PARLUX FRAGRANCES

Lawsuit claims Parlux board hobbled auditors

New allegations have been made in a 2006 lawsuit against Parlux Fragrances' directors, but details were sealed by a judge.

TECHNOLOGY | UNIVERSITY OF MIAMI

University of Miami plans biotech center

University of Miami officials hope Life Science Park becomes the hub of the local biotechnology industry.

CHINESE DRYWALL

Some Chinese drywall may be tainted with radioactive materials

Some Chinese companies may have made drywall with a radioactive substance banned in the United States.

STOCK

Drug maker Stiefel accused of cheating employees

A lawsuit filed by three former Stiefel Laboratories employees alleges that in the months leading up to a multibillion-dollar sale of the company, it bought back stock from employees on the cheap.

RESORTS

Details emerge about Fontainebleau Las Vegas' troubles

Court filings painted a troubling financial picture of Fontainebleau Las Vegas. A key step in the project's future comes next week in Miami bankruptcy court.

RETAIL

Office Depot under investigation in four states

The Boca Raton-based retailer is under investigation for pricing practices through the U.S. Communities program.

Workable niche markets are ready for harvest

Puzzled? You've got a small budget and a big marketplace. You want to stake claim to a workable target. Think niche markets. Niche markets are focused, targetable portions of existing mainstream markets, a narrowly defined group of potential customers. Some may be ready for harvest.

Fast-food sellers are protected from liability

Q: We operate Taco Bell franchises in Florida. We've heard about lawsuits filed against the fast food industry for causing overweight and related health problems. We think that's ridiculous. But since we live in a sue-happy country, we worry about it. Should we be concerned?

Q&A with Robert Smith, sovereign debt trader

Robert Smith's lifelong adventure as an emerging market debt trader has earned him nicknames like King of the Jungle Bonds and the Indiana Jones of Finance.

Businesses can benefit by engaging customers in unintrusive ways

Matthew May shows how elegance is actually a matter of simplicity.

CELEBRATION CRUISE LINES

Celebration Cruise Lines makes waves in a stormy economy

While the recession has squeezed cruise-industry profits, it may be providing newly launched Celebration Cruise Lines with a competitive edge.

BERNARD MADOFF CASE

Bernard L. Madoff victims still pursue justice, their money

Whether Bernard Madoff's investors recoup much of their losses will largely depend on how much success the bankruptcy trustee has in claims against others.

Bankruptcies

Recent bankruptcies for the Southern District of Florida

High life thrives at private jet service

Mickael Cohen figures that even during a recession, some people won't be satisfied flying plain old first class. After working as an aircraft broker and running a conventional charter service and a New York-to-Paris private jet service, Cohen is starting Air Platinum Club at the Opa-locka Executive Airport.

MEDICAL SUPPLIES

Home Diagnostics expands in Fort Lauderdale

With diabetes now considered an epidemic, the market for diabetes testing products is growing almost as fast as the disease is spreading.

Protectionism: How to create new jobs overseas

Keith Koenig, who describes himself as ''very much a free-trade guy,'' has seen how U.S. government efforts to control imports of foreign-made furniture can produce unintended -- and undesirable -- consequences.

Global attitude benefits City Furniture

City Furniture gained a boost from ''accidental'' exports, but the home furnishing giant's sales are still in a three-year slump.

Recession can't stop entrepreneurial spirit

In a good economy, Americans start hundreds of thousands of new businesses every year. And in a bad economy, like today's? They do pretty much the same thing.

EDITOR'S NOTE

Start-up businesses will thrive when economy rebounds

Launching a business in the midst of a recession is akin to lifting anchor amid a gale. But the entrepreneurs in this week's cover story are doing exactly that -- betting that if they can stay afloat amid the choppy waters of this economy they will thrive when fair weather blows in.