Podhurst Orseck, P.A.

A Florida appeals court has ruled that Italian aircraft manufacturer Pipistrel Aircraft Italia Srl cannot evade a wrongful death lawsuit related to a plane crash in the #Florida Keys. The court determined the company had enough connections to the state to be brought into court here. The Florida Third District Court of Appeal upheld a lower court decision rejecting Pipistrel Italia's attempt to dismiss the lawsuit filed by Susan Ciccolini on behalf of her late husband, Stephen Fraysher. The ruling clarifies that foreign companies marketing and selling potentially dangerous products in Florida can be held accountable for damages. According to #PodhurstOrseck Partner Stephen Rosenthal, who represents Ciccolini, "The 3rd DCA’s opinion—affirming the trial court ruling—sends a clear message that foreign companies who market and sell faulty products alleged to have killed a consumer in Florida will be held accountable in our courts. We are encouraged by this opinion, and our trial team looks forward to a full finding of the facts as the case progresses." Get more background on the case via Law360 ➡️ bit.ly/4ePUkSJ

We invite you to join us for the Florida legal community's must-attend event: 𝘈 𝘚𝘶𝘱𝘳𝘦𝘮𝘦 𝘌𝘷𝘦𝘯𝘪𝘯𝘨 2025! This annual dinner, which is the primary showcase and fundraiser for the Florida Supreme Court Historical Society, is coming up on Thursday, January 16, in Tallahassee. 🔗Sponsorships and early dinner reservations are available now: https://lnkd.in/eN_Xaac5

In November 2011, Bank of America customers that incurred overdraft fees over the past decade reached an astounding $410 million settlement in a national #classaction lawsuit. The lawsuit contended BofA processed debit-card transactions in an order that maximized overdraft fees of $35, instead of processing purchases in chronological order. Such practices have now been banned by new regulations. #PodhurstOrseck litigator Aaron Podhurst led the matter that achieved “this stellar result.” Learn more about one the firm’s landmark cases via South Florida Business Journal ➡️ bit.ly/BofALC

Podhurst Orseck, P.A. is pleased to share that Partner Kristina Infante has been appointed by the Honorable Cecilia M. Altonaga as a member of the Committee for the Southern District of Florida 2025 Bench and Bar Conference Committee. This Committee establishes and maintains relations with other Committees and outside groups to better develop the conference. The 2025 Bench and Bar Conference is slated to take place next year with details to follow.

Harley Tropin of Kozyak Tropin & Throckmorton Law Firm and Peter Prieto of Podhurst Orseck, P.A. are gearing up for the University of Miami School of Law's annual Miami Class Action & Complex Litigation Forum in January. "This year is going to be a signature year for the program because we have judges from the Judicial Panel on Multidistrict Litigation in addition to other outstanding judges," Tropin said. "That's significant because this is the group that decides where major multidistrict cases are sent." Prieto is directly involved in a panel regarding trending issues in class action and MDL practice. He will join Judge Jacqueline Becerra of the District Court for the Southern District of Florida, Judge Amy St. Eve of the Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit and Sidley Austin LLP management committee chair and executive committee member Yvette Ostolaza. Read the full story from reporter Tommaso Baronio here: https://lnkd.in/gbZcMjCa

On Veterans Day, #PodhurstOrseck recognizes the courage and sacrifice of veterans across our nation.

We are pleased to announce that #PodhurstOrseck was recognized in the 2025 edition of Best Law Firms®, ranked by Best Lawyers®. The firm has been Nationally ranked Tier 2 for its Appellate Practice and Regionally ranked Tier 1 in 8 practice areas, including appellate, aviation law, and commercial litigation. Learn more about the firm's #BestLawFirms ranking ➡️ bit.ly/POBESTFIRM

The Cuban American Bar Association (CABA) recently held its fourth Leadership, Education, and, Development (L.E.A.D.) program session at the #PodhurstOrseck office. The L.E.A.D. program is designed to provide CABA fellows with the knowledge, skills, and tools to be effective leaders within CABA, The Florida Bar, and their communities. #PodhurstOrseck Partner and CABA past president Ricardo Martinez-Cid helped facilitate the latest session, “The Growth Mindset: Cultivating Leadership Through Professional Development” where he also served as a speaker alongside Erika Obando, M.C.L.C., President of TPE Coaching & Consulting; 11th Circuit Judge Yara Lorenzo Klukas; Miami-Dade Judge Jorge A. Pérez Santiago; and Isabel C. Diaz, Partner at Holland & Knight LLP. Learn more about CABA and its LEAD session via The Florida Bar ➡️ bit.ly/4fnFsM2 . . 📸 : L.E.A.D. Session Participants; From left Gus Ceballos, Alex Saiz, Javier A. Ley-Soto, Carlos Diaz, Anthony Atala, Gabriel Pla, Stephanie Cruz, Aimee A. Ferrer, Amanda Naldjieff, Emily Balter, Alexis De La Rosa, Cesar L. Avila, Roger Pou.

The mother of 14-year-old Sewell Setzer III, who died by suicide, has filed a #wrongfuldeath lawsuit against Character Technologies Inc., the parent company of Character.AI, alleging that the app's hyper-sexualized chatbots targeted children, contributing to her son's emotional distress and addiction. The lawsuit claims that these interactions led to Sewell's withdrawal and suicidal ideation, culminating in his tragic death. #PodhurstOrseck’s Ramon Rasco, who wasn’t involved in the case, highlighted some of its upcoming hurdles, noting how, "It's a tragic case, and it is definitely something we'll see a lot more in the future because if the allegations alleged in the complaint are true, it shows that these AI technologies are much more addictive than social media." Read more about the case via Amanda Brondstad in Law.com ➡️ bit.ly/3Uyxx6r

Congratulations to #PodhurstOrseck's Peter Prieto for being recognized by Florida Trend Media Company’s 500 Most Influential Business Leaders. In the profile, Prieto gives insightful advice on mentorship and his inspiration, "My parents have been my most influential mentors. While neither of them received much of a formal education, they taught me the importance of an education and of hard work." The publication’s criteria is based on extensive contacts in regional business circles, hundreds of interviews and months of research, culminating in a highly selective biographical guide to Florida’s top business leaders. Read more about Prieto and the #Florida500 honorees ➡️ bit.ly/PETER500