After adding a formal appellate practice to its broader litigation group in 2021, Boies Schiller Flexner is eyeing Florida as a hotbed for appellate litigation thanks to a recent state court rules change along with a steady stream of litigation against Florida Power & Light, a longtime client of appellate practice leader Stuart Singer.

Florida’s state court summary judgment standard, which went into effect in May 2021, removed the burden for appellants to disprove appellees’ affirmative defenses in addition to establishing their own case. It’s now more closely aligned with the federal standard, which makes it easier for appellants to obtain and uphold an appeal,  according to fellow appellate practice leader Jesse Panuccio.