Business Law Section taskforce is developing business court models.

The Business Law Section's goal of establishing a statewide network of business courts--should studies confirm the need--is gaining momentum.

Business courts are hailed by industry supporters as a faster way to resolve complex disputes involving such things as intellectual property, biotechnology, and cybersecurity--disputes that threaten to shutter thriving enterprises and require the most creative case management.

Supporters also say business courts make civil dockets run smoother, relieving them of cases that consume massive amounts of time and scarce resources.

Florida has experimented with business courts in some larger circuits, but only recently began considering a statewide network when the Business Law Section established its Business Court Taskforce this summer.

Supreme Court Chief Justice Charles Canady attended a taskforce meeting in Orlando in January and spent most of the day watching subcommittee chairs divide the workload and set deadlines, said taskforce Co-chair Jon Polenberg.

Polenberg, a shareholder at Becker & Poliakoff in Ft. Lauderdale, stressed that it's still far too early to expect Canady's or the court's endorsement.

"He was interested in understanding what's going on, so that when he sees whatever we propose, he has a context within which to discuss it with the other members of the court," Polenberg said.

At a February 8 Board of Governor's meeting in Tallahassee, Canady listed the business court project as one of several proposals the court is studying to improve branch efficiency, saying only, "There is much work to be done."

Polenberg agrees. But he says a great deal of progress has been made since the taskforce held its organizational session this summer, called for a need evaluation, and adopted a mission statement:

"If that evaluation suggests there is a need, then design and provide a draft structure for the business courts, identify and secure appropriate resources, support, and funding to implement a business court system throughout the state."

At the Orlando meeting, a Policy Subcommittee was assigned to determine need by surveying three groups, chief judges, the business community, and past business court users.

A Logistics and Operations Subcommittee agreed to set "organizing principles." Based on those principles, the subcommittee will develop business court models, establish a definition for business courts, determine criteria for assignment of cases, propose jurisdictional boundaries, identify...