Heath Ritenour, John Ritenour and Insurance Office of America’s Facing Dismissal of Their Retaliatory “Countersuit” in Motion Citing Abuses of Wealth, Power and Influence to Interfere with First Amendment Freedom Of Speech

November 1, 2023, MIAMI, FORT LAUDERDALE AND ORLANDO, FLORIDA.  On November 1, 2023, named Defendants Attorney Jay Lewis Farrow and his law firm, Farrow Law Firm, filed a Motion against Heath Ritenour, John Ritenour and Insurance office of America which seeks a dismissal with prejudice pursuant to Florida Law essentially prohibiting the filing of a separate countersuit designed for retaliatory purposes and has no independent merit known as “Strategic Lawsuits Against Public Participation” or “SLAPP Suits”.   As alleged in the November 1, 2023 Motion, IOA, Heath and John Ritenour filed a SLAPP lawsuit nearly three and a half years ago in retaliation for Farrow and Farrow Law Firm exercising their rights to freedom of speech in connection with lawsuits they were prosecuting against IOA, Heath and John.   

The November 1, 2023 filed under Florida’s Anit-SLAPP Statute, begins with an “Opening Statement – A Prelude to the Restoration of Justice” which states Farrow and Farrow Law’s opinion, legal theories and hyperbole as to what they believe has transpired in IOA’s retaliatory countersuit proceedings pending in Seminole County, Florida.   The “Opening Statement” states in relevant part:

In the film, Silence of the Lambs (the only motion picture of its category to be nominated for and win an Academy Award for Best Picture), the heroin, “Clarise”, is an aspiring FBI Special Agent who continues to be traumatized by childhood events where she lived on a ranch hearing vulnerable lambs crying as they were led to their demise.  While her nights were haunted by the noise, she was more troubled by the fact that there was nothing she could do to help these vulnerable creatures.  Eventually, she tries to save just one of them, but is soon caught and returned back to the ranch and thereafter sent away to live as an orphan. 

Her memories, however, became the window of a trauma pattern that was replayed in her nightly dreams.   This impulse of valor to preserve and protect the innocent and most vulnerable amongst has driven many children who grew up being bullied because they were “different” or “smaller” or “poorer” to take up the charge to support others to find their true voice and stand for themselves against the proverbial wolves.   That life – comes at a cost, but also with unquantifiable rewards.  And for those who truly choose a life to offer a hand-up, rarely can circumstances cause serious doubt as blissfully sitting in the bleachers of life. 

A lawyer and a law firm can, with steadfast Constitutional headwinds, choose to support those whom have lost their voice through the intimidation and bullying of those with more money, more power and an inherent characteristic that puts them first – no matter what.  In the service of representing an individual, or in this case, individuals, the lawyer may be the only one standing between obtaining redress for harm caused by the bully whom would otherwise sentence the proverbial lamb to a life of quiet suffering through intimidation induced silence. Indeed, every day lawyers choose to take up the plight of a victim and face challenges of representing them against well-funded and mal-intention parties, or simply pass over the case because of the bully’s reputation.  

When Plaintiffs filed their lawsuit on March 24, 2020 against four separate individuals suing Plaintiffs in four separate cases, two law firms and two lawyers, frankly, the same was perceived by some as a catalyst for peace as opposed to an overture of war.  And, as incredible as that might sound, the undersigned believed it was possible.   However, in reality, Plaintiffs IOA, John Ritenour and his son Heath Ritenour’s plan was to deliver pain to those whom they saw as a clear and present danger to their way of life and culture….  

The pending four lawsuits, and Louis Spagnuolo’s in particular, alleged a world within one of the largest private insurance brokerages in the country that John and Heath did not want anyone to see.    However, none of the four individuals, including Spagnuolo, were the first to be courageous enough to report the wrongdoings of that inner world. 

In response, IOA, Heath and John’s employed seemingly “legal” strategies and strong-arm tactics which, of course, are not posted on the IOA website, but, if one takes sufficient time to research the federal and state civil clerk offices in Florida, New Jersey, Texas, Illinois and throughout the country, their calling cards of using their wealth, power and influence to deliver the pain, fear and intimidation of vexatious litigation are not difficult to find.   Nor are IOA’s infamous use of what are known as Strategic Lawsuits Against Public Participation (“SLAPP”).  

SLAPP lawsuits are countersuits – either offense or defensive – that drag a victim into court under the guise of defamation, tortious interference, abuse of process or manufactured contractual breaches.  SLAPP lawsuits are designed and engineered to drain a victim’s financial resources and emotional dexterity in order to break them such that the victim walks away or settles without a day in court. 

But as IOA, John and Heath, and their lawyers have come to learn, there are individuals and lawyers that believe in justice being served even if it costs them financially, physically, and emotionally and that commitment to purpose in the face of overwhelming force and odds frustrated Plaintiffs.    At the same time, in candor, SLAPP lawsuits do force lawyers and small law firms to choose to allocate their resources on other legal matters or focus intently upon preparing a case to dismiss the unlawful lawsuit and these cases sometimes linger until they once again become useful to the SLAPP predator.

Here, in September 2023, Farrow and Farrow Law no longer had the choice or luxury to do anything else but to direct focus to methodically and painstakingly review everything that has transpired in the proceedings and others like it to present this Motion to the Court which seeks to end IOA, John and Heath’s charade permanently. But Farrow and Farrow Law’s decision to allocate significantly more resources to this Case came under circumstances which, intentional or not, hyper-illuminated the sinister nature of these proceedings. 

It is not Farrow or Farrow Law’s intention to distract from the other merits of this Motion by highlighting one way in which this SLAPP lawsuit has procured [recent] collateral damage [to Farrow or his family].…. Nonetheless, ….the cold fact about defending a SLAPP lawsuit [is that] Farrow and Farrow law were forced to respond to….particular time sensitive [litigation matters while he also was handling two family emergencies]…[a]nd therein lies the core evil of a SLAPP lawsuit – one is forced to choose to allocate the most precious resource we as humans have – time to spend with our families – or [defending against meritless retaliatory litigation]. 

Farrow and Farrow Law herein present their case and arguments which conclusively and unequivocally warrant dismissal of Plaintiffs’ Lawsuit with prejudice upon an expedited hearing. 

Farrow and Farrow Law’s Motion to Dismiss IOA, Heath and John’s Operative Pleading has yet to be heard and the Court may deny all the relief therein, nor does Farrow or Farrow Law’s Motion intend to be construed as a statement of fact, as it states legal theories, opinions and also advocates for their position.   This announcement seeks information specific to IOA, John or Heath’s use of a counter or collateral lawsuit, or the threat of one, to contact Farrow Law Firm’s information email address: [email protected]  

 ***THIS IS NOT A LAWYER ADVERTISEMENT OR SOLICITATION*** 

This Announcement is for informational gathering purposes and otherwise to report on the status of the lawsuit and is not a solicitation for any individual having any alleged claims against any of the Parties named above and, should we receive a request for representation to prosecute or defend claims as to these Parties, Farrow Law will decline the same and the same applies to anyone seeking representation by the firm based upon this release.  This case has not gone to trial, nor have any of the allegations or arguments made in the recent filings herein above been determined at this time in a court of law or otherwise as to any party. 

CONTACT:
Jay FarrowFounder Farrow Law Firm
954-252-9818 | [email protected]