Course 9843

Stay current on the most important developments shaping Florida appellate practice with “Florida Appellate Law 2026 Year in Review.” Join appellate specialists Ceci Culpepper Berman and Chrissy Davis as they examine the year’s most significant appellate decisions, procedural rule changes, and emerging legal trends from Florida’s state and federal appellate courts. This annual update will provide practical insight into evolving doctrines, notable dissents and concurrences, and the broader developments likely to influence appellate advocacy and Florida law in the years ahead.

LEARNING OBJECTIVES:

As a result of attending this session, the learner will be better able to:

1. Analyze recent amendments to Florida’s appellate and procedural rules and evaluate their practical impact on appellate litigation.
2. Identify and assess the most significant Florida appellate decisions issued in 2026 and their implications for practitioners and litigants.
3. Recognize developing trends in Florida appellate jurisprudence, including recurring legal issues, interpretive approaches, and notable concurring and dissenting opinions.
4. Evaluate emerging issues and anticipated developments likely to shape the future of appellate practice and Florida law.

FACULTY BIOGRAPHY:

Ceci Culpepper Berman, of Tampa, is a managing shareholder at Brannock Berman & Seider. Board certified in appellate practice, Ceci focuses on complex commercial appeals, and she has a proven track record of winning high-stakes, bet-the-business cases. Ceci also has extensive experience handling bankruptcy, family law, and land use appeals. A past chair of the Florida Bar’s Appellate Practice Section, Ceci regularly speaks and writes on these and other appellate topics and is a leading light among Florida’s appellate legal community.

Christine “Chrissy” Davis of Davis Appeals in St. Petersburg is a board-certified appellate specialist who handles civil appeals and extraordinary writ proceedings in state and federal courts in many areas of law, including actions involving torts, medical malpractice, health care, insurance coverage and bad faith, product liability, and constitutional litigation. She also regularly prepares amicus briefs in high-profile, precedential cases for industry groups and associations, such as the Florida Justice Reform Institute, the National Association of Mutual Insurance Companies, and the National Association of Wine Retailers. In addition, Chrissy has been recognized by Florida Super Lawyers, The Best Lawyers in America for Appellate Practice, and Florida Trend’s Florida Legal Elite numerous times, and she is considered an exceptional legal talent by her appellate peers.