December 29, 2010…John Hargrove has again been selected for inclusion in the 2011 South Florida Legal Guide. According to the editor, Richard Westlund, inclusion in the publication is limited to those lawyers “who have made significant contributions to the legal profession [and] are well-repected in the South Florida community.” Once again, congratulations to our senior partner!
Hargrove Named to “Best Lawyers in America” in Four Categories
Posted on August 7, 2010
August 7,2010…John Hargrove has been selected by his peers for inclusion in the 2011 edition of The Best Lawyers in America in the practice areas of Appellate Law, Commercial Litigation, First Amendment Law and Trusts and Estates. Special congratulations are in order as Hargrove is one of a distinguished group of attorneys who have been listed in Best Lawyers for ten years or longer. Best Lawyers has been regarded – by both the profession and the public – as the definitive guide to legal excellence in the United States. Because selection to Best Lawyers is based on an exhaustive and rigorous peer-review survey (comprising more than 3.1 million confidential evaluations by your fellow top attorneys) and because no fee or purchase is required to be listed, inclusion in Best Lawyers is rightly considered a singular honor. The annual, advertisement-free publication has been described by The American Lawyer as “the most respected referral list of attorneys in practice.”
Hargrove Elected to Third Term as Butler University Trustee Chair
Posted on August 3, 2010
June 10, 2010…Senior firm member, John Hargrove, was elected to a third term as Chair of Butler University’s Board of Trustees. The school also announced the “rematch” of the Butler vs. Duke NCAA basketball championship game which will be held at the Meadowlands in New Jersey on December 5, 2010.
Florida Supreme Court Accepts Jurisdiction in Tax Sale Case
Posted on April 7, 2010
March 25, 2010…On the basis arguments contained in a jurisdictional brief filed by Hargrove Pierson & Brown P.A., the Florida Supreme Court has agreed to hear the matter of Delta Property Management v. Profile Investments, Case No. SC09-2075. The matter arose after the firm’s client, Delta, lost its property in a tax sale. The forfeiture resulted from notice of the tax sale being mailed by the clerk of Duvall County, Florida, to an old and outdated address. Although Delta submitted the change of address to Duvall County well in advance of the sale notic, the change was not posted in a timely manner. The misdirected notice was eventually returned to the sender marked “undelivered” but the clerk’s office did nothing to correct the error. The property was consequently sold at the Sheriff’s tax forfeiture to Profile. Delta’s brief on the merits of the case is due to be filed by April 19th. The case’s progress will be followed on this post.
Firm Obtains Punitive Damages Award Against Annuity Agent under Florida’s Vulnerable Adult Statutes
Posted on February 11, 2010
February 10, 2010…A Florida Circuit Court jury in West Palm Beach has awarded punitive damages to a 79 year old senior citizen from Boca Raton in connection with her puchase of equity indexed annuities. Shortly after Joyce Pogoda’s husband died in April of 2006, Rafael Golan of Delray Beach convinced Ms. Pogoda to cash in existing annuities and repurchase new equity indexed annuities which paid him a significant commission. Under the terms of the new annuity contracts Ms. Pogoda would have been subject to penalties by accessing her funds prior to the expiration of a twelve year deferral period. Ms. Pogoda’s counsel, Cristina Pierson of the Boca Raton firm of Hargrove Pierson & Brown, said that the case is very significant for Florida’s senior population in that it is the first time a jury has been presented with the protections afforded seniors under Florida Statutes Chapter 415 which provides civil remedies, including punitive awards, for vulnerable adults who have been financially exploited.
Please view the full article here: Jury awards $272,000 to Delray Beach widow
Firm Client Challenges Due Process Ruling in Florida Supreme Court
Posted on January 21, 2010
January 20, 2010…Delta Property Management, Inc., represented by Hargrove Pierson & Brown, has filed a jurisdictional brief in the Florida Supreme Court challenging an appellate court ruling which refused to apply recent precedent both of the United States Supreme Court and the Florida Supreme Court regarding due process safeguards relating to tax sales of real property. Both courts have held that when an owner is in danger of forfeiting property for non-payment of real property taxes, and notice of the tax sale is returned to the county clerk “undelivered,” the clerk must take reasonable steps if practicable to locate the owner. The decision of the First District Court of Appeal in Tallahassee determined that the latest rulings of the higher courts did not serve as binding precedent as the facts giving rise to the case before it predated the new precedent. The forfeiture occurred in Duval County.
The jurisdictional brief can be accessed online at http://www.floridasupremecourt.org/clerk/briefs/2009/2001-2200/09-2075_JurisIni_ada.pdf.
Firm Receives Order Approving Annuity Class Action Settlement
Posted on December 21, 2009
December 18, 2009…The United States District Court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania today entered a Final Order and Judgment approving a class action settlement on behalf of nearly 400,000 policyholders who purchased equity indexed annuities from American Investors Life Insurance and affiliated companies. John Hargrove of Hargrove Pierson & Brown, along with noted class action lawyers, Jerome Marcus and John Auerbach of the Philadelphia firm of Marcus and Auerbach, were lead counsel for the plaintiffs. The confirmation and approval of the settlement brings to an end nearly six years of litigation regarding certain marketing and sales practices challenged by the class members. For more information about the class action visit www.mdl1712settlement.com.
Post By:
John R. Hargrove
Hargrove Pierson & Brown
“A Boca Raton Law Firm”
Hargrove Again Named to “Best Lawyers in America”
Posted on December 17, 2009
December 16, 2009…Senior partner John Hargrove has again been named to the 2010 edition of the coveteted reference book, “Best Lawyers in America.” As in the past, he is listed in three categories — Appeals, First Amendment Law and Business Litigation. The designation coincides with the December announcement of John’s inclusion in two other publications — “Florida’s Super Lawyers for 2010″ and the “South Florida Legal Guide to Top Lawyers.”
In Memoriam of James Fuller Hargrove
Posted on December 1, 2009
Hargrove, James Fuller, passed away on November 15, 2009. He was born on April 10,1978. Jimmy loved poetry and plays, science and skepticism, but most of all he loved Ginny, his family and his friends. He had an open mind, a warm heart, a quick wit, helping hands and boundless curiosity. He set an example of tolerance, resilience and cheerfulness for all who knew him. Jimmy graduated from St. Anthony’s School and attended Cardinal Gibbons High School, both in Fort Lauderdale. He graduated from The Tilton School in Tilton, New Hampshire and received his B.A. from New York University with a major in Creative Writing. His studies at NYU were greatly enhanced by having the opportunity to hear seminars from talented authors and poets. While his work as a Search Engine Marketing Specialist baffled his parents, it challenged Jimmy. He thought the Internet opened a world of new possibilities and was intrigued by it. He enjoyed his coworkers at Lead Flash, and was considered by his colleagues to be talented and professional. They have said it was apparent that he loved what he did. He had a passion for writing and a gift for planning and building corporate websites, as well as strategizing marketing plans for them. He was excited about being president of the new company, AdMix Marketing, and looking forward to developing its potential. Not only was Jimmy charismatic, smart and caring, he was athletic as well. At Tilton he was co-captain of the varsity tennis team and continued to play throughout his life. He loved water sports, snow skiing and prized the chance to play golf with his Dad, Brother and Grandfather. He was handsome, lively, enthusiastic and fashionable. Jimmy is survived by the love of his life, Virginia Lombardi (Ginny), and by his brother Johnny, his father John, and his mother Mary Cheryl. He will be missed by his grandparents, Sam and Betty Winn Fuller, his aunt Debbie Fuller, his aunt Karen and uncle Craig Wolfe, and his loving cousin Carrie Wolfe. Visitation will be held on Friday, November 20 from 10 am to 11 am at Babione Funeral Home, 1100 North Federal Highway, in Boca Raton. Monsignor Vincent Kelly will preside over the funeral service at 11 am, with the burial to follow. In lieu of flowers, the family is requesting that donations be made in memory of James Fuller Hargrove to the University of Miami, Miller School of Medicine, where Jimmy received loving care in the days just before he died. Please send your donations to the attention of Cory Witherspoon, Director of Development, 1500 NW 12th Avenue, Suite 1020 East, Miami FL 33136. His number is (305) 243-9655. Donations may also be made in Jimmy’s memory to Boca Helping Hands, where Jimmy was a volunteer, at www.bocahelpinghands.org or 127 NW 13th Street, Suite 13, Boca Raton, FL 33432, or by calling Brooke Pickett at (561) 367-1193.
Senior Citizent Alert!
Posted on September 5, 2009
September 5, 2009 – The Federal Bureau of Investigation has published a warning on scams and fraud schemes impacting senior citizens. As the article notes, the experience of the FBI is that the elderly are targeted for fraud primarily because they are most likely to have a “nest egg” from saving wisely and as a rule they have good credit, all of which the con-artist will try to tap into and exploit. Click on the link below and read why seniors should be concerned how they can be protected.
http://www.fbi.gov/majcases/fraud/seniorsfam.htm
Post By:
John R. Hargrove
Hargrove Pierson & Brown
“A Boca Raton Law Firm”