Statement from Eric Silagy, Chair of The Florida Council of 100

“Today, Governor DeSantis signed historic legislation into law that will restore fairness to Florida’s civil justice system and have a tremendous positive impact on our state’s economic competitiveness and the pocketbook of every Floridian. 

For many years, unnecessary lawsuits have driven up the cost of doing business for large and small employers alike and forced all Floridians to endure a litigation tax on the goods and services they need each and every day.  By limiting “one way” attorney fees and fee multipliers that incentivize frivolous suits, providing juries with the full information they need to reach fair verdicts in negligence cases, and holding accountable those truly responsible for damages when liability is assessed, this legislation turns Florida’s “judicial hellhole” into a significantly more equitable legal environment that works for, not against, our citizens.

Thanks to the leadership of Gov. Ron DeSantis, Senate President Kathleen Passidomo and House Speaker Paul Renner, Florida has brought balance to its judicial system and, in doing so, furthered our state’s economic prosperity. 

While Florida is open for business, a fact that we should all take great pride in, we fully expect the lawsuit-mill attorneys to attack this vital legislation in court.  The Council of 100 calls on the business community to support the Florida Chamber of Commerce’s legal defense fund and other initiatives as they fight to defend this game-changing bill.”

The Florida Council of 100, a private, nonprofit, nonpartisan organization of business leaders committed to promoting economic growth and improving the quality of life for the people of our state. Today, the Florida Council of 100 represents more than 140 businesses that employ over 1.3 million people throughout the state.