Category Archives: Press

South Florida’s real estate and construction booms drove hiring at the now-23-lawyer firm. which lured even more new faces as assoaates were drawr the firm’s growth and flexible working policies.  

It could become an unpleasant choice for many South Florida condominium owners, ahead of a new state building inspection law driven by last year’s catastrophic collapse of the Champlain Towers South building in Surfside.

Nearly all newly elected board members in the state, and their management teams, come across this issue shortly after turnover-whether to investigate and pursue claims for construction defects at their property. Some of the main deciding factors of whether to pursue the claims are the costs and effort. By Chris Utrera and Kara Olesky

David Haber sits down with ABC News’ Victor Oquendo to discuss the tragedy of the Champlain Towers.

For developers, the tragedy resulted in increased scrutiny, but also opportunities. They must be more careful when building now, but the crackdown on condo maintenance will lead to the redevelopment of older buildings.

“I’ve been seeing a trend where the courts are making the requirements on proposal for settlement increasingly strictly over the last few years,” said Anthony J. Russo, a trial lawyer not involved in the underlying matter.      

Florida lawmakers on Tuesday reached a deal on the most significant overhaul of Florida’s condominium laws in two decades, seeking to prevent a repeat of last year’s catastrophic collapse of Champlain Towers South in Surfside that left 98 dead.      

Law360 – Florida’s special session this month is expected to address major issues hitting the state’s insurance market hard, with one area of focus on how changes to building codes for properties in the state could positively affect homeowners’ premiums and insurer concerns.    

Fort Lauderdale — The ugly feud between the boat show and its Bahia Mar landlord shows no sign of fizzling anytime soon.        

Miami boutique Haber Law picked up two new partners, an associate attorney and other staff in its latest round of hires to accommodate a “significant increase” in business.    

The developer that aims to redevelop 39 acres of cityowned land at the Bahia Mar Fort Lauderdale Beach hotel is countersuing the organizers of the Fort Lauderdale International Boat Show for damages in excess of $10 million.        

If we do not receive that order on Sunday night or read that email in the middle of the night, the likelihood is that no one is going to die. Let’s reduce stress and improve the quality of our lives.  

It is never too early to start networking and thinking about career/business development. In the past five years of my career I have focused on this, but the reality is that law is a business, and you are your brand, so on the sooner you understand this, you are ahead of many of your contemporaries. […]

After a catastrophic partial building collapse in Surfside left 98 dead and a community traumatized, Florida’s lawmakers were tasked with finding a legislative solution to long simmering issues of lax inspections, poor upkeep and sloppy enforcement of 40-year structural recertifications, all seen as factors that may have contributed to the tragedy at Champlain Towers South. […]

Despite the tragic condominium collapse in Surfside in June 2021, the Florida Legislature has still not agreed on a bill that would require more rigorous inspections for condo.        

“Just be aware of the big picture. You don’t need to have a scorched earth mentality or approach in order to get the best result for your client,” said Christopher Utrera of Haber Law.        

The awards recognize top leaders in the tri-county area who have created business success stories and provided leadership to women and the broader community. MIAMI, Fla. – March 1, 2022 – Haber Law is pleased to announce Rebecca Newman Casamayor, Esq., partner at the Firm, has been recognized as an honoree in the Rising Stars […]

An obscure provision in the Florida Condominium Act making individual unit owners        

South Florida’s law firm leaders are finding success in an unprecedented market.        

Find out who gained top talent and who lost rainmakers in our review of South Florida’s biggest laterals this year.    

To chronicle the unprecedented expansion of the Miami legal market over the course of 2021, we checked in with hundreds of attorneys in almost every practice. Asked how they were doing, all said some version of “busy.”    

To chronicle the unprecedented expansion of the Miami legal market over the course of 2021, we checked in with hundreds of attorneys in almost every practice. Asked how they were doing, all said some version of “busy.”    

As a result of the recent tragedy at Surfside, the Condominium Law and Policy on Life Safety Issues Advisory Task Force (the Task Force) was formed to provide detailed recommendations to Florida lawmakers.    

MIAMI, FL – November 23, 2021- Haber Law is pleased to announce that the Firm has been recognized both nationally and regionally in the 2022 Edition of U.S. News – Best Lawyers® “Best Law Firms.”   Haber Law is nationally ranked in one practice area and regionally ranked in three practice areas. The Firm received […]

In-demand attorneys may be able to keep their desks while working in-office two or three days a week, but some South Florida law firms have already given up assigned offices and moved to hoteling.  

David Haber prides himself on operating a forward-thinking law firm. When Haber Law (then Haber Slade) moved to Wynwood in 2018, the founding and managing shareholder was already planning for remote work and office hoteling.    

“Leaders of the technology and finance worlds who are relocating to Miami realize Wynwood is where they need to be.”  

Welcome to FLCAJ’s sixth annual “Women Making a Difference” feature. We have long recognized the critical role that many women play in the community association industry; from community management to business leadership, the number of women in decision-making roles is accelerating.  

Our annual Law Firm Leaders Outlook examines the top issues South Florida firm leaders face going into the new year.  

“The ruling of the court provides security for contractors looking to secure payment at the end of the day, and it provides security to the developers who partner with public entities, and not subject the land and the developer’s interest in that land to those liens.” said Christopher Utrera, Haber Law attorney involved in the […]

Haber Law, a boutique firm focused on construction law in Miami, picked up two new attorneys in recent weeks, including a veteran partner the firm lured away from Boies Schiller Flexner LLP.

Steven Davis departed Boies Schiller Flexner this week for the Wynwood-based Haber Law. Construction defect litigator Justin Miller also joined the firm.    

Imagine checking into a hotel tomorrow. You are greeted at the front desk and, after a night’s stay, at checkout, you are presented with a bill that is $100,000 more than the standard room charge of $100 per night you were advised of prior to check-in. When you dispute the bill, the hotel manager explains […]

“If the Miami-Dade market continues to be expensive and increasing at a rapid rate, I think you might see within the macro-trend of a South Florida migration,” said a Haber Law attorney.    

In the aftermath of the Surfside tragedy, all assumptions regarding the utility and sufficiency of the legal rights, processes and safeguards for condominium unit owners have been upended. Florida is entering uncharted territory in which high-rise coastal condominium buildings continue to age under the watch of volunteer board members.  

The deadly Surfside collapse is casting a spotlight on how Florida’s condominiums are built and regulated.  

Miami-based business litigation firm Haber Law announced the elevation of a commercial litigator to partner, as well as the addition of three new attorneys with experience in real estate, contract law and partnership disputes.  

Haber Law is pleased to announce Rebecca Newman Casamayor, Esq. as a partner with the Firm. Previously a Senior Associate, Ms. Casamayor started her career at Haber Law and has excelled in the areas of complex business and commercial litigation, appeals, and community association law.

Engineers are still trying to figure out what caused the catastrophic collapse of Champlain Towers in Surfside, Florida, but there’s evidence that condo owners in the building knew serious repairs needed to be made and struggled to come up with the cash to make them. Condo associations will always be tempted to put off repairs. […]

David Haber provided an opinion piece for the New York Times.    

Engineers say it can take just 30 years for condominium buildings to reach a point when owners can no longer delay making critical repairs.

A task force has been created to investigate Florida’s laws surrounding condominiums and make recommendations for legal reforms to the governor’s office and state legislature in the wake of the building collapse in Surfside, according to people familiar with the plans.

Even as rescue workers continue to search through the rubble of the Champlain Towers South condo building, South Florida lawmakers are vowing to push legislation aimed at preventing another similar tragedy.

For the residents of the Champlain Towers North building, seeing the South tower collapse last week has presented an unimaginable crisis. The two buildings are essentially identical.

South Florida condo lawyers said they’ve fielded plenty of client calls about the safety of their high-rises in the days following the Champlain Towers collapse. The attorneys say their advice on building inspections and dealing with unit owners can prevent catastrophes, although unit owners may not see value in expensive special assessments or legal fees.

Some officials are calling for changes to building codes after Champlain Towers South collapsed, leaving at least 16 people dead and 147 missing.

As the sixth day since the catastrophic collapse of the Champlain Towers South condo building came to an end, rescuers progressed with their painstaking search for survivors as families and friends await any information regarding the fate of 149 people who are still reported missing.

In the wake of last week’s condo collapse in Surfside, homeowners and city officials want to make sure nothing like it ever happens again.

Miami Mayor Francis Suarez said the partial collapse of the Champlain Towers South condominium building could impact policy and real estate.

Search-and-rescue teams hadn’t lost hope on Tuesday. More than 150 people remained unaccounted for after a portion of a 12-story building turned into a compact mountain of pancaked concrete in Miami-Dade County.

El colapso mortal de un condominio en la Florida podría obligar a ingenieros y arquitectos atónitos, asociaciones de propietarios y funcionarios locales a responder preguntas sobre si han hecho lo suficiente para mantener otros edificios con décadas de antigüedad y quién debería pagar la factura de inspecciones y mejoras más frecuentes.

A Florida condominium’s deadly collapse could force stunned engineers and architects, homeowners associations and local officials to address questions about whether they’ve done enough to maintain other decades-old buildings — and who should foot the bill for more frequent inspections and improvements.

The collapse of a Surfside condominium has raised concerns about how resales could tank as wary buyers fear moving into older structures that could require major costly repairs.

The collapse of the Champlain Towers South condo building raises a host of legal issues.

An engineer warned in October 2018 that he had discovered “major structural damage” to a concrete slab below the pool deck in the section of the Champlain Towers South condominium building that collapsed Thursday, killing at least four and leaving scores trapped, according to records released by local authorities late Friday.

Earlier warnings about structural problems at condo that collapsed in Surfside raise questions and expose failures in a system.

A team of U.S. government scientists and engineers have been flown to Miami to urgently assess whether a waterfront building collapse should trigger a broader investigation that could change building regulations Across the country.

As the grim search for the bodies of victims at the collapsed Champlain Towers South continues, some apartment and condo dwellers in Miami are asking themselves: Could my building be next?

The tragic collapse of a beachfront condo in Surfside will likely have a lasting impact on the inspection rules for older buildings, according to experts.

The city of North Miami’s plan allowing developers Jimmy Tate and Sergio Rok to build a mixed-use project on two city-owned parking lots has hit a legal snag.

The Regalia condo association settled its lawsuit alleging a slew of construction and design defects and building code violations at the luxury oceanfront tower for $17.5 million.

Collecting evidence to prove construction defect allegations can be a challenge under normal circumstances, but the start of the COVID-19 pandemic in early 2020 made the process unique for Miami-based lawyers David B. Haber and Franchesco Soto of Haber Law.

As COVID-19 vaccines become available to the population at large, a question is already dawning on directors and members alike in condominium associations throughout Florida: Can condominium associations require vaccination as a prerequisite for those entering, working, or living on the premises, or for use of amenities?

The year 2020 was financially difficult for many, and its detrimental impacts could last through 2021, if not beyond. While there is hope on the horizon in the form of vaccinations and eventual herd immunity, it will undoubtedly take time to restore financial stability.

Haber Law Received the Platinum Level Readers’ Choice Award from the Florida Community Association Journal.

“This case is a good lesson to clearly outline the scope of a contract and offer,” said Ariella Gutman of Haber Law in Miami.    

A recent court decision in Florida appears to have further reinforced the use of the economic loss rule in construction matters, providing manufacturers with a greater defense to claims associated with defective products utilized in construction.

Condo hotels are more common in Florida than many would think Although the details of how condo hotels are structured varies, one common theme applies: they are subject to certain laws which govern condominiums (the Condominium Act).

Attorney Roger Slade submitted bank statements and text messages into evidence to refute the defendant’s reasons for not paying up.

By this point in the COVID-19 pandemic, almost every person in business, construction, and real estate has heard the term “Force Majeure” more times than they can count.

Things may look a little different this year when you return to your home in paradise.

Every condominium association in Florida has certain responsibilities and powers pursuant to its governing documents and Chapter 718, Florida Statutes.

As Americans throughout the country protest systemic discrimination in the aftermath of George Floyd’s tragic death, it is important for communities to also combat the pernicious practice of housing discrimination.

MIAMI, Fla. – August 20, 2020 – Haber Law is pleased to announce that Managing and Founding Shareholder David B. Haber and Partners Franchesco Soto and Christopher Utrera have been recognized by Best Lawyers in America for the publication’s 2021 edition. Additionally, Associate Jacob Epstein received a Best Lawyers®: Ones to Watch recognition. Currently in […]

A lesson in a reversed and remanded case decided by Florida’s Third District Court of Appeal: Consider the limits when seeking damages in contractual disputes.

Jonathan S. Goldstein is featured in the Florida Community Association Journal – July 2020

Haber Law is pleased to announce the addition of Associate Kristen E. Ferrer to accommodate the firm’s growing real estate and condominium practice areas. Ferrer’s practice focuses on representation of community associations, real estate law, and commercial litigation.

Now, social media is all the rage with law firms jockeying for position on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn and Twitter.

In the best of times, any community association’s duty to protect residents by preventing foreseeable harm is a complicated quandary.

The coronavirus pandemic has almost caused the Florida court system to completely shut down. Most of the buildings are closed for business, as they should be.

Haber Law’s Nilka Gomez Named President-Elect of ALA South Florida Chapter

Critical Intersection Where Coronavirus, Biometrics and Condo Associations Meet

So, you retained a contractor, money is still owed, and their work is near completion—now what?

We all know that you can divorce your husband or your wife when the relationship turns bad, but can you divorce your business partner? You sure can.

Investors should be cautious of the unique — and sometimes complex — operational, financing and leasing aspects of cold storage transactions and operations, says David Podein of Haber Law. The industrial market has persisted as one of the most in-demand asset types for commercial real estate investors. Industry advisors continue to exalt the link between […]

The building owner and a cigar shop that wanted to open are suing each other, claiming the other didn’t live up to its obligations under the lease for the historic property. The historic Coral Rock House in Miami Beach was supposed to reopen as a cigar store and lounge but stands vacant amid allegations of […]

David B. Haber and Franchesco Soto of Haber Law recognized for their work in Construction Law and Construction Litigation. MIAMI, Fla. — August 27, 2019 — Haber Law, P.A. has announced that Managing and Founding Shareholder David B. Haber and Partner Franchesco Soto have been named in the 26th Edition of The Best Lawyers® in […]

A Miami-Dade judge ruled the developers of Regalia, a luxury condo tower in Sunny Isles Beach, must turn over 100 percent interest in the companies that own the remaining two – and most expensive – unsold units, The Real Deal has learned. The ruling is a blow to the developers who failed to sell the top-priced penthouse […]

Positioned at the intersection of culture and business Haber Law

Law is a service business,” says Haber. “It’s about service and results. Our core values and work style emphasize creativity, efficiency and results.

Whether it be a severe thunderstorm or a full-blown hurricane, it’s important to be prepared for the worst. Hurricane season is around the corner once again, so the question is: Is your law office prepared for the big storm? South Floridians deal with extreme weather conditions every year. Miami is, at best, slightly above sea […]

“How can letting people work less and have more flexibility equate to being more profitable? The answer is in retention…

To the average Floridian, the term “confession of judgment” is likely to be unfamiliar. One reason for this may be because the use of confessions of judgment, by lenders, is prohibited by Florida statute. A confession of judgment is basically a contract provision which allows a creditor to enter a judgment against a debtor without […]

The condo association for the high-end Regalia is suing the developer, architectural firm Arquitectonica and others over alleged design and construction defects. Sunny Isles Beach’s luxury Regalia condominium, where each unit takes up an entire floor and has floor-to-ceiling glass walls, needs $30 million in repairs due to construction and design defects, an attorney for […]

Summary jury trials are so controversial, one South Florida juror has stepped in to question a judge’s authority to mandate them, claiming jurors were misled into thinking a nonbinding trial was real. But not everyone is quick to dismiss them. If a mock trial and a private mediation session had a baby, it would be […]

Haber Law has moved from downtown Miami to a Wynwood building that defies the traditional law firm setting with street art and a “living room” floor plan. The move shows how quickly Wynwood is changing, and how wide its appeal has become. The neighborhood started out as an apparel manufacturing area, and then become adorned […]

In a crucial 4-3 decision, in Delisle v. Crane, Case (No. SC16-   2182) (Oct 15. 2018), the Florida Supreme Court has clarified the   law governing the admissibility of expert witness testimony in   Florida—moving away from the Daubert standard utilized in federal   courts, to the Frye standard. Prior to Delisle, Florida courts were   unsure whether to analyze expert testimony and corresponding   pretrial motions […]

In this digital age, it can be more convenient for board members to simply communicate about association business via email rather than in person, especially when some board members don’t live on-site year-round. However, it is important for boards and management to remember that Florida law requires association business to be conducted at properly noticed […]

The intersection of Florida’s recent medical marijuana legalization and community association law is complicated. The use of medical marijuana within a community association property involves Florida law. Florida has legalized the possession and use of medical marijuana under certain circumstances. However, according to federal law, marijuana is still a Schedule 1 substance per the Controlled Substances […]