Michael B. Stevens
Attorney Profile
Top Rated General Litigation Attorney in West Palm Beach, FL
Michael, born in Miami Beach, Florida is a life-long Floridian. In 2005, Michael graduated from The Florida State University College of Business with a Bachelors of Science in Accounting and in 2008 obtained his Degree of Juris Doctorate from the Nova Southeastern University Shepard Broad Law Center. Michael joined the boutique law firm of Derrevere, Hawkes, Black & Cozad in 2008 as an Associate and was made Partner in 2013.
With the mindset that the practice of law mimics a marathon rather than sprinting, Michael’s main focus is the client, and he has expanded his practice to include complex civil litigation, insurance subrogation, construction defects, family law, products liability, commercial and residential landlord tenant disputes, and premises liability. A multifaceted high achiever, Michael spearheads the Insurance Subrogation and Real Estate Divisions of the firm.
- 30%General Litigation
- 30%Civil Litigation: Plaintiff
- 10%Construction Litigation: Business
- 10%Insurance Coverage
- 10%Real Estate: Business
- 10%Workers' Compensation: Employer/Insurance
Litigation, Insurance, Insurance Defense, Landlord/Tenant
Selections
- Rising Stars: 2012 - 2022
Additional Sources of Information About Michael B. Stevens
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About Michael B. Stevens
First Admitted: 2008, Florida
Professional Webpage: http://www.derreverelaw.com/team-members/michael-b-stevens/
Pro bono/Community Service
- Chair, South Florida Emerging Green Builders Legislative Committee
Educational Background
- Florida State University, B.S. in Accounting
Verdicts/Settlements
- On February 7, 2015, a fire ripped through a 5 Napkins Restaurant on South Florida’s popular outdoor retail strip on Lincoln Road in South Beach. The damages to the building were extensive and ultimately caused the restaurant to close. Michael B. Stevens, Esq., and Mary Grecz, Esq., from Derrevere Stevens Black & Cozad filed a subrogation lawsuit on behalf of the landlord’s carrier, Zurich American Insurance Company, against a number of contractors involved with the maintenance and installation of the hood system, fire suppression system, and its insured’s tenant, Puccini, LLC. The tenant immediately moved to dismiss the Complaint on the basis that, while not a named insured under Zurich’s insurance policy, they should be considered an implied co-insured and, therefore, Zurich should be barred from subrogating against them. The trial court ultimately agreed with the tenant and dismissed Zurich’s lawsuit with prejudice. An appeal was then taken by Zurich to the Third-District Court of Appeal. On appeal, Zurich’s primary argument was that the trial court had used the wrong standard to evaluate whether the tenant should be considered an implied co-insured under the Zurich policy. In dismissing the Complaint, the trial court had relied heavily on the fact that part of the tenant’s rent was used to pay a portion of the premiums for the Zurich policy. The trial court all but ignored the remainder of the lease which placed the risk of loss for a fire on the tenant and never shifted it back to the landlord. The Third-District Court of Appeal, in reversing the trial court, utilized the “Case-By-Case” approach, and found that when looking at the lease as a whole, even though a portion of the premium was paid for with the tenant’s rent, it was clear that the intent of the parties was for the tenant to bear the risk of loss in the event of a fire. The tenant thereafter sought review by the Florida Supreme Court which ultimately declined jurisdiction on September 10, 2019, thereby sending the case back down to the trial court for Zurich to continue its pursuit of the tenant. , 2015
Bar/Professional Activity
- Connecticut Bar, 2020
- Rhode Island Bar, 2021
- Florida, 2008
- Massachusetts, 2014
- Vermont, 2016
- U.S. District Court Southern District of Florida
- U.S. District Court Northern District of Florida
- U.S. District Court Middle District of Florida
- District of Columbia, 2010
Industry Groups
- Insurance Companies
Last Updated: 5/15/2022