Best's Insurance Professional Resources
Client-Recommended Attorneys, Adjusters and Experts
Best's Insurance Professional Resources
Client-Recommended Attorneys, Adjusters and Experts


Best's Recommended Insurance Attorneys - General Defense

1401 N.W. 136th Avenue, Suite 200, Sunrise, Florida 33323

Established: 1974

Practice Areas

  • Insurance Litigation
  • Insurance Defense
  • Insurance Law
  • Bad Faith
  • Appellate Practice
  • Class Actions
  • Insurance Regulation
  • Regulatory and Compliance
  • Government Affairs
  • Reinsurance
  • Administrative Law
  • Mergers and Acquisitions
  • Surplus Lines
  • Formation and Financing
  • Market Conduct
  • Financial Examinations and Financial Issues
  • Rate, Form and Rule Filings
  • Portfolio Transfers
  • Assumptions
  • Agent and Agency Matters
  • Market Expansion and Withdrawal
  • Self-Insurance

About Us

Colodny Fass law firm has represented national and international insurance clients in regulatory compliance, transactional, administrative and compliance matters throughout the United States for over 45 years. The Firm also handles insurance defense, complex commercial litigation, and governmental affairs in Florida from two offices spanning the state-a South Florida headquarters, and another office just one block from Florida's Capitol in Tallahassee.

Clients have included property and casualty insurers, surplus lines insurers, life and health insurers, reinsurers, captives, risk retention groups, risk purchasing groups, brokers, associations, managing general agencies, agents, reinsurance intermediaries, premium finance companies, among other insurance-related entities.

With significant regulatory experience involving a wide range of issues, Colodny Fass also handles corporate formation and financing; mergers and acquisitions; adding lines of business; state expansion applications; market conduct and financial examinations; financial issues; statutory accounting procedures; risk-based capital levels; capital infusion issues; rate, form and rule filings. The Firm also serves the legal and regulatory needs of insurers in their dealings with insurance agents, agencies, reinsurers, brokers and vendors.

Colodny Fass lawyers have supervised multi-state compliance surveys and licensing matters for insurance companies, third-party administrators, managing general agents, wholesale brokers, reinsurance intermediaries, pharmacy benefits managers, insurance agencies, life settlement companies, as well as for manufacturers and sellers of service contracts and extended warranties. The Firm routinely handles regulatory issues including Insurance Holding Company Act compliance, company formation, multi-state expansion, corporate amendments, investment limitations, credit for reinsurance analysis, and transactions with affiliates.

Colodny Fass manages a wide variety of complex corporate and transactional matters for domestic and international insurers, holding companies and investors, including mergers and acquisitions, start-ups, stock offerings, restructurings, mutual holding company conversions, joint ventures and reinsurance transactions. The Firm's attorneys also prepare insurance contracts and negotiate a wide variety of contracts and agreements, including managing general agent agreements, third-party administrator agreements, insurance agency and broker agreements, cost allocation agreements, IT vendor agreements, and joint insurance marketing and affinity marketing agreements.

As experienced practitioners of administrative law, Colodny Fass has served as lead counsel and supervised numerous actions before Florida regulatory agencies such as the Florida Office of Insurance Regulation, Florida Department of Financial Services and Division of Administrative Hearings involving rule challenges and hearings related to disputes over form and rate filings, and license disciplinary matters, including appeals of those actions.

On a daily basis for many clients, Colodny Fass renders insurance regulatory legal services pertaining to:

  • Corporate governance

  • Risk analysis

  • Regulatory compliance issues

  • Preparation of documentation for data calls

  • Affiliate transactions

  • Debt and equity structuring and documentation

  • Reinsurance

  • Solvency matters

  • Licensure and expansion issues

  • Financial and market conduct examinations

  • Drafting of agent and agency appointment agreements and notices, as well as vendor and supplier contractual arrangements

  • Review of underwriting manuals to ensure compliance with regulatory and statutory mandates

  • Assisting actuaries in defending proposed rates at administrative hearings

  • Review and negotiation of regulatory consent orders

  • Drafting, review and amending of policy forms

  • Drafting of compliant forms of required notices such as cancellation and non-renewal notices

  • Participation in all stages of rulemaking proceedings

  • Review and research on proposed legislation and administrative rules, and the reporting on the potential consequences thereof

  • Report on the effects of adopted administrative rules, legislation
Firm Founder and Managing Partner Mike Colodny served as outside General Counsel for the Florida Residential Property and Casualty Joint Underwriting Association and its successor, Citizens Property Insurance Corporation, for nearly 15 years. During that time, he was instrumental in securing Citizens' non-profit status and drafted not only Citizens' first Plan of Operation, but Citizens' first assumption contracts and takeout procedures.

Named during consecutive years as one of South Florida's "Power Bankers," Mr. Colodny is known for his keen understanding of the financial and accounting implications of complex transactions. Together with other members of the Firm's Insurance Regulatory practice, such as Wes Strickland, he handles all aspects of transactions relating to mergers and acquisitions for both public and private companies.

Colodny Fass brings extensive experience with not only Citizens, but the regulation and operations of insurers and similar residual markets throughout the United States.

The Firm also advises insurers, reinsurers and reinsurance intermediaries on a number of contractual, legal and regulatory issues related to reinsurance plans, structures and transactions. These include reinsurer authorization, accreditation and eligibility issues; reinsurance contract, trust and collateral issues; alternate risk transfer mechanisms; holding company and affiliate agreement standards, solvency concerns; and litigation risk. Colodny Fass lawyers also provide strategic planning and implementation of a variety of initiatives, such as withdrawal plans; runoffs; renewal rights arrangements; reinsurance and alternate risk transfer programs financial stability issues; and other operational and marketing programs.

Colodny Fass reinsurance attorneys and consultants have been involved in arbitrations and have assisted clients in resolving disputes, working with regulatory authorities, and successfully managing complex, multiparty work out arrangements. These have included runoffs; commutations; assumptions; withdrawal plan arrangements; capitalization and financing arrangements; receivership, insolvency and liquidation matters; as well as other affiliate and third-party contractual alternatives.

The Firm advises clients on the formation of captive insurance entities within their holding company groups and in other third-party contexts, such as agency captives, association captives and otherwise; evaluate on behalf of various insurer and non-insurer organizations the laws of a variety of jurisdictions pertaining to the benefits of captive formation in those jurisdictions; and aid in strategic planning applicable to the formation of captive insurers, the development of a project plan and the formation and licensure of captive insurers.

For insurers' agents, agencies and brokers, Colodny Fass has handled licensing and liability, commission-related matters, disclosure and confidentiality requirements, coverage disputes, errors and omissions, insurance solvency concerns, investigations and disciplinary proceedings, contract disputes, trade practices, compliance, ethics, discrimination or coercion complaints, as well as new challenges like cyber-risk and social media-driven disputes.

The Firm's work with agents and brokers has focused on preventing unnecessary errors and omissions litigation, thus stemming exposure from claims involving breach of duty, misrepresentation, bad faith, fraud or inadequate coverage, or even criminal penalties. In these types of cases, Colodny Fass' relationships with regulatory agencies is a valuable aspect of our work. The Firm's attorneys have been called upon by agents' organizations like the Florida Association of Insurance Agents, Latin American Association of Insurance Agencies and the National African American Insurance Association to counsel their members on best practices-not only in day-to-day business, but in all areas of the law, including fiduciary duties, ethics, contractual obligations and special relationships.

Similar to insurance company licensure, Colodny Fass provides assistance in all aspects of agency formation, as well as adjustors and producers in multiple states.

Colodny Fass' Governmental Consulting Division, which is ranked annually among the top lobbying firms in Florida, serves insurance clients before the executive and legislative branches of the State of Florida, as well as its regulatory agencies and those of other state governments.

The Firm's clients have even included public and governmental entities such as Citizens Property Insurance Corporation, Florida's Insurance Commissioner, Governor, Florida Department of Business and Professional Regulation, and Division of Insurance Rehabilitation and Liquidation.

Experienced in litigating complex and sophisticated commercial matters, Colodny Fass, which was named as "Litigation Department of the Year" in South Florida by the Daily Business Review, successfully represents a wide variety of business interests in legal matters relating to insurance, including banks and real estate developers. The Firm specializes in the defense of class action insurance litigation, bad faith claims, constitutional challenges, declaratory judgments and other high-risk matters.

In matters of employment law, Colodny Fass has represented private and public employers in Title VII, ADA and ADEA claims encompassing age, national origin, race, gender and disability discrimination.

Additional Locations

Client Information

Representative Insurance Clients

*Principal outside law firm as designated by insurance companies

Personnel Information

In Memoriam


Joel S. Fass — (1947-2019)

Shareholders


Mike Colodny

Sunrise, FL

Practice Areas
  • Insurance Regulation
  • Government Affairs
  • Real Estate
  • Commercial Law
Admitted
  • Florida, 1967
Memberships:
  • Florida Association of Professional Lobbyists
Education:
  • University of Florida College of Law, J.D., 1966

Maria Elena Abate

Sunrise, FL

Practice Areas
  • Insurance Law
  • Litigation
  • Appellate Practice
  • Civil Rights
  • Employment Law
Admitted
  • Florida, 1988
  • U.S. Supreme Court
Memberships:
  • Claims and Litigation Management Alliance - Certified Litigation Management Professional
  • American Trial Lawyers Association
  • American Association for Justice
Education:
  • University of Miami School of Law, J.D. (cum laude), 1988
Language:
  • Spanish

Katherine S. Webb

Head of Governmental Consulting Team
Tallahassee, FL
Practice Areas
  • Government Affairs
  • Insurance Regulation
Admitted
  • Florida, 2003
  • U.S. District Court, Middle District of Florida
Memberships:
  • Florida Association of Professional Lobbyists
Education:
  • Florida State University College of Law, J.D., 2003

Sandy P. Fay

Sunrise, FL

Practice Areas
  • Insurance Regulation
Admitted
  • Florida, 1998
  • U.S. District Court, Middle and Southern Districts of Florida
Memberships:
Broward County Bar Association
Education:
  • Nova Southeastern University, Shepard Broad Law Center, J.D., 1998

Matthew C. Scarfone

Sunrise, FL

Practice Areas
  • Insurance Defense
  • Insurance Litigation
  • Employment Law
  • Commercial Litigation
Admitted
  • Michigan, 2010
  • Florida, 2011
Education:
  • Michigan State University College of Law, J.D., 2010

Partners


Michael Billmeier

Tallahassee, FL
Admitted
  • Florida, 1993
  • U.S. District Court, Middle and Northern Districts of Florida, 1997
  • U.S. Court of Appeals, Eleventh Circuit
Education:
  • Florida State University College of Law, J.D., 1993

Carolyn Gilbert Epstein

Sunrise, FL

Practice Areas
  • Insurance Litigation
  • Business Litigation
  • Commercial Litigation
  • Business Law
  • Administrative Law
Admitted
  • Florida, 1987
Education:
  • University of Miami, J.D., 1986

Seric J. Fallon

Sunrise, FL

Practice Areas
  • Business Litigation
  • Commercial Litigation
  • Employment Law
  • Employment Litigation
  • Insurance Litigation
Admitted
  • Florida, 2007
  • District of Columbia
  • U.S. District Court, Middle, Northern and Southern Districts of Florida
  • U.S. Court of Appeals, Eleventh Circuit
Education:
  • University of Miami School of Law, J.D., 2007

Fernando J. Valle

Sunrise, FL

Practice Areas
  • Insurance Litigation
  • Business Litigation
  • Commercial Litigation
  • Employment Law
Admitted
  • Florida, 2015
Education:
  • University of Miami School of Law, J.D. (cum laude), 2015

Consultants


Amanda Fraser

Governmental
Tallahassee, FL
Practice Areas
  • Governmental Relations
  • Insurance
  • Environmental Law
  • Health Care
  • Technology
  • Education Law
Education:
  • Florida State University, B.S., 2014
  • Florida State University, M.S., 2015

Jeffrey A. Rainey

Insurance Regulatory
Tallahassee, FL
Practice Areas
  • Insurance Regulation
  • Transactions
  • Governmental Consulting
Education:
  • Florida State University, M.I.S., 2003

Associates


  • Rochell Watson
  • James Guanciale
  • Modeline Cadet
  • Rebecca Canseco
  • Golbarg (Gina) Riahi

Of Counsel


  • Jo Colbert Stanley

News & Resources

High Profile Cases

Security First Ins. Co. v. Czelusniak, 305 So. 3d 717 (Fla. 3d DCA 2020) 

De La Rosa v. Florida Peninsula Ins. Co., 246 So. 3d 438 (Fla. 4th DCA 2018) 

Amerisure v. Florida Dept. of Financial Services 156 So.3d 520 (Fla. 1st DCA 2015) 

Olympus Ins. Co. v. Mikael Hernandez, as personal representative of the estate of Yaimi Gandul So. 3d - 2015 WL4936474 (Fla. 4th DCA 2015) 

One Call Property Services Inc. v. Security First Ins. Co. 165 So.3d 749 (4th DCA) 

Spiver v. Tenet Florida Physician Services, 149 So.3d 163 (4th DCA 2014) 

McCarty v. Myers, 125 So.3d 333 (Fla. 1st DCA 2013) 

REPRESENTATIVE CASES-Appendix One Prior to 2014 

Chiropractic One, Inc. v. State Farm Auto, 92 So.3d 871 (Fla. 5th DCA 2012)
 
Petty v. Florida Insurance Guaranty Association, 80 So.3d 313 (Fla. 2012)
 
Harris v. United Automobile Insurance Group, Inc., 579 F.3d 1227 (11th Cir. 2009)
 
Bortell v. White Mountains Insurance Group, 2 So.2d 1041 (4th DCA 2009)
 
United Auto Insurance Company v. Gables MRA 997 So.2d 1208 (Fla. 3d DCA 2008)
 
Buell v. Direct General Insurance Agency 267 Fed. Appx. 907 (11th Cir. 2008)
 
Zimmerman v. State of Florida Office of Insurance Regulation, 944 So.2d 1163 (Fla. 4th DCA 2006)

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