Case Title: In Re: Amendment to Florida Rule of Civil Procedure 1.280

Citation: 

Docket Number: SC2021-0929

State: florida

Court: Florida Supreme Court

Date: 2023-11-02T00:00:00Z

Document:
Supreme Court of Florida 
 
THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 2, 2023 
 
In Re: Amendment to Florida 
Rule of Civil Procedure 1.280 
 
SC2021-0929 
 
 
The Court has considered the comments concerning Florida 
Rule of Civil Procedure 1.280, which was amended in the opinion 
issued August 26, 2021.  As no further amendments to the rule are 
warranted at this time, this case is hereby final. 
 
MUÑIZ, C.J., and CANADY, COURIEL, GROSSHANS, FRANCIS, 
and SASSO, JJ., concur. 
LABARGA, J., dissents with an opinion. 
 
LABARGA, J., dissenting. 
In 2021, despite the robust discovery framework set forth in 
the Florida Rules of Civil Procedure, the majority concluded that 
there was a need for additional protections against abusive 
discovery tactics in the private sector.  To that end, the majority 
unilaterally adopted new Florida Rule of Civil Procedure 1.280(h), 
which extended the “apex doctrine” to the private sector and 
granted special discovery protections to top-level corporate decision 
makers.  See In re Amend. to Fla. Rule of Civ. Proc. 1.280, 324 So. 
3d 459 (Fla. 2021). 
CASE NO.:  SC2021-0929 
Page Two 
 
 
 
 
 
I dissented to the majority’s unilateral action because the 
existing Florida Rules of Civil Procedure were adequate to address 
the majority’s concerns about abusive discovery tactics—and the 
rules remain adequate to do so.  Id. at 464-65 (Labarga, J., 
dissenting).  As such, I continue to deem the adoption of rule 
1.280(h) unwarranted. 
I respectfully dissent to today’s order because the majority, 
having considered the comments filed in response to the adoption of 
rule 1.280(h), has determined that the rule should remain as 
originally adopted. 
A True Copy 
Test: 
 
 
 
SC2021-0929 11/2/2023 
 
SC2021-0929 11/2/2023 
 
SO 
Served: 
JOSHUA E. DOYLE 
HEATHER S. TELFER 
JENNIFER MARIE VOSS 
CHRISTOPHER J. BAUM 
CASE NO.:  SC2021-0929 
Page Three 
 
 
 
 
 
JUDSON LEE COHEN 
WILLIAM W. LARGE 
HON. ASHLEY MOODY 
FRANK CRUZ-ALVAREZ 
ROBERT L. CHRISTIE 
HENRY C. WHITAKER 
KANSAS R. GOODEN 
DANIEL B. ROGERS 
DANIEL W. BELL 
CHRISTOPHER G. BURNS 
JOHN W. HOGAN