WSHB has been honored once again as one of the top 10 law firms in the nation on the American Lawyer's 2021 Diversity Scorecard. In addition to our top ten overall national ranking, WSHB was ranked ninth for Hispanic attorneys and tenth for diverse partners. The American Lawyer's Diversity Scorecard records the average number of full-time equivalent minority attorneys at Am Law 200 and National Law Journal 250 law firms....

Effective July 1, 2021, Florida Senate Bill 76 reforms property insurance claims by seeking to reduce litigation by way of new pre-suit notice requirements, a new attorney fee schedule, creating time limits for notice of claims, and placing new restrictions on soliciting property owners in regard to roof claims. Florida insurance practitioners should take note of these quickly approaching changes as they move forward in their businesses. We are also closely monitoring the Governor's review of SB1598....

On June 10, 2021, the U.S. Department of Labor's (DOL) Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) released the Emergency Temporary Standard (ETS) for Healthcare Employers as well as Guidance for Mitigating and Preventing the Spread of COVID-19 in the Workplace. The ETS mandates specific legal obligations for employers in protecting healthcare workers from COVID-19 exposure, as well as providing non-mandatory “guidance” for other employers. This ETS has been anticipated since January 2021 when President Biden signed an executive order asking the DOL to release an ETS addressing COVID health concerns in the workplace. Healthcare employers must comply with the ETS within two weeks of the final rule being published in the Federal Register, or at minimum, show good faith efforts to come into compliance as soon as possible thereafter. Other private employers are encouraged to comply with the ETS as well, based on OSHA’s recommendations and the likelihood that employees will mount legal challenges to lesser standards....