Joel L. Tabas, of counsel with Miami’s Markowitz Ringel Trusty + Hartog, has handled bankruptcies and insolvencies for the last 40 years, working on more than 65,000 matters since 1992, including consumer bankruptcies, reorganizations, liquidations, and Ponzi schemes.

In a Daily Business Review story, Tabas comments that tariffs, immigration enforcement and interest rates are a few of the factors attorneys say are contributing to a surge in bankruptcy filings and trends in Florida, but especially in South Florida. Data shows bankruptcy filings in Florida increased 23.5% during the 12-month period that ended June 30, with national bankruptcy filings rising at 11.5% in that time frame.

Typically, recessions occur every 10 to 12 years, but historically, they’re very hard to predict, he said. And pointing to South Florida strong and predominantly Hispanic immigrant population, Tabas noted that blue-collar labor may be impacted by immigration policies. “The unemployment rate is at a very low level right now. If you get rid of some of the population, which can fulfill some of those jobs…you’re going to be creating a little bit more of a labor shortage,” Tabas said.

See https://www.law.com/dailybusinessreview/2025/08/20/bankruptcy-filings-are-on-the-rise-in-florida-are-they-poised-to-increase-further-/?slreturn=20250820201710.

Cybercriminals increasingly use artificial intelligence to target small and mid-sized businesses, which were once much less likely to be the target of a sophisticated cyberattack. To help smaller companies protect themselves, Hinshaw partner Cathy Mulrow-Peattie provides seven practical security steps they can employ. These tips were originally featured in the July 2025 issue of Florida Trend Magazine

Hinshaw & Culbertson Miami partner-in-charge Barbara Fernandez has been honored as one of 10 Women of Distinction for the 2025 Inaugural Miami-Dade Florida Association of Women Lawyers (FAWL) Impact Awards.

Fernandez was selected for making strides in the advancement of women in the legal profession. She and nine other women have demonstrated how they are pioneers who have broken down barriers, created new opportunities for women in the legal profession, and championed issues to better the professional lives of women lawyers in Miami-Dade County.

Fernandez is the Partner-in-Charge of Hinshaw’s Miami office and a member of the firm’s Executive Committee. She is also a member of Hinshaw’s Diversity Committee and serves as the Miami office’s Office Mentor Coordinator (OMC). Fernandez has developed a niche practice in consumer and class action litigation, where relatively few women practice law. She has extensive experience in defending individual and class action claims involving the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act (FDCPA), the Telephone Consumer Protection Act (TCPA), and the Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA).