Media and First Amendment Law

GrayRobinson media lawyers have represented and advised numerous print, electronic and advertising media organizations. We have experience in the litigation of defamation cases, public records and courtroom access cases, reporter's privilege issues and sunshine law cases.

Additionally, our media lawyers have participated in extensive prepublication review of sensitive articles and broadcasts. We have played important roles in establishing and maintaining relationships with law enforcement agencies and other governmental authorities when highly sensitive or potentially privileged information was being discussed.

The experience acquired by our lawyers in the areas of First Amendment and media law allows our firm to offer efficient, insightful counsel in all issues encountered by media organizations.

We also offer clients decades worth of management, labor and employment law experience. The labor practice includes representation of employers in resisting the unionization of an employer's work force, union elections conducted by the government (NLRB or PERC), collective bargaining, arbitration and unfair labor practice litigation. We have experience under the National Labor Relations Act, Railway Labor Act and Florida Public Employees Act.

For employment issues, we have advised clients in all areas, including/discrimination:

Discrimination claims under Title VII (race, sex, color, creed, national origin), the Age Discrimination in Employment Act and the Americans with Disabilities Act; equal pay and wage and hour matters under the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) and related government contractor matters; and matters under the federal Family and Medical Leave Act and related state laws.

The firm also defends equal employment opportunity charges against employers in the investigation and litigation stages at the federal, state and local levels. We represent employers in unemployment compensation claims, misconduct issues and the appeal process before the agency and in state courts.

Our media lawyers have extensive experience in the area of employee benefits, with one of the largest practices in Central Florida. We are considered a statewide leader in this field. Our employee benefits department specializes in the design, drafting, implementation and operation of all employee benefit plans, including "qualified" defined:

"Qualified" defined benefit pension; money purchase pensions; target benefits; profit sharing; 401(k)s; stock bonus plans; employee stock ownership; IRC Section 403(b) annuities;"non-qualified" deferred compensation, including IRC Section 457 (deferred compensation arrangements for employees of state and local governments); qualified and nonqualified stock options; stock bonus arrangements; cafeteria; insured and uninsured group health and medical; medical reimbursement; short-and long-term disability; group life insurance; dependent care assistance; educational assistance; legal assistance and severance pay. 

We currently represent approximately 250 qualified retirement plans. We represent plans maintained by private, tax-exempt and governmental employers.

Ever-increasing land-use and environmental rules and regulations imposed by various levels of government require extensive legal experience and sophisticated advice to manage real property and dispose of waste. We offer outstanding proven ability and experience in dealing with all aspects of local, state and federal land-use and environmental rules and regulations.

Almost every business operating in Florida today faces environmental law concerns, from obtaining permits for a new development to disposing of hazardous wastes. Our experience has developed through many years of successfully representing landowners, local governments, utilities and other industries.

Our litigation department combines experience, ingenuity, tenacity and persuasion in and out of the courtroom to achieve successful results for clients. Our litigators have appeared or argued before every level of the court system, including the U.S. Supreme Court, and also have represented clients in administrative proceedings at the state and federal levels. We have represented clients' interests before administrative agencies, including the Cabinet and the Governor of Florida.

We handle litigation matters of all sizes. Our trial lawyers represent individuals, small businesses and large corporate clients in routine, ongoing situations, as well as in complex or emergency matters.

Our practice covers virtually every type of civil litigation, with emphasis on business and commercial litigation. This includes breach of contract, eminent domain and inverse condemnation, construction litigation, personal injury, landlord/tenant, collections, bankruptcy, mortgage foreclosures, real property litigation, various malpractice defenses, fraud and domestic relations.

Our state-of-the-art computer research capabilities give us immediate access, prior to actual publications, to decisions rendered anywhere in the U.S.

Our corporate attorneys are experienced in advising clients about every aspect of a business entity's operation, from its formation to its conclusion by merger, sale or liquidation.

We have represented numerous clients in their purchase and sale or reorganization by merger or through consolidation. We assist clients in every stage of a transaction from tax planning and negotiation of terms through preparation of documents and closing.

The hallmark of our corporate department is the preparation of precise, carefully drafted documents created to fit our clients' business needs. These include but are not limited to reorganization documents, buy-sell and shareholder agreements, licensing agreements, joint venture agreements and employment contracts.

We have the experience necessary to provide the highest-quality legal service to any size and type of business entity, including for profit and nonprofit corporations, professional associations, partnerships and proprietorships.

Our securities, corporate and public finance department assists both public and private business in complying with the complexities of federal and state securities laws. We have experience in representing corporations and partnerships with early-stage financing, private placements through qualified brokers-dealers, venture capital financing and public offerings. Our experience extends to structuring private placements, negotiating with venture capitalists and securities underwriters and preparing any necessary disclosure documents and registration materials.

Our clients include high-technology businesses in fields such as software, lasers and electronics, as well as real estate limited partnerships and life insurance companies. We also have developed relationships with numerous venture capitalists and investment bankers with whom we provide networking services to our clients.

We are listed among municipal bond attorneys in the "Red Book" (Bond Buyer's Municipal Marketplace®). We have served as bond counsel and counsel to issuers, underwriters and trustees for more than 90 municipal finance transactions representing in excess of $3 billion in bonds and notes issued or to be issued.

Our tax department's philosophy is to maximize economic benefits through careful and creative tax planning. We have the ability to provide federal, state, local and international planning for individuals, corporations, partnerships, estates and trusts.

Although our goal is to assist clients in avoiding problems, we also are experienced in negotiating and litigating with the Internal Revenue Service and state and local agencies. Our media lawyers have significant experience in litigating substantial tax deficiencies at the federal, state and local levels.

Because tax law is an area of constant change in which sound judgment is paramount, we make certain that we have access to the latest developments through our extensive tax library and our computer research capabilities. We are constantly researching developments and court decisions to keep abreast of the tax law and its effect on our clients.

Our real estate department handles all types of commercial and residential real estate transactions. We represent developers and landowners in the acquisition, development, management, sale and leasing of major industrial and commercial projects, industrial parks, office complexes, condominiums, apartments, subdivisions, office parks and other developments. Our real estate attorneys have extensive experience in negotiating and preparing the precise documents required to effectively complete complex real estate transactions.

With direct computer links to title data, we can produce prompt and efficient title information and title insurance for clients. Our firm has served as counsel for a number of banks and savings and loan associations for many years and has experience in all aspects of commercial lending, particularly commercial real estate financing.