Tanner Bishop: Cases

RECENT CASES and published opinions

RECENT CASES

Mercantile v. Tierra Holdings

First District Court of Appeal (2011)
Our client, Mercantile Bank, prevailed on the appeal of an attorney's fee award. The Court of Appeal decision made new law on the issue of the continued enforceability of contractual attorney's fee clauses in the presence of a successful statutory offer of judgement.

Corrine Brown, etc. v. Dawn K. Roberts, Interim Florida Secretary of State

Florida Supreme Court; Circuit Court, Leon County, Florida (2010)

This was a suit filed by two U.S. Congress members in May 2010 seeking to block proposed Amendments 5 and 6 to the Florida Constitution from appearing on the ballot in Florida for the November 2010 general election. Amendments 5 and 6 are two citizen initiative proposed amendments directing certain changes in the drawing of U.S. congressional districts and state legislative districts in Florida. Our client, the Florida Interim Secretary of State, was joined as the defendant. The Florida House of Representatives and the Florida Senate intervened in the case on the side of the plaintiffs against the Secretary of State. Our firm represented the Secretary in the trial court proceedings in Tallahassee, Florida, and in subsequent proceedings in the Florida Supreme Court. The Florida Supreme Court ruled that Amendments 5 and 6 would appear on the ballot in November 2010.

Philips v. Oracal USA
Circuit Court, Duval County, Florida (2008-2010)
This was a breach of contract action in which our client sought over $4 million in damages from a German owned graphic adhesive film company, Oracal USA. The case was tried to a jury in October 2009.

Morales v. Speed City
Circuit Court, Duval County, Florida (2005-2010)
Our clients, Gil and Tracy Morales and their son, Major, sought damages for the partial blinding of Mr. Morales by a defective sports training product. The case was tried to a jury in December 2009.

Trail Ridge, Inc. and Waste Management, Inc. v. City of Jacksonville
United States District Court, Middle District of Florida (2009-2010)
Our client, the City of Jacksonville, had a $500 million contract dispute over the right to operate its Trail Ridge landfill in future decades. The matter has been settled.

Florida’s News Channel vs. Comcast Corporation et al,

Circuit Court, Duval County, Florida (2004-2008)

This was an action alleging breach of contract and fraud. Our client, Florida’s News Channel, was a producer of cable TV news programming and had entered into a contract with a cable television company (later acquired by Comcast) for distribution of the programming on the cable network throughout the State of Florida. The case was mediated and settled in August 2008.

City of Jacksonville vs. votejacksonville.com,
Circuit Court, Duval County, Florida (2006)

Our client, votejacksonville.com, was a grass-roots voter organization that sought to place a referendum on the ballot in Duval County, Florida for the November 2006 general election. The referendum sought voter approval for the return of a former United States Navy Master Jet base to the region. The case was litigated through appeal in 2008.

Pacific Insurance Co. vs. Wausau Insurance Co.,
United States District Court, Middle District of Florida (2005-2007)

This was a declaratory judgment action in which our client, Wausau Insurance Co., contested coverage for a multi-million dollar claim based on commercial general liability policy exclusions. The case was tried in 2007.

Florida Department of Financial Services vs. Universal Health Insurance et al,
Circuit Court, Leon County, Florida; United States District Court, Northern District of Florida (2007-2008)

Our client, the Florida Department of Financial Services, was sued by an insurer against whom insolvency proceedings had been instituted. All claims were settled.

White Collar Defense

Tanner Bishop has represented public officials, corporations, private individuals and businesses in Federal and State Grand Jury proceedings and investigations.

PUBLISHED OPINIONS

Mercantile v. Tierra Holdings (May 18, 2011) [download .pdf] »
Dawn K. Roberts, etc. v. Brown, et al., 2010 WL 3398795 (Fla., Aug. 31, 2010) [download .pdf] »
JEA v. Florida Power & Light Co., 34 Fla. L. Weekly D502, 2009 WL 536856 (Fla. 1st DCA 2009) [download .pdf] »
Griffin v. Griffin, 2008 WL 2403703, 33 Fla. L. Weekly D1573 (Fla. 1st DCA 2008) [download .pdf] »
Craig v. Craig, 982 So. 2d 724 (Fla. 1st DCA 2008) [download .pdf] »
Churchville v. GACS Incorporated, 973 So. 2d 1212 (Fla. 1st DCA 2008) [download .pdf] »
Routon v PBS&J Construction Services, Inc., 971 So. 2d 252 (Fla 2d DCA 2008) [download .pdf] »
Notami Hospital of Florida, Inc. v. Bowen, 927 So. 2d 139 (Fla. 1st DCA 2006) [download .pdf] »
Simon v. Celebration Company, 883 So. 2d 826 (Fla. 5th DCA 2004)
Florida Department of Financial Services v. RISCORP Insurance Co., 871 So. 2d 261 (Fla. 1st DCA 2004) [download .pdf] »
URS Koechli v. BIP International, Inc., 870 So. 2d 940 (Fla. 1st DCA 2004) [download .pdf] »
GACS Incorporated v. Hagar, 860 So. 2d 1102 (Fla. 1st DCA 2003) [download .pdf] »
Delaware Coca-Cola Bottling Company, Inc. v. General Teamster Local Union 326, 624 F.2d 1182 (3d Cir. 1980)
Media Services Group, Inc. v. Bay Cities Communications, Inc., 237 F.3d 1326 (11th Cir. 2001)
The Jacksonville Port Authority v. Skycenter Hotel Company, Ltd., etc., 96 F.3d 1456 (11th Cir. 1996)

OPINIONS IN PRO BONO CASES

Tanner Bishop's attorneys are committed to furthering the interests of justice through court appointed representation of clients who would not otherwise be able to pay for legal representation. We have provided pro bono representation in the following cases.

Arnold v. Secretary, Florida Department of Corrections, 595 F.3d 1324 (11th Cir. 2010)
Hitchcock v. Secretary, Florida Department of Corrections,2010 WL 28207 (11th Cir. 2010)
Jean v. Dorelien, 431 F.3d 776 (11th Cir. 2010)