Gunster managing shareholder William J. Schifino Jr. was recently quoted in a Tampa Bay Business Journal article on how COVID-19 has affected business disputes with jury trials.
The article discusses how most jury trials have been suspended since spring due to regulations for social distancing and may not resume until restrictions are removed, potentially by year-end of 2021 or 2022.
Schifino states the business disputes, which require a jury trial, will be further ‘down the list’ to be resolved.
The article mentions that priority will be given to criminal cases and family law-related issues, which are considered more pressing, followed by evictions and mortgage foreclosures. Due to this delay in jury trials, Schifino points out that some clients with long-running business disputes have decided to forego jury trial and settle in mediation.
William J. Schifino Jr. is the managing shareholder of the firm’s Tampa office and is an attorney in Gunster’s Business Litigation practice. He is Board Certified in business litigation with a focus on trial practice. Schifino is a past president of The Florida Bar and previously served eight years as a member of the Thirteenth Judicial Circuit Judicial Nominating Commission and as its chairman.
Read the full Tampa Bay Business Journal article here: bizjournals.com/tampabay/news/2020/09/03/settling-business-disputes-could-take-years.html
