Perlmutter: The Florida Supreme Court’s Clarification of the Pleading Standards for Punitive Damages
July 6, 2026
by
Grace Zogaib
Punitive damages are a “game changer” in litigation. Gattorno v. Souto, 390 So. 3d 134, 137 (Fla. 3d DCA 2024). They are “reserved for truly culpable behavior and are intended to express society’s collective outrage.” KIS Grp., LLC v. Moquin, 263 So. 3d 63, 65–66 (Fla. 4th DCA 2019). Because punitiv [...] Read More
In a five-day span during September of 2023, Mr. Brownlee had two oral arguments before Florida's Sixth District Court of Appeal. He prevailed in both appeals.
As explained in Part One of this two-part blog article posting, I was asked to conduct research on the steps to file a petition for writ of certiorari and a brief of amicus curiae in the United States Supreme Court (USSC).
I was recently asked by a fellow attorney to research how to file a petition for writ of certiorari and a brief of amicus curiae in the United States Supreme Court (USSC). This is the first of two articles that will address, in limited scope, filing:¹
On March 6, 2019, Michael (Mike) Brownlee of The Brownlee Law Firm had the honor of presenting oral argument to the Florida Supreme Court in case number SC18-674. Because the case involves children and an adoption proceeding, the Florida Supreme Court ordered that the briefing in the case be sealed.
Effective January 1, 2019! On October 25, 2018, the Florida Supreme Court issued an order adopting proposed amendments to the Florida Rules of Appellate Procedure. The aspect of the order that will have the biggest impact on the appellate process in Florida is the change to the briefing deadlines fo [...]
Subjective Entrapment – Legal Framework There are two types of entrapment in Florida: subjective entrapment and objective entrapment. To determine whether a defendant has a viable objective entrapment defense, courts look solely to the conduct of law enforcement and assess whether the conduct was so [...]
Orlando-based appellate attorney Michael Brownlee has been selected to speak at the 2018 Christian Legal Society National Conference. This year’s theme is “Being Faithful: Advocating for Justice, Mercy, and Truth.” The conference will be held October 11-14 in Clearwater Beach, Florida. Mr. Brownlee [...]
Florida’s child support statute should be amended to give courts discretion not to impute income to a parent who leaves a high-paying job for a lower-paying job when the change is in the child’s best interests.