Category: Legal Articles

The Carmack Amendment, 49 U.S.C. § 14706, makes interstate motor carriers and freight forwarders liable for the actual loss or damage to goods they carry. Generally, shippers prove a simple prima facie case. Carriers, however, may limit liability only by a written declaration or agreement. Moreover, bills of lading may require claims...

The twelve Cuba travel categories in 31 C.F.R. § 515.560(a) still exist, but OFAC's September 30, 2026 amendments narrowed how they work. Group people-to-people educational travel and the general license for professional meetings in Cuba are gone. Most educational trips now need a sponsoring U.S. organization, and tourist travel remains prohibited.

A Florida proposal for settlement is a written offer served under section 768.79, Florida Statutes, and Florida Rule of Civil Procedure 1.442. If the other side rejects it, the court compares the offer with the final judgment. A miss of 25 percent or more shifts reasonable attorney's fees and costs to the...

FDUTPA, Florida's Deceptive and Unfair Trade Practices Act, lets businesses and individuals sue over unfair competition and deceptive acts in trade or commerce. A damages claim requires a deceptive act or unfair practice, causation, and actual damages. In general, a claimant must sue within four years. Moreover, the prevailing party may recover...

SBLC monetization means turning a standby letter of credit into cash, usually by borrowing against it or assigning its proceeds. Only the beneficiary of a genuine, bank-issued standby can do this, and only within the credit's own terms. Offers to lease and monetize an SBLC for outsized returns fit patterns that federal...

An OFAC voluntary self-disclosure is a self-initiated report of an apparent sanctions violation. It must reach OFAC before, or at the same time as, discovery by OFAC or another government agency. A qualifying disclosure halves the base amount of any proposed civil penalty. OFAC's new Sanctions Penalties Regulations, effective September 25, 2026,...

A motion to vacate arbitration award is the court filing that asks a judge to annul an arbitrator's decision on narrow statutory grounds. Under the Federal Arbitration Act, those grounds are fraud, evident partiality, misconduct, or arbitrators exceeding their powers. The movant must serve notice within three months of the award. In...

Civil RICO cases are private lawsuits under 18 U.S.C. § 1964(c). A person injured in business or property by a pattern of racketeering activity connected to an enterprise can sue the wrongdoers. If successful, the plaintiff recovers three times its damages, plus costs and attorney's fees. In addition, Florida offers a similar...

ICSID pending cases are investor-State arbitrations and conciliations that ICSID has registered but not yet ended by an award, a settlement, or a withdrawal. As of September 16, 2026, ICSID's online pending list shows about 300 matters. Most are ICSID Convention cases, and Peru, Mexico, and Colombia face the largest pending dockets.

Chapter 558 Florida Statutes requires a property owner to serve a written notice of claim before suing over a construction defect. The notice must go to the contractor, subcontractor, supplier, or design professional at least 60 days before filing, or 120 days for larger associations. The party served may then inspect the...