Cummings and Zimmerman Examine Six Florida Rulings on Forum Selection Clauses in Daily Business Review

06.03.2026

Stinson LLP Partner Brian Cummings and attorney C. Cade Zimmerman authored an article for Daily Business Review examining a series of six recent Florida state and federal court decisions in which they successfully secured venue dismissals for equipment finance clients.

In the article, "Six Florida Courts Confirm Forum Selection Clauses Survive Loan Assignments," Cummings and Zimmerman discuss rulings they obtained between November 2025 and April 2026 across the U.S. District Courts for the Middle and Southern Districts, as well as four Florida state courts, in which courts consistently upheld mandatory forum selection clauses in equipment finance agreements following assignment of the underlying loans.

In their article, Cummings and Zimmerman explain that the rulings reinforce a consistent principle: that assignors retain the benefit of forum selection provisions even after transferring economic rights under the agreements, providing important litigation protection for equipment finance companies operating in multi-jurisdictional markets. They also highlight practical drafting considerations for lenders, including the importance of mandatory venue language, broad scope provisions covering all related claims, and express successor-and-assign language.

Cummings has nearly two decades of experience litigating a wide variety of commercial matters and civil disputes in federal and state courts throughout the nation. His practice focuses on complex consumer class action defense and representing defendants and plaintiffs in real estate and general business litigation.

Zimmerman represents clients in complex commercial disputes in state and federal courts nationwide, guiding matters from pre-suit strategy through trial. He is experienced in arbitration, mediation, and settlement negotiations, and focuses on delivering practical, business-aligned litigation strategies.

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