The firm’s transactional practice is comprised primarily of real estate and business transactions. We represent buyers, sellers, and lenders in residential and commercial real estate transactions. We also help individuals and entrepreneurs form new entities and buy or sell existing businesses. Detailed descriptions of our transactional background and experience are set forth on the following…
Butler & Primeau LLP congratulates John C. Primeau for being recognized by Florida Trend magazine in its 2012 Florida Legal Elite publication. The ninth annual edition of Florida Legal Elite recognizes a prestigious list of esteemed attorneys chosen by their colleagues. The lawyers listed here exemplify a standard of excellence in their profession, and by doing…
The Florida Bar sent out an email today clarifying that service by e-mail will not become MANDATORY until September 1, 2012, in civil, probate, small claims, and family law divisions of the trial courts, as well as in all appellate cases. E-mail service in criminal, traffic, and juvenile matters is not mandatory until October 1,…
The Palm Beach Post published an excellent article about the newest method some underwater owners are using to try to save their homes from foreclosure. Many people consider this a way to “beat the bank in foreclosures.” Is it a brilliant legal strategy or just the latest scheme? You decide. The Post reports that at…
Earlier today, the Florida Supreme Court released Opinion No. SC10-2101. All Florida lawyers need to read this opinion ASAP since it makes MAJOR changes to the Florida Rules of Judicial Administration, with conforming amendments to the Florida Rules of Civil Procedure, the Florida Rules of Criminal Procedure, the Florida Probate Rules, the Florida Rules of…
Can judges be “connected” with lawyers on LinkedIn? According to the Florida Judicial Ethics Advisory Committee, the answer is a qualified “no.” See Opinion 2012-12. This isn’t the first time Florida’s Judicial Ethics Advisory Committee dealt with the issue of judges’ use of social media and interactions with lawyers. In a 2009 opinion, the same…
Should banks be able to avoid judicial fraud inquiries by voluntarily dismissing a case? The Florida Supreme Court heard arguments on that issue yesterday in Pino v. Bank of New York. The issue is pretty straightforward, but it is a very important one. In Pino, the Bank of New York filed a foreclosure lawsuit against…
Congratulations to John C. Primeau for recently being recertified by the Florida Bar as a specialist in real estate law. Board certification recognizes attorneys’ special knowledge, skills, and proficiency in various areas of law and professionalism and ethics in practice. It is a voluntary program for lawyers, approved by The Florida Supreme Court and administered…
It’s official. Florida Attorney General Pam Bondi signed off on the record $25 billion joint federal-state settlement agreement with the nation’s five largest mortgage servicers over foreclosure abuses and unacceptable nationwide mortgage servicing practices. Forty-nine of the fifty states have approved it, with Oklahoma being the lone hold out. According to the Florida Attorney General’s…
I was honored to co-moderate last night’s Foreclosure Crisis Committee which was held by the Broward County Bar Association’s Real Property Section. I previously blogged here about the Florida Supreme Court’s termination of the statewide mandatory mediation program for residential foreclosures. The new Administrative Order provides that circuit chief judges of each circuit may “adopt…