Case Name: MERRILL LYNCH PIERCE FENNER & SMITH, INC., and Thomas Ashman, Appellants, v. Don J. ADAMS, John Aucoin, Edward R. Bassine, Ann T. Bassine, William R. Blaikie, Thomas H. Blundell, J. Patrick Bohn, James A. Campbell. Darrell R. Caudill, William A. Cherry, Hugh W. Curfman, John C. Duncan, Michael S. Dwyer, Dick Dykes, Francis C. Elkin, Richard Fadal, Lee Feinberg, Alan S. Fogg, Mary Lou Frazier, Terry W. Grenat, Hem C. Gupta, Paul Hansen, Keith Harvie, Robert D. Hawley, Charles L. Henritzy, Curtis B. Herbert, Jr., Weldon Heddleston, Dorothy M. Hiddlestron, Les Hurrelbring, Henri V. Jova, John E. Kohan, Bobby G. Lamb, Hazeltine Lamb, Rod Lee, Pat Maloney, Jr., Lee Santa Maria, Lula Santa Maria, Dan E. Martens, Phillip W. Mccollum, Alice S. Mcturk, Ann Michael, Donald R. Mitchell, David C. Morford, Isabelle Morford, Jay Motler, Claude L. Nabers, Leon Neiman, Judith Neiman, Daniel N. Payton, III, Gerald Williams, Jean Pitts, Gary L. Plainer, Suraj P. Sancheti, Sam Schenk, Arch H. Schrom, Therral Story, Ronald T. Ullenberg, Paul G. White, Robert J. Wilder, Butz Wilder, Paul A. Williams, CCT & Co., a partnership, Catherine Crebbs, as general partner of CCT & Co. and administratrix of estate of Robert W. Crebbs, Robert Stern, Gordon G. Stillwell, and Edward B. Walker III, as general partner of CCT & Co., Appellees
Court: Florida District Court of Appeal
Jurisdiction: Florida
Decision Date: 2001-04-06
Citations: 791 So. 2d 25
Docket Number: No. 2D00-1867
Parties: MERRILL LYNCH PIERCE FENNER & SMITH, INC., and Thomas Ashman, Appellants, v. Don J. ADAMS, John Aucoin, Edward R. Bassine, Ann T. Bassine, William R. Blaikie, Thomas H. Blundell, J. Patrick Bohn, James A. Campbell. Darrell R. Caudill, William A. Cherry, Hugh W. Curfman, John C. Duncan, Michael S. Dwyer, Dick Dykes, Francis C. Elkin, Richard Fadal, Lee Feinberg, Alan S. Fogg, Mary Lou Frazier, Terry W. Grenat, Hem C. Gupta, Paul Hansen, Keith Harvie, Robert D. Hawley, Charles L. Henritzy, Curtis B. Herbert, Jr., Weldon Heddleston, Dorothy M. Hiddlestron, Les Hurrelbring, Henri V. Jova, John E. Kohan, Bobby G. Lamb, Hazeltine Lamb, Rod Lee, Pat Maloney, Jr., Lee Santa Maria, Lula Santa Maria, Dan E. Martens, Phillip W. Mccollum, Alice S. Mcturk, Ann Michael, Donald R. Mitchell, David C. Morford, Isabelle Morford, Jay Motler, Claude L. Nabers, Leon Neiman, Judith Neiman, Daniel N. Payton, III, Gerald Williams, Jean Pitts, Gary L. Plainer, Suraj P. Sancheti, Sam Schenk, Arch H. Schrom, Therral Story, Ronald T. Ullenberg, Paul G. White, Robert J. Wilder, Butz Wilder, Paul A. Williams, CCT & Co., a partnership, Catherine Crebbs, as general partner of CCT & Co. and administratrix of estate of Robert W. Crebbs, Robert Stern, Gordon G. Stillwell, and Edward B. Walker III, as general partner of CCT & Co., Appellees.
Judges: STRINGER, J., concurs.
Reporter: Southern Reporter, Second Series
Volume: 791
Pages: 25–29

Head Matter:
MERRILL LYNCH PIERCE FENNER & SMITH, INC., and Thomas Ashman, Appellants, v. Don J. ADAMS, John Aucoin, Edward R. Bassine, Ann T. Bassine, William R. Blaikie, Thomas H. Blundell, J. Patrick Bohn, James A. Campbell. Darrell R. Caudill, William A. Cherry, Hugh W. Curfman, John C. Duncan, Michael S. Dwyer, Dick Dykes, Francis C. Elkin, Richard Fadal, Lee Feinberg, Alan S. Fogg, Mary Lou Frazier, Terry W. Grenat, Hem C. Gupta, Paul Hansen, Keith Harvie, Robert D. Hawley, Charles L. Henritzy, Curtis B. Herbert, Jr., Weldon Heddleston, Dorothy M. Hiddlestron, Les Hurrelbring, Henri V. Jova, John E. Kohan, Bobby G. Lamb, Hazeltine Lamb, Rod Lee, Pat Maloney, Jr., Lee Santa Maria, Lula Santa Maria, Dan E. Martens, Phillip W. Mccollum, Alice S. Mcturk, Ann Michael, Donald R. Mitchell, David C. Morford, Isabelle Morford, Jay Motler, Claude L. Nabers, Leon Neiman, Judith Neiman, Daniel N. Payton, III, Gerald Williams, Jean Pitts, Gary L. Plainer, Suraj P. Sancheti, Sam Schenk, Arch H. Schrom, Therral Story, Ronald T. Ullenberg, Paul G. White, Robert J. Wilder, Butz Wilder, Paul A. Williams, CCT & Co., a partnership, Catherine Crebbs, as general partner of CCT & Co. and administratrix of estate of Robert W. Crebbs, Robert Stern, Gordon G. Stillwell, and Edward B. Walker III, as general partner of CCT & Co., Appellees.
No. 2D00-1867.
District Court of Appeal of Florida, Second District.
April 6, 2001.
Bennett Falk and Alexander T. Sarafo-glu of Morgan, Lewis & Bockius LLP, Miami, for Appellants.
Thomas R. Grady of Grady & Associates, L.P.A., Naples, for Appellees.

Opinion:
GREEN, Judge.
Appellants, Merrill Lynch Pierce Fen-ner & Smith, Inc. and Thomas Ashman, contend that the trial court erred by issuing a nonfinal order denying their motion to dismiss and sever and finding that the claims of appellees, Don J. Adams, et al., were eligible for arbitration. We have jurisdiction pursuant to Florida Rules of Appellate Procedure 9.130(a)(3)(A) and (a)(3)(C)(v).
We affirm the trial judge's order denying the appellants' motion to dismiss and denying appellants' motion to sever. We address only that portion of the trial court's order dealing with appellants' contention that appellees waived their right of arbitration by engaging in litigation.
We find the trial court's ruling was based on competent, substantial evidence and therefore affirm. Hill v. Ray Carter Auto Sales, Inc., 745 So.2d 1136, 1138 (Fla. 1st DCA 1999) (holding that waiver is a question of fact and that a trial judge will be reversed only if there is no competent, substantial evidence to support the finding).
We recognize the circumstances of this case require careful analysis to determine whether appellees were involved in litigation to the extent of waiving their right to arbitration. We have found no case law which would require a denial of appellees' right to arbitration based on their participation in discovery.
In his dissent, Acting Chief Judge Jerry Parker is primarily concerned about appel-lees' involvement in formal discovery. In the first instance, it is questionable whether discovery, including depositions, even constitutes record activity. See Fla. R.Civ.P. 1.420(a), (failure to prosecute a claim). See Nichols v. Lohr, 776 So.2d 366 (Fla. 5th DCA 2001); see also Levine v. Kaplan, 687 So.2d 863 (Fla. 5th DCA) (holding the mere taking of a deposition does not constitute record activity), review denied, 697 So.2d 511 (Fla.1997). Furthermore, if taking a deposition is litigation, a similar procedure is available to appellees under the arbitration code, and therefore, appellants' acts were not inconsistent with arbitration. See § 684.15, Fla. Stat. (1999).
We therefore affirm the order on appeal.
Affirmed.
STRINGER, J., concurs.
PARKER, A.C.J., concurring in part; dissenting in part.