Tripp Scott announces that Ryan Lehrer, a director with the law firm, has joined the St. Thomas Aquinas High School Alumni Board of Directors as Corporate Liaison. In this role, Ryan will work to engage with alumni to develop and strengthen relationships on behalf of St. Thomas Aquinas.

A recent Law360 Bankruptcy Authority headline, "Already Lean US Trustee Program Sees 58 Take Buyouts," may be revealing the tip of the iceberg in an ocean of uncertainty concerning the effective administration of the bankruptcy courts as we move forward in this uncharted territory. 

Tripp Scott announces that Matthew Zifrony, a director with the law firm, has been recognized by the City of Weston for his outstanding service to that city. Matt lived in the City of Weston for 24 years, and he and his wife recently relocated to downtown Fort Lauderdale, Fla.

On March 21, 2025, the Financial Crimes Enforcement Network (FinCEN) issued an Interim Final Rule that significantly reduces the Corporate Transparency Act’s (CTA) beneficial ownership reporting obligations. Under this new rule, only foreign entities registered to do business in the U.S. and its foreign beneficial owners must submit beneficial ownership information (BOI) reports. 

Tripp Scott announces that Charles Tatelbaum, a director with the firm, was named as a member of Law 360’s Editorial Advisory Board for Bankruptcy.

The editorial advisory boards provide feedback on Law360's coverage and expert insight on how best to shape future coverage. Law360 is a subscription-based, legal news service. It is a subsidiary of Lexis Nexis that delivers breaking news and analysis to more than 2 million U.S. legal professionals across 60 practice areas, industries and topics.

When structuring partnership, shareholder and operating agreements, business owners try to address every reasonably conceivable situation. What often goes overlooked, however, are the effects on the business of divorce, dementia, or death — and the possible involvement of a surviving spouse, ex-spouse, or heirs.

Norman Tripp knew how hard it can be to afford college. When he attended the University of Miami, the son of a factory worker had to keep skipping semesters to work to make enough money to pay for the next semester. He succeeded: he met his wife, Jane, at the University and they earned their bachelor’s degrees in 1962.

Tripp went on to found the Tripp Scott P.A. law firm in Fort Lauderdale and became the general counsel for Alamo Rent a Car as the company exploded into a national chain. But Tripp never forgot about his days in Coral Gables, sending his children - and a continuous stream of scholarship donations - to the University.

Clients often question the necessity of hiring an appellate attorney when they already have a litigation or trial attorney handling their case. After all, the trial attorney was chosen for their skills and expertise, which can make their presence seem sufficient. But as legal matters unfold, the complexities of a case can easily surpass the trial attorney’s focus and abilities, particularly in cases that may be appealed. An appellate attorney makes sure that a client has the best chance of success at all stages of the litigation.

Tripp Scott announces that Jeffrey S. Wood, a director with the law firm, has been elected as Chairman of the Board of the Children’s Services Council of Broward County. 

The Children’s Services Council’s mission is to provide leadership, advocacy, and resources necessary to enhance the lives of the children of Broward County and empower them to become responsible, productive adults through collaborative planning and funding of a continuum of quality care.

Fifty-nine-attorney strong law firm Tripp Scott received a favorable Third District Court of Appeal opinion recently on behalf of its client, Moss & Associates, regarding a lawsuit they faced from a private resident at Brickell Heights East condominium in Miami.

Employers may be confused about their legal obligations in the face of the Trump Administration’s campaign against transgender individuals. Legal experts are reminding business leaders that it is still unlawful for most employers to discriminate against transgender employees because of their gender identity. Neither executive orders nor EEOC policy shifts can change federal or state gender identity discrimination laws governing private sector employers.

In my 58+ years of practicing bankruptcy law, I have learned that many of the nuances of the Bankruptcy Code, the Bankruptcy Rules of Procedure and the general practice of bankruptcy law can inflict pain-and-suffering on attorneys that do not deal in the area on a regular basis, and come to find that actions taken on clients’ behalf prior to and during a bankruptcy proceeding can have significant
negative consequences.

Following the February 18, 2025 decision in Smith, et al. v. U.S. Department of the Treasury, et al. all nationwide injunctions have been lifted and the reporting requirements and filing deadlines for the Corporate Transparency Act are back in full effect. SUBMISSION IS NO LONGER ON A VOLUNTARY BASIS.

In starting a family business, you hear and read about unexpected changes in family structure that leave outsiders or even family members not originally in the company with unintended control.

Recently, Tulsi Gabbard received starkly contrasting receptions in Florida and now in Washington, D.C.

 Gabbard, who transitioned from the Democratic Party to the Republican Party and is now Donald Trump’s nominee for director of National Intelligence, visited Fort Lauderdale last year, where she was warmly welcomed.

South Florida PBS owns and operates the lead public broadcasting television stations in South Florida – WPBT in Miami and Fort Lauderdale and WXEL in the Palm Beaches. It is Florida’s largest public media company, which includes public broadcasting stations WPBT2 and WXEL, serving approximately 6.3 million viewers of all ages and cultural backgrounds from Key West to the Sebastian Inlet and from the Atlantic Ocean west to Lake Okeechobee.

After much back-and-forth, on Thursday, January 23, 2025, the U.S. Supreme Court granted the federal government’s request to enforce the Corporate Transparency Act (CTA) while an appeal is pending before the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 5th Circuit. This decision stayed a prior ruling in Texas that had blocked the nationwide enforcement of the CTA.

Cash is king and business owners know that harsh reality more than most since oftentimes businesses run into cash crunches at certain times of the year. When that happens sometimes traditional lenders such as banks are not an option and businesses need to reach out to merchant cash advance companies (MCAs). As MCAs grow in popularity, there is concern about an increase in companies claiming to negotiate MCA terms on behalf of business owners.

Artificial intelligence (AI) undoubtedly has the potential to enhance attorneys’ work product. But AI cannot replace attorneys, at least not at this juncture.

Murphy’s Law—“if anything can go wrong, it will”—rears its ugly head at the least opportune times. AI is in its relative infancy. Too much could go wrong with this emerging technology to risk a potentially painful and expensive legal outcome.

In 2020, Hammocks board President Marglli Gallego allegedly suggested that Monica Ghilardi should get paid for her work as the homeowners association’s treasurer.

But there was a problem. Because Florida law says HOA board members are volunteers prohibited from receiving compensation, a workaround was needed.