James W. Martin Business Law Blog

Florida requires anyone who transacts business under a name different from the legal name to register it as a fictitious name. This is not the same as registering a trademark. It is separate and distinct registration. And ever since 2001 it was not necessary to publish a notice in a newspaper. All you had to do was file a registration application with the Florida Division of Corporations.... Read More

A Pinellas County fictitious name is a name used by a business other than its legal name. Florida law requires that a Pinellas County fictitious name of a business be published in the newspaper and registered with the Florida Division of Corporations as a fictitious name before it is used in Florida.... Read More

The 2010 Florida Legislature is considering a law regulating how to remove data from computer media. It would apply to all state agencies and private corporations and entities doing business or located in Florida.... Read More

Florida law requires that every Florida corporation have a registered agent and a registered office. The registered agent's name and the registered office appear on the annual report that the corporation must file by May 1 of each year with the Florida Division of Corporations in the Florida Department of State (see prior blog re annual reports). The question is, "Who can be a registered agent of a Florida corporation?"... Read More

Starting at 8am Monday January 4 2010 you can be first to file your Florida business annual report.... Read More

The 2009 Florida Legislature is considering whether to require everyone in Florida to follow the NIST’s “Guidelines for Media Sanitization”.... Read More

Generally, all businesses operating in Florida under names other than their own must register the fictitious names.... Read More