Category: DSB&C News

Derrevere Stevens Black & Cozad Launches Dedicated Mediation Practice

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

November 11, 2024 – (West Palm Beach, FL) —- Derrevere Stevens Black & Cozad (“DSB&C”), a multi-state law firm based in Florida, is excited to announce the launch of its new Mediation Practice Group. Given our firm’s established excellence and commitment to innovative legal solutions, the introduction of a Mediation Practice Group is a natural and exciting next step. This development underscores our dedication to providing exceptional legal services, emphasizing personal attention, and resolving disputes efficiently and effectively.

Our Mediation Practice is led by respected attorneys with extensive experience in managing complex disputes across various practice areas. Our Florida Supreme Court Certified Circuit Court Mediators focus on facilitating fair and equitable outcomes for all parties involved, reducing the need for lengthy litigation. Whether through Zoom, hybrid, or in-person sessions, we handle disputes with professionalism and integrity.

Meet Our Florida Supreme Court Certified Circuit Court Mediators

Jon Derrevere

As the founder and cornerstone of our firm, Jon Derrevere brings over four decades of legal experience as a distinguished mediator, arbitrator, and trial attorney. A graduate of the University of Florida and Cornell University, Jon has tried over 200 cases and specializes in complex litigation, particularly in construction, product liability, and large-loss recovery claims. As a Florida Supreme Court Certified Circuit Court Mediator, Jon brings unparalleled expertise to every session.

Bryan W. Black

Bryan W. Black, with his profound knowledge of the Florida legal landscape, offers extensive experience in our mediation practice. After graduating from Western Carolina University and Nova Southeastern University Shepard Broad Law Center, Bryan has excelled in various practice areas, including construction and insurance defense. His role as a Florida Supreme Court Certified Circuit Court Mediator complements his leadership and legal acumen, enhancing our firm’s mediation services. With Bryan W. Black on our mediation team, clients can trust in his unwavering commitment to achieving favorable outcomes and delivering exceptional service.

James Suarez

James Suarez combines his broad legal background with a personal approach to his mediation sessions, ensuring that each party’s perspective is fully considered. Fluent in Spanish, James also facilitates effective communication for Spanish-speaking parties, enhancing the mediation experience for a diverse range of participants. A graduate of Florida International University and The George Washington University Law School, James has built a dynamic legal career focusing on complex litigation and insurance defense. As a Florida Supreme Court Certified Circuit Court Mediator, James’s diverse experience and dedication to conflict resolution brings a unique depth to our mediation team. James is also a Florida Supreme Court Qualified Arbitrator.

Contact Information

For more information about our Mediation Practice or to schedule a consultation, please contact:

Mediation Coordinator: Ana Torres
Email: mediation@derreverelaw.com
Telephone: 561-449-0740

About Derrevere Stevens Black & Cozad

Derrevere Stevens Black & Cozad is a prominent law firm dedicated to providing top-tier legal services and innovative dispute resolution solutions. Our team is committed to meeting the unique needs of each client with professionalism and care.

DSB&C’s David Miller Celebrates No Shave November!

Here ye! Here ye! Calling all lovers of humans! Calling all haters of cancer! The “No Shave November” Committee of the Palm Beach County Bar Association Young Lawyer Section is holding its annual “No Shave November” event to raise money for a charity – Cancer Alliance of Help & Hope – and we want your help!

CAHH is a local, non-profit organization that provides financial assistance to those in Palm Beach County who are suffering from terminal cancer and/or who are undergoing cancer treatment. Each Fall, the Committee sets up a group of men – “Headliners” – each of whom voluntarily agree to not shave their beards during the entire month of November and seek donations throughout the month to help financially support local men who are battling the dreaded “c”. None of the funds raised by the Headliners go to any overhead costs for the event or towards any other organizational costs. 100% of the money raised by the Headliners goes exactly where it needs to go – to support those men in our community who need it the most.

At the end of November, the fundraiser culminates in an amazing, one-of-a-kind, in-person event where each of the Headliners has their beard shaved off by the talented barbers of Barber’s Edge, LIVE in front of hundreds of attendees and the Committee reveals how much was raised by the Headliners for CAHH. The Headliner who raises the most in donations wins a hot shave with a straight-edge razor. At the last event, over $50,000 was raised for some unfortunate, but very deserving, individuals and winning Headliner Cameron Neth left with a remarkably clean shave. We hope to crush that amount this year – and can do so with your help!

Our esteemed Headliners this year include: Jack Scarola, Ryan Boylston, Paul Shalhoub, Sean Denyse, Neil Schiller, Stanton Collemer, Trent Swift, Dean Xenick, Bobby Gonz, David Zide, Stephen Grant, Jeff Johnson and Corey Brown. If you happen to see any of these gentlemen in the near future, please commend them on their fantastic facial hair and, more importantly, their valiant effort of stepping up to help others in need and growing awareness for men’s cancer issues.

This year’s in-person event will be at the Palm Beach Gardens Marriott (4400 RCA Boulevard, Palm Beach Gardens, FL) on November 30, starting at 5:30pm. In addition to the live shave-off, the event will also include a silent raffle for various items (raffle tickets are available for purchase; proceeds go to CAHH), while drink tickets can be purchased and hors-d’oeuvres will be provided to attendees. In the past, items such as Salvador Dali artwork, Miami Dolphins game tickets, rounds of golf at PGA National and gift certificates to spas have been raffled off.

Derrevere Stevens Black & Cozad is proudly serving as a food sponsor for the event this year and DSB&C’s very own David Miller serves on the “No Shave November” Committee. Event sponsorship opportunities are still available for purchase. Each sponsorship level comes with varying types of marketing/advertisement opportunities and various amounts of drink tickets and raffle tickets (the bigger the sponsorship level, the more marketing/advertisement opportunities and the more drink and raffle tickets). If you are interested in sponsoring the event, please reach out to David Miller at 561.684.3222 or drm@derreverelaw.com.

Even though David is not a headliner this year, he has voluntarily agreed to grow out his beard and get shaved at the event to raise more funds for CAHH. David has been growing a beard for several months now. It is to the point that most barely recognize him. At the event, the Committee will auction David off to the highest bidder, who will get to choose a style for the barbers to shave David’s beard, and David has agreed to wear that style all day on the day after the event. There is a caveat though – nothing offensive. Last time David was brave enough to do this, Sam Cohen could not pass up the opportunity to bid. Sam won the auction, David left the event with muttonchops and a Fu Manchu, and everyone who saw David the day after got to hear about the wonderful reason why he looked like…. well, here are the before and after photos:

Sponsorship aside, everyone is encouraged and welcome to support this cause, so come attend the event. Better yet, donate to one (or more) of the headliners and purchase raffle tickets – every cent you spend goes directly to keep a roof over someone’s head, food in their fridge and the lights on at home while they put up the good fight!

Derrevere Stevens Black & Cozad Hires Partner Meghan Wilson to Spearhead its First-Party Insurance Defense Division

October 25, 2021 – (West Palm Beach, Florida) —- Derrevere Stevens Black & Cozad (“DSB&C”) announced today that it has brought on Meghan Wilson, Esq. as a Partner to take over the helm of DSB&C’s First-Party Defense Division. Meghan was admitted to the Florida Bar in 2007 and has since focused her practice almost exclusively in the areas of insurance defense, commercial and residential contracts, and bad-faith litigation. She has represented numerous insurance companies in various stages – from pre-suit investigations, conducting examinations under oath, and providing coverage opinions, through litigation and trial. A lifelong Floridian, Meghan is a double Gator, having obtained her Bachelor of Arts degree in English and her Juris Doctorate degree from the University of Florida. Outside of work, Meghan enjoys watching episodes of “Bluey” with her niece, going to the movies, and cooking.

Jon D. Derrevere scores another victory for Target at the 11th Circuit Court of Appeal

The premises liability team of DSB&C of our West Palm Beach office successfully defended an appeal in the Eleventh Circuit Court of an Order granting Final Summary Judgment.  In Espinoza v. Target Corp., 843 F. App’x 168, (11th Cir. 2021), Plaintiff claimed physical injuries to her head, neck, back, and shoulder; she also claimed damages for psychological injuries and memory loss related to a fall in a large puddle of milk in the stationary department of the Boynton Beach store.   The central issue on appeal was whether the evidence supported an inference of constructive notice under Fla. Stat. 768.0755 (2010).

The Per Curiam Opinion affirmed summary judgment in favor of Target as Plaintiff’s inferences regards the size of the puddle, the temperature of the milk, and the policy and timing of a last inspection did not establish how long the puddle had been on the floor to charge Target with constructive notice of its existence.  The Court ruled as a matter of law Target was not liable for any of Plaintiff’s claimed injuries.  A proposal for settlement was filed early in the case which provided the client the opportunity to recover costs and fees for successful defense of this lawsuit.  Our team is well prepared to handle all aspects of the premises liability lawsuit including summary judgment, appeals, and trials.

You can read the opinion by clicking here.

Derrevere Stevens Black & Cozad Taps Michael B. Stevens as its New Managing Partner as the Firm Continues its Technological and Geographical Expansion Beyond Florida and into New England

June 1, 2021 – (West Palm Beach, Florida) —- Derrevere Stevens Black & Cozad (“DSB&C”) announced today that Michael B. Stevens has been appointed Managing Partner of the firm, effective June 1, 2021. Michael is the firm’s first Managing Partner to succeed the founding and outgoing Managing Partner, Jon D. Derrevere.

Having made Partner at DSB&C before the age of 30, Michael is no stranger to seizing upon opportunities whenever they are presented. Five years ago, Michael shook the firm from its quiet and content comfort zone in Florida when he slowly began expanding the firm’s practice into New England. Convinced that there were opportunities being missed and prospective clients in need of the firm’s services, Michael began splitting time between South Florida, Vermont, and Massachusetts to explore growth to the north. Within four short years, the firm now boasts four full time attorneys in Vermont and Massachusetts focusing on insurance subrogation to complement the 19 attorneys on its roster in South Florida. Demand continues to outpace supply which has the firm looking to continue its hiring spree well into the summer.

Serendipitously, it was Michael’s push into the north that positioned DSB&C to come through the pandemic stronger than it went into it. When Michael arrived in Vermont at the beginning of 2017, the technological infrastructure did not exist at the firm to allow one of its attorneys to interface with the firm’s database and personnel in a meaningful way. Long before the terms “Zoom” and “Teams” were commonplace in everyone’s daily routines, Michael created new process to allow employees to communicate with one another when they were not in the office. Cameras were provided to everyone on Michael’s team to allow for visual interaction on a daily basis, regardless of where the person was located. The firm shifted the majority of its case management practice to the cloud which untethered the employees from the brick-and-mortar server in West Palm Beach and allowed for unlimited scalability.

In March of 2020 when the pandemic hit the world hard and everyone pivoted to remote platforms, DSB&C was unphased. “It wasn’t as easy as flipping a switch, but we were ready. One partner meeting over the March 13^th weekend and two moving days with a dedicated staff the following week made the transition seamless. But for hearing the laughter of children or a dog letting everyone know that the mailperson had arrived in the background of a phone call, our clients were no wiser that anything had changed on our end. We got lucky on the timing. Had the pandemic struck even one year earlier, I am not sure what would have happened,” said Michael. “As they say, better to be lucky than good.”

Over the past year, the firm has seen tremendous growth in all areas. While its insurance defense roots have continued to be the steady heartbeat of the firm, insurance subrogation is on pace to take over as the firm’s number one revenue sector in the next year. Having taken the firm’s subrogation division from a two-person team in West Palm Beach to one boasting 15 employees in four different states, Michael’s partners are looking to him to help nurture the firm’s continued long-term growth. “I am excited for this new opportunity and the faith my partners have placed in me.”

With this new role, Michael will be overseeing the day-to-day management of DSB&C with an emphasis towards leveraging the firm’s talent and technological prowess. “Anyone who thinks the legal industry is going back to the days of 30 lawyers gathering in a room for 5 minutes with a Judge on motion calendar hasn’t been paying attention this past year. Everyone benefits from virtual appearances. Clients pay less in fees and costs, and attorneys are less stressed by not needing to spend hours on the road to appear in person. Most people won’t admit it, but I know it’s not just me that loves getting to use my own bathroom most days – and let’s not forget how much we are helping the environment by leveraging this technology. Less car rides, and less plane rides means less carbon footprint. You don’t have to want to embrace a tree in Vermont to know that every little bit helps,” says Michael. “Beyond being good for the environment and business, helping the firm leverage technology also means more time with your family and doing the things that you love. There is no point in working this hard to not be able to enjoy the fruits of your labor with those that are important to you.”

With the overwhelmingly positive success of the firm’s work from home program this past year, DSB&C made the decision to make the program permanent. “If you want to work from home and can do so as a productive member of our firm, then you shall have that privilege,” said Michael. “Our employees are happier working from home. Why would we want to mess with that?”

Michael recently relocated to South Burlington, Vermont with his wife Amanda, and their two children. When he isn’t fighting the good fight for his clients in a courtroom, he enjoys identifying and testing out the best food in the cities he visits, hiking, skiing, and being the only Florida Panthers’ fan in all of New England.

Bryan W. Black Obtains Final Summary Judgment in Personal Injury and Property Damage Case involving Certified Mold Assessor and Indoor Air Quality Testing.

April 13, 2021 – Haskett, et. al. v. Hibiscus Springs Rental Homes, et. al. This action arises out of claims asserted by four (4) Plaintiffs against a Rental Home company, Property Management company, various individual employees and a Certified Mold Assessor & Air Quality Testing Company (“Defendant”). Plaintiffs filed their initial complaint in February 2020 asserting that a window at the Subject Rental Residence was leaking and despite pleas to the rental complex, continued to leak for a two year period. A mother, adult daughter and the daughter’s two boys allegedly developed health conditions as a result of exposure to toxic mold. Sometime in 2018, Plaintiffs noticed that the paint was bubbling and coming off the wall under the front bedroom window, revealing what appeared to be mold. Plaintiffs testified that they attempted to clean the mold but ultimately hired a mold testing company to test the conditions. After the mold testing company inspected and tested the conditions of the Subject Residence, they concluded that there were high levels of mold present in the Subject Residence. Upon receiving this information, Plaintiffs left the residence and moved into a hotel. Plaintiffs also left many of their personal belongings in the home, as they were under the impression that their personal effects were contaminated by mold. Thereafter, Plaintiffs only returned to the Subject Residence once to remove limited items from the garage and return the keys for the Subject Residence to the rental complex.

It was not until after Plaintiffs left the Subject Residence and returned the keys to the Management Company for the rental complex, that Defendant Certified Mold Assessor & Air Quality Testing Company was asked by the rental complex to perform Indoor Air Quality Testing at the Subject Residence. Defendant set up its equipment, turned it on, sampled the air at the Subject Residence and then left the property. Thereafter, Defendant provided the rental complex a copy of its report and lab results. Defendant had absolutely no communications with Plaintiffs before, during or after visiting the Subject Residence.

During litigation of the case, Defendant served all the Plaintiffs with requests for admissions and deposed the two (2) primary Plaintiffs (mother and adult daughter). Both testified that the Plaintiff did not contract, pay, rent, communicate, retain, or rely upon any representations made by the Defendant. Further, Plaintiffs testified that they did not know who Defendant was or what Defendant did with regard to the Subject Residence. Plaintiffs solely relied upon their own mold testing company when deciding to leave the Subject Residence and abandon their personal property, all of which occurred prior to Defendant’s first and only visit to the Subject Residence.

After a review of the record evidence, pleadings, answers to interrogatories and testimony, the Trial Court ruled that there was no genuine issue of material fact and Defendant was entitled to Final Summary Judgment as a matter of law. The duty element of negligence is a threshold legal question; if no legal duty exists, no action for negligence may lie. Florida courts have consistently held that the issue of whether a defendant owes a duty to a plaintiff is a question of law for the courts to decide. The Court also found that the Plaintiffs third-party beneficiary claim likewise failed as the record evidence unrefutably established there was no contract, no breach of a non-existent contract and no resulting damages. Nothing Defendant did, or did not do, would have, as a matter of law, created a duty between Defendant and Plaintiffs; nor could anything Defendant did, or did not do, be deemed the proximate cause of Plaintiffs’ alleged damages.

The matter is not final, and subject to change, until the expiration of the relevant periods for any motion for rehearing and/or the time for appeal has concluded.