TALLAHASSEE, Fla. – June 26, 2015 – John K. Londot, a Shareholder in the Tallahassee Litigation practice of international law firm Greenberg Traurig, P.A., recently spoke at the Florida Court Clerks & Comptrollers 2015 Summer Conference held in Ponte Vedra Beach, Florida.
Londot spoke on Consumer Rights, LLC v. Union County – a landmark public records decision in which the First District Court of Appeal found that governmental delay in responding to and fulfilling a public records request was excused due to the actions of the requesting party. The ruling has implications for public records litigation throughout the state.
After several state agencies (not represented by Greenberg Traurig) had settled with “Consumer Rights, LLC” in the face of identical requests and lawsuits, Union County’s Clerk, Kellie Connell, took a stand – and won.
Londot spoke with Connell to a standing room only group of clerks and their staff about the ramifications of the case and the prognosis for review by the Florida Supreme Court. They also addressed the general duties of the clerk’s office in responding to public records requests, and strategies for dealing with attorneys’-fee-motivated requestors.
“This case will dramatically change the landscape for the closet industry of public records requestors who hope they will be ignored so they can file suit for attorneys’ fees – at taxpayer expense,” Londot said.
At Greenberg Traurig, Londot focuses his practice on commercial, constitutional, employment, real estate, and securities litigation, as well as administrative and professional regulatory law. He also represents elected officials in connection with their constitutional and statutory responsibilities, public officials and employees in proceedings before the Florida Ethics Commission and Division of Administrative Hearings, students and staff in the Florida university system in connection with disciplinary proceedings, and, in expression of his appreciation to those who serve, members of the United States armed services in connection with disciplinary actions and in pursuit of writs of habeas corpus.