#real estate attorney in Florida

[lawofficeofryansshipp]

Why Hiring A Real Estate Attorney In Florida Is A Smart Move

Florida Real Estate Attorneys Hey everyone, Ryan Shipp here, your Florida real estate attorney. If you’re buying or selling real estate in Florida, you might be wondering—do I really need an attorney? Technically, the law doesn’t require one, but having a real estate attorney on your side can save you time, money, and a whole lot of headaches. At Law Office of Ryan S. Shipp, PLLC, we’re here to…

[grivaslawbradenton]

Real Estate Contract Issues Bradenton Buyers Should Watch Out For

From title disputes to unclear lease agreements, legal challenges Bradenton residents often face in real estate can turn a dream home into a financial headache. Working with a real estate attorney helps you avoid problems before they begin.

Real Estate Legal Risks to Avoid:

Unverified title ownership or hidden liens

Misunderstood contingencies in purchase agreements

Flawed lease contracts with loopholes

Zoning or property line disputes

Incomplete disclosures from sellers

Having a legal expert review contracts protects your investment from future issues.

Looking for real estate attorneys near me you can trust? Grivas Law Group PA is your local solution for real estate legal guidance.

[jostockjostockpa]

Facing Probate or Trust Litigation Issues in Naples? Here’s What You Need to Know!

Managing a family estate, ensuring smooth probate proceedings, and protecting wealth through effective tax planning requires careful attention to detail and deep legal expertise. The world of probate, trust administration, and taxation can be overwhelming, especially for those with significant assets or complex family situations. At Jostock & Jostock, P.A., we specialize in helping individuals and families in Naples, Florida, navigate these legal challenges with precision, ensuring your interests are protected and your estate is handled efficiently. Our probate lawyers are seasoned in addressing the intricacies of probate estates, trust litigation, and probate taxation, making us your trusted partner for these essential services.

Understanding the Complexities of Probate Taxation

Probate taxation is one of the most intricate aspects of estate planning, especially when managing high-net-worth estates, family businesses, or complex asset structures. The importance of having a seasoned probate taxation attorney by your side cannot be overstated. Whether you are an executor, trustee, or beneficiary, understanding how federal and state taxes impact your estate is vital to ensuring that your wealth is distributed efficiently.

At Jostock & Jostock, our Naples probate attorneys are highly skilled in the preparation of estate, gift, and generation-skipping tax returns. We provide comprehensive assistance with estate tax planning to minimize your liability and ensure that your estate plan aligns with the current tax laws. We know that managing the tax implications of an estate involves far more than simply preparing documents; it’s about minimizing your estate’s tax burden while ensuring that your wealth is preserved for future generations.

Our experienced team works with fiduciaries to ensure that all filings, including federal and state estate tax returns, are handled properly and efficiently. Additionally, we provide representation for probate estate audits and resolve any tax controversies that may arise during the probate process. Taxation issues can quickly become complex, and having a skilled team to handle these matters on your behalf is essential to ensure compliance with the IRS and protect your family’s legacy.

Comprehensive Probate and Trust Litigation Services

Probate and trust litigation is another area where our Naples probate lawyers excel. Disputes over estate planning documents, mismanagement of trust funds, or allegations of undue influence can derail the probate process and cause significant financial and emotional strain. Our firm has extensive experience representing clients in contested wills, trusts, and estate disputes, ensuring that your interests are represented in any probate or trust matter, no matter how complex.

At Jostock & Jostock, we represent a wide range of clients, including beneficiaries, fiduciaries, heirs, and family members, in probate and trust disputes. We work tirelessly to resolve disagreements through mediation and negotiation, but when litigation is necessary, we are fully prepared to fight for the best outcome in court.

Some of the most common issues that can lead to probate and trust litigation include:

Undue influence: A claim that someone improperly influenced the decedent's decisions regarding their will or trust.

Breach of fiduciary duty: When a fiduciary (such as an executor or trustee) fails to act in the best interests of the beneficiaries or improperly manages the estate or trust.

Will and trust contests: Challenges to the validity of a will or trust, often based on accusations of fraud, lack of capacity, or improper execution.

Misappropriation of assets: When assets are improperly transferred or diverted, causing harm to the estate or trust beneficiaries.

Tortious interference with testamentary expectancy: When a third party unlawfully interferes with the estate or trust, causing beneficiaries to lose their rightful inheritance.

Our probate litigation team is highly skilled in handling all aspects of probate disputes, including disputes regarding the interpretation and enforcement of wills and trusts. We work diligently to protect the interests of our clients, whether we are defending a will contest or asserting a claim for breach of fiduciary duty. At Jostock & Jostock, we are committed to resolving probate and trust disputes efficiently, preserving your family’s wealth and legacy.

Guardianship and Elder Law Services

In addition to our probate litigation and taxation expertise, we also offer services related to guardianships for minors and disabled adults. Guardianship matters can be complex and emotionally charged, and often require legal intervention to ensure that vulnerable individuals are cared for and protected.

Our Naples probate attorneys are experienced in the guardianship process and can guide you through the various stages, from establishing a guardianship to contesting one, as well as managing ongoing guardianship responsibilities such as accountings and compliance with court orders.

We represent clients in:

Contested guardianship proceedings: Disputes over who should serve as a guardian for a minor or disabled adult.

Establishment of guardianships: Ensuring that the legal process is followed correctly to appoint a guardian for someone in need of care.

Ongoing guardianship administration: Assisting guardians in complying with court requirements, including reporting and accountings.

Elder law: Addressing issues related to aging and incapacity, including long-term care planning, powers of attorney, and healthcare directives.

Key Services Provided by Jostock & Jostock

Our firm offers a comprehensive range of legal services to assist you with probate estates, trusts, taxation issues, and litigation matters. Some of our key areas of service include:

Estate Administration: We provide full support throughout the probate process, including filing necessary documents, managing asset distribution, and resolving any disputes that arise.

Probate Taxation: Our team prepares estate tax returns and ensures compliance with state and federal tax laws. We also offer strategic tax planning to minimize liabilities and maximize the value of your estate.

Probate and Trust Litigation: We represent clients in contested estates, including disputes over wills, trusts, and breaches of fiduciary duty. We fight to protect your interests and resolve conflicts in the most efficient way possible.

Guardianship: Our attorneys provide legal assistance in establishing, contesting, and administering guardianships for minors and disabled adults, ensuring that vulnerable individuals are cared for.

Will and Trust Contests: We help clients contest or defend wills and trusts, ensuring that they are enforced according to the decedent’s true intentions.

Asset Recovery: We help recover missing assets, including through quiet title actions and other legal means, to ensure that estate and trust assets are properly distributed.

Why Choose Jostock & Jostock, P.A.?

When it comes to probate estates, trust litigation, and taxation issues, Jostock & Jostock is one of the most trusted names in Naples, Florida. Our team of experienced attorneys brings decades of combined legal expertise to the table, ensuring that we can effectively handle even the most complex probate and estate planning matters.

Here’s why you should choose us:

Experience and Expertise: Our team has handled a wide range of probate estates, trust disputes, and taxation issues, from high-net-worth estates to complex family business matters.

Personalized Attention: We take the time to understand your unique situation and tailor our legal strategies to meet your specific needs.

Compassionate Service: We understand that dealing with estate matters can be emotional and stressful, and we are committed to providing compassionate and supportive legal guidance every step of the way.

Results-Driven: We are focused on achieving the best possible outcome for our clients, whether that’s resolving a trust dispute, reducing estate taxes, or successfully defending your fiduciary duties.

Contact Jostock & Jostock Today

If you’re dealing with a probate estate, need assistance with estate taxes, or are involved in probate litigation in Naples, Florida, the experienced attorneys at Jostock & Jostock, P.A. are ready to assist you. We offer comprehensive legal services that can help protect your family’s wealth, resolve disputes, and guide you through the complexities of probate law.

Contact us today to schedule a consultation and learn how we can assist you with your probate, trust, and taxation matters. Let us put our extensive experience to work for you, so you can focus on what matters most—your family’s future.

[andrewjbernhard]

Andrew Bernhard Selected as Top 20 Miami Real Estate Lawyers by Super Lawyers Magazine

Bernhard Law Firm is honored to be one of only 20 attorneys in Miami selected by Super Lawyers Magazine in the area of real estate law.

Bernhard Law Firm is honored to be one of only 20 attorneys in Miami selected by Super Lawyers Magazine in the area of real estate law. See the full honoree list here: [CLICK LINK]. As stated by the magazine, this prestigious honor comes from an independent selection process: “Super Lawyers selects attorneys using a patented multiphase selection process. Peer nominations and evaluations are…

[mfi-miami]

I Beat My Foreclosure. How Do I Get My Lender To Pay Up?

I Beat My Foreclosure In Florida. How Do I Get My Greedy SOB Lender To Pay My Legal Bill?  Can I get my lender to pay legal fees if I prevail in a foreclosure case? So now you have bragging rights. You are one of the few homeowners in Florida who can hold their head up high and proclaim, “I beat my foreclosure!”  So, now you’re feeling euphoric. Your head is spinning with million different…

[justinspoliticalcorner]

David Smith at The Guardian:

A pitiless crackdown on on illegal immigration. A hardline approach to law and order. A purge of “gender ideology” and “wokeness” from the nation’s schools. Erosions of academic freedom, judicial independence and the free press. An alliance with Christian nationalism. An assault on democratic institutions. The “electoral autocracy” that is Viktor Orbán’s Hungary has been long revered by Donald Trump and his “Make America Great Again” (Maga) movement. Now admiration is turning into emulation. In the early weeks of Trump’s second term as US president, analysts say, there are alarming signs that the Orbánisation of America has begun. With the tech billionaire Elon Musk at his side, Trump has moved with astonishing velocity to fire critics, punish media, reward allies, gut the federal government, exploit presidential immunity and test the limits of his authority. Many of their actions have been unconstitutional and illegal. With Congress impotent, only the federal courts have slowed them down. “They are copying the path taken by other would-be dictators like Viktor Orbán,” said Chris Murphy, a Democratic senator for Connecticut. “You have a move towards state-controlled media. You have a judiciary and law enforcement that seems poised to prioritise the prosecution of political opponents. You have the executive seizure of spending power so the leader and only the leader gets to dictate who gets money.” Orbán, who came to power in 2010, was once described as “Trump before Trump” by the US president’s former adviser Steve Bannon. His long-term dismantling of institutions and control of media in Hungary serves as a cautionary tale about how seemingly incremental changes can pave the way for authoritarianism. Orbán has described his country as “a petri dish for illiberalism”. His party used its two-thirds majority to rewrite the constitution, capture institutions and change electoral law. He reconfigured the judiciary and public universities to ensure long-term party loyalty.

The prime minister created a system of rewards and punishments, giving control of money and media to allies. An estimated 85% of media outlets are controlled by the Hungarian government, allowing Orbán to shape public opinion and marginalise dissent. Orbán has been also masterful at weaponising “family values” and anti-immigration rhetoric to mobilise his base. Orbán’s fans in the US include Vice-President JD Vance, the media personality Tucker Carlson and Kevin Roberts, the head of the Heritage Foundation thinktank, who once said: “Modern Hungary is not just a model for conservative statecraft but the model.” The Heritage Foundation produced Project 2025, a far-right blueprint for Trump’s second term. Orbán has addressed the Conservative Political Action Conference and two months ago travelled to the Mar-a-Lago estate in Florida for talks with both Trump and Musk. He has claimed that “we have entered the policy writing system of President Donald Trump’s team” and “have deep involvement there”. But even Orbán might be taken aback – and somewhat envious – of the alacrity that Trump has shown since returning to power, attacking the foundations of democracy not with a chisel but a sledgehammer.

[...] Borrowing from Orbán’s playbook, Trump has mobilised the culture wars, issuing a series of executive orders and policy changes that target diversity, equity and inclusion programmes and education curricula. This week he signed an executive order aimed at banning transgender athletes from competing in women’s sports and directed the attorney general, Pam Bondi, to lead a taskforce on eradicating what he called anti-Christian bias within the federal government. He is also seeking to marginalise the mainstream media and supplant it with a rightwing ecosystem that includes armies of influencers and podcasters. A “new media” seat has been added to the White House press briefing room while Silicon Valley billionaires were prominent at his inauguration. Musk’s X is a powerful mouthpiece, Mark Zuckerberg’s Facebook has abandoned factchecking and the Chinese-owned TikTok could become part-owned by the US. Trump has sued news organisations over stories or even interview edits; some have settled the cases. The Pentagon said it would “rotate” four major news outlets from their workspace and replace them with more Trump-friendly media. Jim Acosta, a former White House correspondent who often sparred with Trump, quit CNN while Lara Trump, the president’s daughter-in-law, was hired to host a new weekend show on Rupert Murdoch’s Fox News. But the most dramatic change has been the way in which Trump has brought disruption to the federal government on an unprecedented scale, firing at least 17 inspectors general, dismantling longstanding programmes, sparking widespread public outcry and challenging the very role of Congress to create the nation’s laws and pay its bills. Government workers are being pushed to resign, entire agencies are being shuttered and federal funding to states and non-profits was temporarily frozen. The most sensitive treasury department information of countless Americans was opened to Musk’s “department of government efficiency” (Doge) team in a breach of privacy and protocol, raising concerns about potential misuse of federal funds. Musk’s allies orchestrated a physical takeover of the United States Agency for International Development (USAid), locking out employees and vowing to shut it down, with the secretary of state, Marco Rubio, stepping in as acting administrator. “We spent the weekend feeding USAID into the wood chipper,” Musk posted on X. Musk’s team has also heavily influenced the office of personnel management (OPM), offering federal workers a “buyout” and installing loyalists into key positions. It is also pushing for a 50% budget cut and implementing “zero-based budgeting” at the General Services Administration (GSA), which controls federal properties and massive contracts.

[...] One guardrail is holding for now. Courts have temporarily blocked Trump’s efforts to end birthright citizenship, cull the government workforce and freeze federal funding. Even so, commentators warn that the blatant disregard for congressional authority, erosion of civil service protections and concentration of power in the executive branch pose a grave threat.

The US is rapidly careening towards Orbánism.

[beardedmrbean]

Three brothers in a celebrity real estate family were charged with sex trafficking conspiracy in a case involving "dozens of victims" from Miami Beach to New York, prosecutors said Wednesday.

Twins Oren and Alon Alexander and their elder brother Tal were charged with working together to "repeatedly and violently drug, sexually assault, and rape dozens of victims," according to a federal indictment filed in New York.

They were arrested Wednesday in Miami. The charges come in the wake of a string of lawsuits accusing the brothers of rape and sexual assault.

'Drugged' victims

Damian Williams, the U.S. attorney in Manhattan, said all three brothers had used "force, threats of force, fraud, and coercion" in sexually assaulting women for more than a decade.

"This conduct, as alleged, is heinous," Williams told reporters.

Some of the victims who were drugged found themselves unable to speak or to move, leaving them unable to escape, and were left with partial memories of their assaults, Williams said.

Oren and Alon Alexander were also facing separate sexual battery charges in Miami Beach, according to arrest warrants made public Wednesday afternoon.

"Oren Alexander is innocent," his lawyer, Susan Necheles, told USA TODAY. "The evidence will show that neither he nor his brothers ever committed a crime."

Lawyers for Tal and Alon Alexander could not immediately be reached for comment Wednesday.

Civil lawsuits against the Alexander brothers

The Alexander brothers – telegenic twins Oren and Alon, and their elder brother Tal – have been the subject of several lawsuits by women alleging they were raped and possibly drugged.

Until news broke of the sexual assault allegations, Oren and Alon Alexander were fixtures of the jet set, attending glitzy parties in Miami, New York and partying in the Mediterranean.

Oren and Tal Alexander run the Alexander Team, which boasts of brokering sales worth more than $7 billion in luxury markets including New York, South Florida, and Aspen, Colorado.

“We are glad to hear that there will finally be some measure of accountability for the Alexander brothers and justice for their many victims," the law firm Wigdor LLP, which represents several women who've accused the Alexanders of rape, said in a statement.  "We applaud all the survivors who have had the strength and courage to speak up about their unimaginable experiences after years of pain and suffering.”

Witnesses spoke of 'gang rapes'

In a memo asking a federal judge to deny bail, prosecutors wrote that witnesses and victims told investigators the Alexanders had been raping women since they were in high school.

"Evidence from the investigation, including multiple victim and witness accounts, shows that the Alexander Brothers began engaging in acts of sexual violence, including gang rapes, while still in high school in Miami, Florida," the memo says.

"Each of the victims that the Government has interviewed from this period reported hearing that individuals involved −including Tal Alexander − talked about the assaults at school, boasting about 'running train' on their victims and saying that they wanted to 'do it again.'"

New York Magazine cited witnesses in an August article who said the brothers often spoke of "running a train," slang for the act of gang rape, when they were in school.

In their senior year at Michael M. Krop Senior High School in North Miami, Oren and Alon Alexander's yearbook included a page with the question, “What was your most memorable moment at Krop?”

According to New York Magazine, Oren Alexander replied: “Riding my first ‘choo-choo’ train.”

The twins graduated in 2005.

Eleven years later, as Tal, Oren and Alon Alexander planned a 2016 trip to Tulum, Mexico, with male friends, women flown in for entertainment, and drugs including GHB − considered a "date rape" drug under federal law − the term appeared again in a group chat.

"I don’t want anyone being upset if they don’t run a 10 man train," an unidentified member of the group wrote.

Miami charges

In affidavits, Miami Beach Police detectives accused Alon Alexander in the October 2021 group sexual assault of a woman lured to a luxury apartment on Miami Beach's beachfron Collins Avenue under the pretext of attending a barbeque. Oren Alexander also joined that assault, the victim told Miami Beach Police Det. David Alvarez. An Alexander cousin, Ohad Fisherman, is at large, Dade County prosecutors said.

More than 30 women have alleged they were raped by Oren Alexander, Alon Alexander, or both brothers, according to a lawsuit filed by model Angelica Parker.

Parker charged that she was raped by Alon and Tal Alexander in 2012 while their brother Oren watched. They denied the allegations.

No bail, prosecutors urge

In a letter to U.S. District Judge Valerie Caproni, prosecutors asked that the three brothers be held without bail., citing the nature of the crimes they're accused of, their wealth and close connections to Israel, where extradition to the U.S. can be a "drawn-out" process.

"After relying on their substantial wealth and connections to carry out and conceal their crimes for years, all three defendants now face charges carrying potential sentences in prison of fifteen years to life," assistant U.S. attorneys Kaiya Arroyo and Elizabeth A. Espinosa wrote.

The three brothers "pose an ongoing and significant danger to the community and present a serious risk of flight," the prosecutors said.

[arcticbunn]

The retreads keep reappearing in the new administration …

Having failed to twist GOP arms hard enough to get Matt (Breathalyzer Boy) Gaetz into the Attorney General job, don-OLD trump has turned to a Golden Oldie for the job: Pam Bondi, former Attorney General for Florida. Bondi reached national notoriety for being in the position to join a lawsuit against Trump University for grifting citizens out of their hard-earned money to learn how to invest in real estate. Associating with this “university” (if by “university” you mean a non-accredited fake school run by a group of people interested in getting money out of students) would cost prospective land barons $1,495 for seminars up to a $35,000 "Gold Elite" program. When confronted with this suit against the Republican candidate for president, Ms. Bondi decided that the $25,000 offered by the future crook-in-chief would soothe the conflict between her job as the attorney of the people and not ruffling the feathers of the leader of her party.

So, if we have someone who can be bribed so easily in a position where bribery can be made, what other decisions will Ms. Bondi overlook – or perhaps look too hard – to increase her personal wealth?

But there is a more humorous aspect to Bondi being in Washington, D.C.: her former main squeeze, Rick Scott, serves as senator for Florida. Back when Bondi and Scott were in Tallahassee, there were strong rumors of the two canoodling on the sly, ending only as both moved on from state governance. Indeed, we have this picture of Scott leering at Bondi:

What a smooth operator.

It’s bad enough that we have shady people filling positions in this new administration, including someone willing to take bribes (not to mention rapists), but we should consider passing a law that prospective lawmakers prove that they were born on this planet, to avoid aliens like Rick Scott from getting elected:

[mariacallous]

Lawfair, founded by the well-known litigator Adam Mortara, is a boutique right-wing firm currently engaged by the state of Tennessee to provide counsel on a contentious Supreme Court case that could affect the availability of gender-affirming care for transgender minors across the country. Aside from Mortara, the only other lawyer known to have worked or done work for the firm is a project-based contract attorney named Christopher Roach. He no longer does so, after WIRED asked questions about his apparent ties—revealed exclusively in this story for the first time—to online accounts with a long history of posting white supremacist and antisemitic content.

“America, frankly, would be a much more civilized, safe, wealthy, and orderly place, but for its minorities,” wrote one of the accounts.

Mortara, a former Clarence Thomas clerk and current lecturer at the University of Chicago Law School, founded Lawfair in 2020. While working with a different firm, he was the lead trial lawyer representing Students for Fair Admissions in its case against Harvard, which later advanced to the Supreme Court—a ruling that gutted affirmative action. He is also, according to an appointment letter provided to WIRED by Tennessee’s attorney general’s office that was addressed to him through Lawfair LLC, currently being retained for $10,000 a month by Governor Bill Lee to “assist the State and the Office of the Attorney General with complex and sophisticated litigation, regulatory matters, and client advice.” Specifically, the firm is working on a case about whether the state's ban on gender-affirming hormone care for transgender minors is in violation of the 14th Amendment's equal protection clause. If the court sides with Tennessee, it would significantly impact access to treatments like puberty blockers and hormone treatment. The case was picked up by the Supreme Court in June, and arguments are set to be heard this fall.

Aside from Mortara, the only other lawyer known to have done work for or with Lawfair—and the person tied to the online accounts with a history of racist posting—is Roach, a University of Chicago–educated attorney and an adjunct fellow at the Center for American Greatness, a prominent conservative group. (Its publisher has been a fellow at the hugely influential Claremont Institute, which is listed as a member of the Project 2025 advisory board.) According to Florida’s bar registration website, Roach is based in Tampa, Florida.

In response to a request for comment from WIRED for this story, Mortara told WIRED that he was “not aware of these abhorrent statements, which do not reflect our values,” adding that following WIRED’s revelations, Roach is “no longer affiliated with the firm.” He also said that Roach did not work on the gender-affirming-care case for the state of Tennessee and was not involved with the Students for Fair Admission case. Roach’s online résumé, which up until then listed Lawfair as his employer, was quickly changed to omit mention of it. Roach himself did not respond to WIRED’s phone calls, text messages, and emails.

The questions WIRED asked Mortara about Roach concerned a decades-old online trail of deeply racist and antisemitic writings and social media posts by accounts linked to Roach. Those links were shown in research provided exclusively to WIRED by software engineer Travis Brown, who previously helped reveal that former Brooklyn real estate broker Chaya Raichik was the person behind the hate-filled, anti-trans LibsofTikTok account.

Brown’s research, which WIRED independently confirmed, ties Roach to a Twitter account that used different names over the years, such as “Roman Dmowski,” a reference to an antisemitic Polish nationalist, and “Blessed Groyper,” a reference to the name used by followers of notorious white nationalist Nick Fuentes.

The account, which appears to have been suspended in 2022, is littered with openly racist, white supremacist, and antisemitic comments.

“You’re a zero empathy monster,” the account wrote in a 2020 post in response to a Black mother asking who would protect her children from gun violence.“You are a disgrace to the human race. Actually white lives matter the Most and are the most important bc we are the most productive and innocent ppl on this planet.”

In another response to the same post, the account added: “I’m making sure my kids are white and that they don’t encounter any more minorities than absolutely necessary bc 13do50.” This last term is coded language used by white supremacists. The number 13 falsely references the percentage of the American population that’s Black; the 50 refers to the supposed percentage of all murders committed by Black people in the US. The Anti Defamation League has described the term as “racist propaganda.”

In another post from 2019, the account dismissed the death of a counter protester at the Unite the Right rally in 2017, writing: “​​One chick died in a car accident in Charlottesville and they act like it's Anuddah Shoah”—a phrase popularized by white supremacists to mock Jews and the Holocaust. In another post, the account complained that “any exploration of Jewish wrongdoing as a source of German hostility is verbotten [sic].”

Brown was able to link the anonymous Twitter account to Roach through an email address. Using data from a massive leak in 2022 in which over 200 million email addresses of Twitter users were posted online, Brown found that the Twitter account was registered with a Yahoo email address that features Roach’s surname and a location where, according to his LinkedIn account, he worked for four years at the beginning of the 2000s.

WIRED was able to independently link this same email address to Roach via records found in public databases and further confirm its connection to Roach. A “Chris R.” using the Yahoo address to post reviews on Google, for example, included a photo of his house alongside a favorable review of a Tampa-area housepainter. That house, according to Hillsborough County property tax records, belongs to Roach.

The Yahoo email address ties Roach to repeated postings of racist material. It was used, for instance, in a 2007 email sent to and published on VDare, a notorious site that according to the Southern Poverty Law Center acts as a bridge between the mainstream Republican Party and the fringe white nationalist right, by a user named “Chris Roach.”

Roach was writing to VDare to complain about being “unceremoniously dumped” from writing for the online magazine of the America’s Future Foundation (AFF), a young conservative group in Washington. (While Roach’s posts on AFF are now deleted, WIRED has reviewed archived material on that website with the byline “Chris Roach.” In a biography on the site, he writes that he “studied the Great Books at the University of Chicago under some really great professors … I stayed for Law School and am now an attorney in private practice.” This biography lines up exactly with Roach’s, according to his LinkedIn profile.)

In his VDare email, Roach alleges that AFF’s executive director, David Kirby, fired him for comments Roach made on a post at the paleoconservative blog Eunomia, claiming Kirby told him, “There's no place in AFF's mission to provide space for someone who posts comments and content like this.” (AFF and Kirby did not respond to a request for comment.)

Roach didn’t say what the comments were, but an archived copy of the comment section to which his email linked reviewed by WIRED shows deeply racist remarks from a user named “Roach.” “America, frankly, would be a much more civilized, safe, wealthy, and orderly place, but for its minorities,” the author of the comment wrote, asserting there is “something deeply evil in the culture of black America and the souls of black Americans.” The poster denied being racist, but advocated for “special black schools, higher rates of discipline for black students, different standards of discipline for black young people, black colleges, segregation in prisons, much higher rates of black imprisonment, racial profiling, and, most important of all, simply a willingness to say, ‘We will control blacks when they get out of control.’”

The VDare email also asked readers to click on a link to Mansizedtarget.com, a site described as “paleoconservative observations” written by an author whose name was displayed, according to archived copies, first as “Mr. Roach” and then as “Roman Dmowski.” (At one point, the Google reviews account tied to Roach and to the Yahoo email address evidently used “mansizedtar” as a screen name, given a response to a review in which a business owner addresses the user of the account by that name. After WIRED contacted Roach about the online posts, archived copies of the Mansizedtarget website on the Wayback machine were removed.)

Over the years Roach’s name, or a variation of his name, has appeared on a range of different right-wing and extremist sites.

The “Blessed Groyper” Twitter account shared links on several occasions to articles written by Christopher Roach for the website American Greatness. Roach, whose image appears next to his byline, has been a prolific contributor, writing 337 articles over the last seven years. In the past 12 months, Roach has covered major right-wing culture-war topics from opposing gun control measures to pushing election conspiracies, defending the January 6 insurrectionists, and labeling those concerned about the spread of Covid-19 as “fanatics.”

Roach describes himself as an “adjunct fellow” at the organization that publishes American Greatness, the Center for American Greatness—a right-wing think tank that has been funded by dark money. Neither the Center for American Greatness nor its publisher, Buskirk, responded to a request for comment.

Roach, as noted in his author bio at American Greatness, has also written for Taki’s Magazine, another paleoconservative blog that has hosted content from far-right figures like Proud Boys founder Gavin McInnes as well as white nationalists Jared Taylor and Richard Spencer.

An account called “Roach” was also extremely active in the comment section of extremist website Occidental Dissent, which is run by Brad Griffin, a prominent member of the neo-Confederate, secessionist group League of the South, which the Southern Poverty Law Center has designated a hate group.

Accounts using Roach’s name or his known aliases, such as Mansizedtarget and Roman Dmowski, have also posted on the gun-focused forum Sniper’s Hide and a Jeep Wrangler fan site known as Wrangler Forum.

Roach was, until recently, one of just two people who stated they worked for Lawfair LLC, according to LinkedIn. The other person is founder Mortara, who is based in Tennessee, where the company is also registered.

Mortara, who graduated from the University of Chicago Law School after earning an undergraduate degree there and a masters in astrophysics from Cambridge, is formerly a clerk for Clarence Thomas. The justice’s clerks have over the years created a powerful network of conservative leaders in the legal system, media, and at the highest levels of government.

In one comment section on a 2008 blog about Michelle Obama’s college thesis, a user identified as mansizedtarget.com said they had worked on the “Gratz/Grutter Michigan affirmative action cases.” Both cases were argued in front of the Supreme Court during the period Mortara clerked for Thomas.

Following almost two decades at the high-profile Bartlit Beck firm in Chicago, where he specialized in intellectual property cases, Mortara formed Lawfair LLC, which he describes as a “civil and voting rights” firm. Mortara has also been a lecturer in law at the University of Chicago, which did not respond to a request for comment, since 2007. In the past decade-plus, he has been involved in litigation concerning redistricting efforts amongst the state legislatures of Texas and Wisconsin. In the latter, he teamed up with the firm that had represented former president Donald Trump and the RNC, and pocketed what was projected to be nearly $200,000 in fees.

Lawfair LLC has virtually no online presence, including no website and no social media presence, which Alejandra Caraballo, an instructor at Harvard Law School's Cyberlaw Clinic, tells WIRED is not unusual.

“It's a boutique firm from a connected attorney,” says Caraballo. “They basically only litigate culture war cases (hence the name lawfair). It works through political connections.”

Earlier this month, The Tennessean reported on an August 2023 letter signed by Tennessee governor Bill Lee approving payment of $10,000 a month for up to two years to Lawfair LLC for its work on the gender-affirming-care case.

“The Tennessee Attorney General’s Office retained Adam Mortara, one of the finest litigators in America, as outside counsel and has not ever had a relationship with any other attorneys from Lawfair, LLC,” Amy Lannom Wilhite, the director of communications for the Tennessee Attorney General’s Office, tells WIRED.

Roach is not named counsel on any of the Supreme Court cases. Mortara did not respond to questions about how many lawyers have worked for or done work for Lawfair and what Roach was working on at the firm after he joined, according to his online résumé, in 2020—the same year the firm was founded.

[lawofficeofryansshipp]

How To Properly Handle Security Deposits In Florida (Statute 83.49)

Florida Security Deposits Hi everyone! I’m Ryan Shipp, your trusted Florida real estate attorney. Today, let’s talk about a crucial topic for landlords who own residential rental properties in Florida—security deposits. ⚖️ Security deposits are frequently an area of concern for landlords because of the specific requirements set out by Florida law. Proper handling of these deposits not only…

[darkmaga-returns]

President-elect Donald Trump's decision to announce U.S. Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-FL) as the new head of the Department of Justice (DOJ) has sent the Swamp creatures in Washington, D.C. panicking.

The real estate mogul made the announcement Wednesday, Nov. 13, on his Truth Social platform. Trump remarked that Gaetz would "end weaponized government, protect our borders, dismantle criminal organizations and restore Americans' badly-shattered faith and confidence in the Justice Department" if the Florida congressman is confirmed as the next U.S. attorney general. (Related: Rep. Gaetz leading charge to dismantle illegal government mass surveillance scheme.)

House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) told reporters Wednesday evening that Gaetz offered his resignation from the House of Representatives in a letter. However, it has not yet gone into effect as it has not been announced on the House floor.

"I think out of deference to us, [Gaetz] issued his resignation letter effective immediately," said the speaker. "That caught us by surprise a little bit, but I asked him what the reasoning was. He said, 'Well, you can't have too many absences.'"

According to NBC News, a special election will be held to fill Gaetz's now-vacant seat. "Under Florida state law, there's about an eight-week period to select and fill a vacant seat," Johnson remarked.

The mainstream media outlet continued that Gaetz's selection came as a surprise to many in the DOJ and the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) under it. One senior FBI official said they hoped "three or four senators" wouldn't confirm him.

DOJ officials called Trump's choice "insane," arguing that the Florida congressman was the least-qualified nominee in the history of the department. One senior DOJ official called the idea of Gaetz becoming U.S. attorney general "laughable," adding that he "shouldn't be confirmable."

[foreverlogical]

Jeffrey McConney, former controller for the Trump Organization, is among the people who has testified in the bench trial for New York Attorney General Letitia James' civil fraud case against the company.

James alleges that former President Donald Trump and his company seriously exaggerated the value of its real estate assets — an allegation that Justice Arthur Engoron, assigned to the case, agreed with in a September 26 ruling. And McConney has offered testimony on the Trump Organization's operations.

Trump's legal team has claimed that McConney has insufficient knowledge where property valuations are concerned. But the Daily Beast's Jose Pagliery, in a report published on October 12, lays out some reasons why that claim is problematic.

POLL: Should Trump be allowed to hold office again?

In court, Trump lawyer Jesus Suarez told Engoron, "Objection, your honor. Mr. McConney is not a valuation expert. He's not offered as a valuation expert."

But Pagliery explains, "The idea that the Trump Organization's long-time bean counter would be oblivious to the inner workings of real estate valuations seemed implausible, given that documents presented at trial showed that he was the key conduit to getting those very valuations compiled into Trump's annual statements of financial condition. That paperwork, which was signed off by outside accountants at the firm Mazars USA, was the reason that financial institutions like Deutsche Bank and Ladder Capital extended hundreds of millions of dollars in loans to Trump."

Pagliery continues, "Those funds allowed his company to seal several marquee deals, including the purchase of the Doral golf course in South Florida and the acquisition of the Old Post Office in Downtown Washington, which briefly became a Trump hotel. The inherently contradictory nature of Trump lawyers' stance on McConney underscored the sharp contrast on display at the ongoing bank fraud trial, where James is trying to bolster a case the judge has already decided has merit while Trump lawyers combat the very premise of the investigation. When investigators point to spreadsheets, the defense either shrugs, appears confused, or claims vastly inflated values are mere differences of opinion."

[andrewjbernhard]

Bernhard Law Firm Takes on Six Business Appeals Across Florida

This month, Bernhard Law Firm has been engaged to represent businesses, their officers, and investors in Tampa, St. Augustine, and Miami in their appeals. This is positive milestone in the appellate practice of the firm; a testament to our commitment to our clients, and to see cases through to finality. If you have any questions about business and real estate appeals in Florida, please contact…

[mfi-miami]

Miami Attorney Bruce Jacobs Is Officially Suspended

The Florida Supreme Court Suspends Miami Attorney Bruce Jacobs’ License For 91 Days As He Continues Driving His Career Off A Cliff The justices of the Florida Supreme Court have suspended a Miami foreclosure attorney Bruce Jacobs’s law license for 91 days. The Florida Bar filed multiple complaints alleging Jacobs used “strong and offensive language against judges” while representing clients in…

[justinspoliticalcorner]

Kristen Holmes at CNN:

Former President Donald Trump’s youngest son, Barron Trump, was selected by the Florida GOP as an at-large delegate for Florida at the Republican National Convention, according to a list of delegates obtained by CNN. Barron, who turned 18 in March, joins several other family members – Donald Trump Jr., Eric Trump and Tiffany Trump – who were also selected. Steve Witkoff, Trump’s longtime friend and luxury real estate developer, along with Trump ally Sergio Gor are also listed as delegates. CNN has reached out to the Trump campaign for comment. NBC News was first to report on Barron Trump’s selection. Before Donald Trump’s hush money criminal trial began, his attorneys had asked for May 17 off so that he could attend Barron’s graduation. The judge last month said things were moving quickly enough that he was comfortable having no court that day so Trump could attend the graduation.

The Republican National Committee will hold its convention in Milwaukee in July. Last month, the RNC asked the Secret Service to keep protesters farther back from the convention than is currently planned.

The Florida GOP has selected their at-large delegates for the RNC in Milwaukee this July. Some of the notable selections: Barron Trump, Tiffany Trump, Eric Trump, Donald Trump Jr., and Kimberly Guilfoyle.

See Also:

NBC News: Barron Trump to step into the political arena as a Florida delegate at the Republican convention

[beardedmrbean]

Elvis Presley's home of Graceland will not be hitting the auction block on Thursday after all.

In a hearing Wednesday that only lasted about eight minutes, Chancellor JoeDae Jenkins adjourned the sale of Graceland, saying, "The notary has sworn that the notary did not notarize the signature of Lisa Marie Presley on the deed of trust, which brings into question the authenticity of the signature."

The hearing on Wednesday in Tennessee was set to determine whether a dubious entity could proceed with an advertised plan to auction off the late singer's estate in Memphis.MORE: Battle for Graceland heads to court

Actress Riley Keough, Presley's granddaughter, was trying to stop a company called Naussany Investments and Private Lending LLC from conducting an auction outside the Shelby County Courthouse on Thursday at noon.

Keough is alleging the company presented fraudulent documents last September "purporting to show that Lisa Marie Presley had borrowed $3.8 million from Naussany Investments and gave a deed of trust encumbering Graceland as security," according to the court documents obtained by Memphis ABC affiliate WATN.

Keough is being represented by attorneys based in Memphis and Jacksonville, Florida. Both lawyers declined to comment to ABC News. It is not yet clear whether Naussany Investments has an attorney.

Jenkins said "Gregory Naussany" of Jacksonville filed a one-page motion for continuance and Jenkins denied the motion Wednesday.

"The court will adjourn the sale as requested because one, the real estate is considered unique under Tennessee law and in being unique, the loss of the real estate would be considered irreparable harm," Jenkins said.

Jenkins added, "Graceland is a part of this community, well loved by this community and indeed around the world."