Sunburn – The Morning Read Of What’s Hot In Florida Politics – 7.8.21

By Peter Schorsch    

Ed. Note — All of us at Florida Politics wish Michelle Todd Schorsch a full and speedy recovery from the successful surgery she underwent yesterday. Get well soon; our prayers are with you, Peter and Ella!

___

Colodny Fass is expanding its litigation practice again with the addition of Derek Silver.

“We are excited to welcome Derek to our team and provide boots on the ground in South Florida, as well as the Capital City,” said Katie Webb, shareholder and governmental consulting practice group lead.

Silver’s resume includes working on education policy in the Florida House and later serving as the Jewish Coalition Coordinator for Gov. Ron DeSantis’ gubernatorial campaign.

After the election, he served on the Governor’s transition team and subsequently worked as the Deputy Director of Government Affairs for the Office of Insurance Regulation. He also staffed and assisted in planning DeSantis’ 2019 trade mission to Israel.

At OIR, Silver worked on various insurance issues, including property, health, life and automobile insurance. He also worked on the successful passage of legislation to curb assignment of benefits (AOB) abuse. The now-law was a longtime priority for insurers, who said AOB abuse was partly to blame for rising property insurance rates.

His experience adds to the abundance of insurance policy experts at Colodny Fass. Though the full-service law firm represents clients from several industries, insurance interests often seek out the firm’s expertise, both in the courthouse and the Capitol complex.

Silver, recognized as a “rising star” in INFLUENCE Magazine this year, is a double alumnus of Florida State University, where he earned his bachelor’s and law degrees. He also serves on the board of the Jewish Alumni Network at FSU.

Colodny Fass consistently ranks as one of the top law firms in the state. Attorneys at the firm have attained the highest rating of “AV” by Martindale-Hubbell, the foremost attorney ranking service. The firm has also earned the AM Best “Best Recommended Attorney” and “Qualified Law Firm” designations.

___

Go Bolts — “Tampa Bay Lightning win back-to-back Stanley Cups” via Laine Higgins of The Wall Street Journal — The Lightning won their second Stanley Cup in just over nine months, defeating the Montreal Canadiens 1-0 to claim back-to-back titles in seasons that were bunched together by the COVID-19 pandemic. Playing on home ice at Amalie Arena, the Lightning toned down their electric style to match the persistent, grinding play of the Canadiens to win Game 5 and take the series 4-1. The sole goal of the night came from winger Ross Colton just over six minutes into the second period, as he poked a pass from Ryan McDonagh around the back of Montreal goaltender Carey Price. Wednesday’s victory makes it clear that no team weathered the pandemic and its ensuing schedule disruptions better than Tampa Bay.

 — SITUATIONAL AWARENESS —

—@NikkiFriedFL: Praying for all the loved ones of the victims, the first responders continuing search efforts, and the entire Surfside community experiencing unimaginable loss and grief following news of this heartbreaking decision. We mourn with you, and we are here for you. #SurfsideStrong

—@ChrisSprowls: Tonight, the efforts at Surfside transitions from search and rescue to recovery. May God provide the victims comfort and peace, and may he lend his mighty strength to their families, friends, and loved ones.

—@samanthajgross: Surfside Mayor Charles Burkett: “The possibility of someone alive is near zero … in the end, God is still in charge.” “Today is a heartbreaking day. But I have not lost hope that there could be a miracle.”

—@MrEvanRoss: The families in Surfside are truly incredible. Just minutes after being told there was no hope of finding any of their loved ones alive, they expressed their profound gratitude to all those who have been searching and assisting them. The room erupted in applause.

Tweet, tweet:

—@MaryEllenKlas: A grand jury convened in 1992 after Hurricane Andrew, exposing the dysfunction in building regulation that led to a statewide building reform. Now, a Miami grand jury is convening to determining the cause of the Surfside condo collapse and vows to prevent it from happening again.

—@DavidOvalle305: State Attorney says current grand jury agreed to explore “how we can prevent such a disaster from occurring again, not just in Surfside, and not just in condominiums, but in all buildings and structures in the coastal, intercoastal, and surrounding areas of our county”

—@anaceballos_: Florida condo laws under scrutiny by Florida Bar task force after Surfside collapse. Recommendation could come as early as September, when state lawmakers are scheduled to start holding legislative committee hearings in Tallahassee.

Tweet, tweet: