On December 3, the Eleventh Judicial Circuit issued Administrative Order 13-08, which creates an International Commercial Arbitration (“ICA”) Subsection within Section 40, the Complex Business Litigation Section. The ICA Subsection will hear all cases arising under the Florida International Commercial Arbitration Act and the Federal Arbitration Act, as well as related cases arising out of the same transaction or occurrence. All ICA Subsection cases will be heard by judges who have experience handling complex commercial matters and who receive specific judicial education in the handling of international commercial arbitration. Miami is the second city in the country to create a complex commercial arbitration subsection (the first of its kind was established in New York City). The creation of this subsection demonstrates Miami’s significance in the international business community; in recent years, Miami has become the gateway for businesses doing business in Latin America, particularly Venezuela, Brazil, and Argentina.
Attorneys in WSH’s Litigation Division have prosecuted and defended a wide-variety of general commercial and business dispute issues in both individual and class action settings, and are experienced in a variety of alternative dispute resolution techniques, including binding arbitration and non-binding mediation. Our litigators, many of whom are also members of our Appellate Practice Group, have successfully litigated cases up to the Florida Supreme Court. In addition, attorneys in our International Group represent entrepreneurs, companies, financial institutions, and other ventures doing business across international borders. Group Members Michael S. Popok, Alan K. Fertel, Roger S. Kobert, and WSH Founding Member Joseph H. Serota have extensive international arbitration experience.
Author(s): Brooke P. Dolara
