Francesco J. Palanda
Francesco J. Palanda
Partner
"A smooth sea never made a skilled sailor. I take a pragmatic, yet dynamic and aggressive, approach to litigation while remaining cognizant of clients’ dispute-resolution budgets."
Francesco J. Palanda
Partner
"A smooth sea never made a skilled sailor. I take a pragmatic, yet dynamic and aggressive, approach to litigation while remaining cognizant of clients’ dispute-resolution budgets."
About Frank
Frank counsels clients on commercial litigation, first- and third-party insurance coverage, and title insurance matters. He works with corporations from a variety of industries on cases involving breach of contract and business torts, including fraud, breach of fiduciary duty, securities violations, civil conspiracy, and civil theft actions.
An experienced trial lawyer with exceptional oral advocacy skills, Frank represents large real estate developers in litigation surrounding bad faith and coverage actions. He also advises and represents insurers on general liability, automobile liability, and property insurance issues.
Frank will be co-hosting a roundtable titled "Hurricanes, Tornadoes, Wildfires, Oh My!: The Use of Experts in Catastrophic Natural Disaster Cases" at the 2025 ICLC CLE Seminar in Tucson, Arizona.
Areas of Focus
Experience
- Defended multiple insurance companies against lawsuits filed by insureds for alleged wind and rainwater damage from Hurricane Irma. Many resulted in summary judgments obtained based upon the application of the water damage sublimit of policy.
- Secured a ruling on behalf of the insurance carrier, that the plaintiff was not entitled to statutory attorney’s fees or costs where the carrier made an undisputed claim payment within 90 days, and thereafter attempted to resolve a dispute as to the amount of loss by making a settlement offer that was not responded to by the plaintiff prior to filing suit. Villar v. Scottsdale Insurance Co., No. 22-cv-21362-BLOOM/Elfenbein, 2024 US Dist. LEXIS 150763 (S.D. Fla. Aug. 21, 2024)
- Obtained successful reversal of a temporary injunction requiring a $37,500 distribution to a shareholder because it did not maintain the status quo before the final hearing. Garcia v. Dumenigo, 46 So. 3d 1085 (Fla. 3d DCA October 27, 2010)
- Secured ruling on behalf of an insurance carrier, that the carrier’s decision not to invoke appraisal in response to a notice of intent (NOI) to litigate does not constitute waiver of the right to demand appraisal after having responded to the NOI. LeMcke v. Scottsdale Ins. Co., No. 2:24-cv-46-JLB-KCD, 2024 US Dist. LEXIS 33009 (M.D. Fla. Feb. 27, 2024)
- Obtained summary judgment on the pleadings provided based upon roof exclusion of policy. Guerra v. Scottsdale Ins. Co., No. 23-cv-22467-ALTMAN/Reid, 2023 US Dist. LEXIS 182900 (S.D. Fla. Oct. 7, 2023)
Recognition
- Florida Super Lawyers, Rising Star, 2009; 2011
Credentials
Education
- University of Maine School of Law, JD, 2004
- James Madison University, BS, 2001
Bar Admissions
- Florida
Court Admissions
- US Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit
- US District Court for the Middle District of Florida
- US District Court for the Northern District of Florida
- US District Court for the Southern District of Florida
Thought Leadership
Presentations
- Co-Presenter, "Hurricanes, Tornadoes, Wildfires, Oh My!: The Use of Experts in Catastrophic Natural Disaster Cases," 2025 Insurance Coverage Litigation Committee CLE Seminar, American Bar Association, March 7, 2025
- Co-Presenter, "Business Losses from Hurricane Damage - Claim Preparation and Presentation," American Bar Association, Litigation Section, Insurance Coverage Litigation Committee, Virtual Event, November 11, 2024
- Panelist, "Issues with Tracking and Using Claims Data in Claims Handling: Uses and Pitfalls of AI in Claims Handling and Litigation," Extracontractual Claims & Litigation Meeting, Tampa, Florida, April 17, 2024
Event
In The News
Interests
Frank enjoys spending time with his kids, both of whom are avid tennis players, including attending their tennis tournaments and traveling to Florence, Italy.
If he was not a lawyer, Frank would pursue a career as a landscape architect.
Community/Civic Activities
Frank is a coach for his son’s flag football team.
Thought Leadership
Presentations
- Co-Presenter, "Hurricanes, Tornadoes, Wildfires, Oh My!: The Use of Experts in Catastrophic Natural Disaster Cases," 2025 Insurance Coverage Litigation Committee CLE Seminar, American Bar Association, March 7, 2025
- Co-Presenter, "Business Losses from Hurricane Damage - Claim Preparation and Presentation," American Bar Association, Litigation Section, Insurance Coverage Litigation Committee, Virtual Event, November 11, 2024
- Panelist, "Issues with Tracking and Using Claims Data in Claims Handling: Uses and Pitfalls of AI in Claims Handling and Litigation," Extracontractual Claims & Litigation Meeting, Tampa, Florida, April 17, 2024
Event
In The News
Frank's Insights
In The News
Jul 23, 2025
“Best Practices in Presenting Business Interruption Claims” by Francesco Palanda
In The News
Mar 17, 2025
Francesco Palanda Addresses Home Insurance Challenges in Natural Disaster-Prone States
In The News
Jul 23, 2025
“Best Practices in Presenting Business Interruption Claims” by Francesco Palanda
In The News
Mar 17, 2025
Francesco Palanda Addresses Home Insurance Challenges in Natural Disaster-Prone States
Press Release
Dec 9, 2020
Insurance Partners Jessica Forbes and Francesco Palanda Join Hinshaw in Miami
