On March 1, 2019, Miami partner Joseph Sacher and of counsel Brooks Miller were featured panelist at the American Inns of Courts (Spellman-Hoeveler Chapter) 2019 Bench & Bar Conference at the Hyatt Regency Hotel in Miami, Florida. The conference was the largest local bar meeting in the nation, attended by more than 4,000 judges and attorneys.
Sacher actively participated on a panel entitled, "Preparing the Key Witness for Trial," in which he provided guidance and insights on witness preparation at various stages of litigation. The panel discussed various wide-ranging topics, such as taking control of the process, making sure witnesses tell their story in a truthful manner, and dealing with difficult witnesses. The panel also included two sitting Florida Circuit Court trial judges from Broward and Miami-Dade Counties, as well as three other senior partners from various local and national law firms.
Miller participated on a panel entitled “Winning in Summary Judgment.” Brooks’ presentation focused on the appellate review of trial court orders granting summary judgment in the Third District Court of Appeal. His presentation included a discussion of the influence of perceptions of the applicable appellate standard on the trial court and the appellate standard for review of summary judgments granted by the trial courts. A focus of his presentation was to dispel common misperceptions regarding the affirmance rate of summary judgments on appeal in the Third District Court of Appeal which included a review of recent statistical data.
The event was one of the largest local bench and bar conference of any local bar in the nation, including 79 panels in various practice areas, featuring Federal and State Judges, General Counsels, and distinguished practitioners. A total of 4,183 members of the Florida Bar attended the day-long event, conducted by the American Inns of Court.