September 15, 2016 report on its, “Review of the Unauthorized Disclosures of Former National Security Agency Contractor Edward Snowden” (“House Report”). The House Report describes Snowden in the same tenor and tone that the …

In unrelated court proceedings in West Palm Beach, Florida, two Sandy Hook Truthers suffered losses resulting in a dismissal and indictment, respectively.  A university professor who writes blog posts denying the Sandy Hook shooting received a sternly-worded Order of Dismissal which gutted several of his claims while permitting his lawyers a …

In November 2016, a federal court ordered that a summons from the IRS be served on Coinbase seeking detailed information on potentially one million virtual currency users. This could include you if you have a Coinbase wallet. The case is In The Matter of the Tax Liabilities of John Does, United …

A Florida high school student posted online, “Can’t WAIT to shoot up my school.”  “It’s time” and “School getting shot up on a Tuesday.” He was arrested for violating Florida Statute 836.10 (“written threats statute”).  Then he was convicted.  But the appellate court reversed. You can read the Florida Second …

Mark your calendars, Kennedy assassination research fans. October 26, 2017 is the date when the government is scheduled to declassify and release all of the remaining 3,600 JFK Assassination records (see here). There are two ardently divided groups on the topic of the Kennedy assassination — the amorphous conspiracy theorists, …

Proposals for Settlement in Florida (also known as Offers of Judgment) have a poor survival rate on appeal.  The chance is decreased, almost to zero, if the offeror mentions a release but does not attach.  Surprisingly, the offeror does not improve their chances by attaching a release.  There’s too much room …

Interested in earning some Technology CLE points in Florida? Sign up for this January 24, 2017 CLE — possibly one the first CLEs in the State to offer Tech CLE points. AND… you don’t even have to attend in person.  Live or via Web. In one hour we will cover: All …

There is an exception to the general rule regarding defamation when it involves “parties [who] have a mutual interest in evaluating a person’s work.”  These evaluations occur frequently: employee evaluation, customer evaluation of employees, parents’ evaluation of teachers, and former bosses evaluating former employees to prospective new employers. Under those …

My article, “Don’t Connect Your Phone to Rental Cars” explained how rental cars (and your leased car!) can collect data from your smartphone which creates a vulnerability when the next driver takes the car. The original post was a Business Advocate post at McDonald Hopkins.com, here.  It was also cross-posted …

I am pleased to be one of three speakers at National Business Institute’s CLE/CME, “Mediation in Florida: Keys to Effective Settlement Negotiations.” The program is Thursday, November 10, 2016 at the Courtyard Fort Lauderdale North/Cypress Creek in Ft. Lauderdale, Florida. Lawyers and mediators can collect 8.00 hours of CLE and/or CME. …

You may have constitutional protections in your house but the exigency of the circumstance gives constitutional permission to the first responders to enter your home.  Once the fire is extinguished, fire fighters are required to conduct an “administrative sweep” to confirm there is no other fire or danger.  During fire fighting or during …

On September 9, 2016, the Florida Second District Court of Appeal ruled that an arbitration clause in an assisted living facility (ALF) admission agreement did not apply when the resident was transferred to a skilled nursing facility (SNF) located in the same retirement community.  While the language of the arbitration …