• Modis has been on Independent Square for nearly a decade and in a year or so there could be a new name on the building. Tyra Tutor, senior vice president of corporate development for MPS Group, said her company’s lease on the building — MPS Group owns Modis — is up in about a year and a name change could be part of the negotiation process, if MPS Group stays in the building. Tutor said 10 years ago Modis was about 70 percent of MPS Group so it made sense to put Modis on the building.
• Speaking of MPS Group, Tutor said there are two more years left on the current contract to host the MPS Group Championships in Sawgrass. She also said the tournament finals will be played the same weekend as The Masters for those two years.
• Attorney Michael Freed’s firm — Brennan Manna & Diamond — was recently on the winning side of a verdict that saved his client potentially nearly $19 million. Freed and his associate Brian Krulick represented Allsec Technologies (an India-based technologies firm) against a South Florida law firm that calls itself “The TKO Firm.” Freed’s client was suing for $1.1 million in unpaid invoices, while The TKO Firm’s client Directory Billing, LLC countersued for $20 million. “As the final judgment reflects, our client got everything it sought, and The TKO Firm’s client got nothing,” said Freed. “So, the win by decision goes to Brennan Manna & Diamond.”
• The Reality Check First Coast breakfast originally scheduled for Monday at the Jacksonville Regional Chamber of Commerce was canceled. The program is an ongoing visioning exercise that brings leaders from public, private and nonprofit sectors together for discussion on regional growth issues. No makeup date has been announced.
• Baseball meets business today at the first “Businessperson Special” of the year for the Jacksonville Suns. The early afternoon game has first pitch at 1:05 p.m. and $14.50 gets you a box seat, large hot dog and a drink.
• The Bay Street remodeling project began Monday morning when a construction crew set barricades on the south side of the street between Newnan and Main streets. The first phase will be to replace the sidewalk so as to match the paver design on the north side of Bay Street.
• The South Jacksonville Republican Club meets Saturday at the Golden Corral restaurant on San Jose Boulevard south of I-295. Breakfast begins at 9:30 a.m. followed by the meeting at 10 a.m. with guest speaker Randy McDaniels, leader of ACT Jacksonville, who will provide an update on Islamic operations in America. Also, a new club treasurer will be elected at the meeting. For information call 880-4148.
• The North Florida Land Trust is hosting a two-hour cruise on the St. Johns River Monday evening. The boat will leave at 6 p.m. from the dock near the Crowne Plaza Hotel on the Southbank. Dinner will be served by Ashley Street Catering, the Clara White Mission’s culinary training program and a cash bar will be available. Tickets are $35 per person or $65 per couple and must be purchased in advance by calling 827-9870.