Coverage Disputes
Our Coverage Disputes Defense practice area is dedicated to representing insurance companies in disputes over policy coverage. With a team of experienced attorneys, we provide comprehensive legal defense to ensure that insurance providers’ interests are protected and policy terms are enforced accurately.
Policy Interpretation and Enforcement:
Coverage Denials: Defending insurance companies against claims of wrongful coverage denials, ensuring that denials are based on clear policy terms and conditions.
Policy Exclusions: Advocating for the enforcement of policy exclusions and limitations, preventing unjust claims and maintaining the integrity of coverage terms.
Ambiguity Resolution: Addressing disputes over ambiguous policy language, ensuring that interpretations align with the original intent and legal standards.
Claim Evaluation and Disputes:
Underpayment Allegations: Defending against claims of underpayment, demonstrating that payouts are consistent with policy provisions and valuations.
Claim Delays: Addressing allegations of unreasonable delays in claim processing, highlighting procedural and investigative justifications.
Fraudulent Claims: Investigating and defending against fraudulent claims, protecting insurance companies from unwarranted financial exposure.
Regulatory Compliance and Good Faith Practices:
Regulatory Defense: Ensuring that insurance companies comply with state and federal regulations, defending against allegations of regulatory violations.
Good Faith and Fair Dealing: Demonstrating that insurance companies act in good faith and fair dealing in their claim handling and coverage determinations.
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Coverage Disputes Team
Hagen Brody is Of Counsel in Lydecker’s Tampa office and the former Mayor of the City of Sarasota. Hagen was a felony prosecutor for Florida’s Twelfth Judicial Circuit State Attorney’s Office. As an experienced trial attorney, he now focuses on representing clients in civil and commercial disputes across Florida.
Hagen is also a committed community member and recipient of the prestigious Sarasota County Bar President’s Award for Community Service having served several governmental, non-governmental, and philanthropic organizations over the years including:
Sarasota City Commission
Sarasota County Bar Association Board of Directors
Twelfth Judicial Circuit Juvenile Justice Advisory Board
Sarasota County Tourist Development Council
Sarasota Bay Park Improvement Board
Sarasota Affordable Housing Advisory Committee
Florida League of Cities, Land Use & Economic Development Committee
Teen Court of Sarasota Board of Directors
Brandi’s Wish Foundation Board of Directors
Booker High School Mock Trial Team Coach
Mayors Feed the Hungry
Hagen Brody is a Florida native, a graduate of Sarasota High School where he won a Men’s Tennis State Championship. The sport took him out west where he captained his Division I Men’s Tennis team at The University of California, Santa Barbara where he earned his undergraduate degree. Hagen returned to Florida to earn his law degree from The University of Miami and now lives in southwest Florida—but remains a Miami Hurricane fan.
Prior to joining Lydecker, Laura was a partner at an insurance defense firm in Tampa for 12 years.
After receiving her Bachelor’s degree from the University of The South (Sewanee), Laura returned to her home state of Florida and graduated from Stetson University College of Law.
Mr. Conto is a Partner at the firm’s Boca Raton Office. Mr. Conto began his career in law representing corporations in legal matters concerning maritime law. Mr. Conto then joined a well-known litigation defense firm with offices throughout Florida. There he focused his practice on defending corporations in construction defect matters, premises liability matters and negligent security matters involving claims of wrongful death. He also represented insurance companies in high exposure first-party property disputes.
At Lydecker Mr. Conto is concentrating his practice on defending developers, general contractors, subcontractors, design professionals, environmental consultants, product manufacturers and insurance carriers in a variety of contexts arising from the construction and use of real property. Mr. Conto has successfully represented clients in all phases of litigation including trials, summary judgment proceedings and mediations.
Jacqueline Figueroa is a partner in our Miami office. Since 2010, Ms. Figueroa has focused her practice on insurance coverage matters, counseling and representing clients as to insurance coverage determinations and when necessary litigation. Ms. Figueroa has represented national and local insurance carriers in state courts. She assists clients in the investigation of claims involving primarily property claims, provides coverage opinions, and litigates coverage disputes.
Before joining the firm, Ms. Figueroa represented insurance carriers involving first party homeowners insurance claims. Prior to working in Florida, Ms. Figueroa practiced at a New York City firm specializing in litigating personal injury protection matters on behalf of insurance carriers. She has experience assisting carriers in coverage matters including pre-suit fraud investigations, conducting examinations under oath, and providing coverage evaluations of complex insurance claims. She has litigated and defended cases brought against insurers in courts throughout the State of Florida and New York. Prior to entering the legal field, Ms. Figueroa worked as an investment banker in the venture capital division of a highly recognized international financial firm.
Ms. Figueroa served as the Editor-in-Chief of the Florida State University Business Review and as an Article and Notes editor on the Journal of Land Use and Environmental Law. She was also presented with a Book Award in legal research and writing during law school. Ms. Figueroa was appointed as a legal clerk with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission’s Enforcement Division. She is also fluent in Mandarin and conversational Japanese.
Brett Goldman is an Partner in the firm’s New York and New Jersey offices. His practice focuses on employment law including discrimination and retaliation cases before state and federal courts and agencies, professional liability matters, and insurance coverage, as well as general liability cases and commercial disputes. Brett has represented health care, treatment and long term care facilities and professionals in cases involving employment claims , professional liability, personal injury, and other matters.
Prior to joining Lydecker, Brett spent two years at a large insurer in Jersey City, New Jersey handling employment practices liability claims, including discrimination, harassment, and retaliation matters. While a claims representative, Brett provided litigation and claims management services, made coverage decisions, and oversaw settlement discussions and mediations. Insured clients, found nationwide, ranged from large education networks to healthcare institutions, as well as car dealerships and supermarket chains.
Additionally, Brett spent time as a management consultant for the advisory services division of a Big 4 accounting firm, for which he provided consulting services to clients in the financial services industry. His projects included mortgage remediation for a large U.S. bank and project management for a notable financial services corporation’s anti-money laundering efforts. Brett also gained valuable experience as a volunteer attorney for the New York State Unified Court System’s Access to Justice program, assisting pro se litigants in New York and Kings County Housing Courts.
Mr. Johnson specializes in the representation of professionals, corporations and insurers in a broad range of business and tort matters, including employment claims, environmental claims and other complex actions. Mr. Johnson also has experience litigating government municipal matters throughout the state of Florida, as well as representing journalists and media companies in intellectual property and defamation litigation. Mr. Johnson’s practice also includes the defense of attorneys, accountants and real estate professionals in professional liability matters and non-profit corporations as well as their directors and officers in a range of matters.
Before joining Lydecker, Mr. Johnson began his career as an associate in the Miami office of a business litigation boutique headquartered in New York, where he represented banking and corporate interests in multiple international business and commercial disputes. Mr. Johnson is also an experienced and accomplished appellate attorney, having multiple published Federal and Florida opinions, as well as oral arguments and appellate mediations across multiple appellate courts.
In addition to his professional commitments, Mr. Johnson recognizes his responsibility to serve the community. He is a member of the 100 Black Men of South Florida, one of the leading youth mentoring organizations in the country, as well as the Miami-Dade County Black Affairs Advisory Board. He is also a director of BAC Funding Corp. a non-profit state funded lender for disadvantaged business. He is also Secretary of the Coppin State University Development Foundation which raises money for scholarships to his alma mater, Coppin State University. He also Serves as Vice Chair of the Miami-Dade School District Audit and Budget Committee. He has also served as a member of the Executive Board of the Miami-Dade Chapter of NAACP and the Polemarch (President) of the Richmond-Perrine (FL) Alumni Chapter of Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity, Inc.
Matthew is a partner in our Philadelphia and New Jersey offices and a seasoned civil litigator with extensive experience representing clients in administrative proceedings and in state and federal courts at both the trial and appellate levels. His diverse practice encompasses complex litigation matters, with a strong focus on construction litigation, professional liability, general liability, commercial litigation, insurance-related disputes, and the defense and counseling of clients in the financial services industry.
Construction
Matthew has developed a particular emphasis in defending developers, contractors, subcontractors, and design professionals in public and private construction disputes. He regularly handles matters involving construction defects, accidents, and contract disputes, and serves as outside counsel to contractors in Pennsylvania and New Jersey on issues including contract negotiation, risk transfer, and construction payment claims. For example, Matthew practice includes:
- Representing a national engineering firm in a multi-day, seven-figure arbitration over a public project dispute, resulting in a favorable settlement;
- Defending numerous engineering and architectural firms in construction defect litigation in New Jersey and Pennsylvania;
- Representing developers, general contractors, and subcontractors in construction defect litigation involving low-, mid-, and high-rise projects;
- Defending developers and contractors in seven- and eight-figure construction accident cases; and
- Defending residential contractors in construction defect, warranty, consumer fraud, and breach of contract claims.
Professional Liability
In the professional liability space, Matthew is widely recognized for his defense of attorneys, insurance brokers, real estate professionals, title agents, accountants, and other licensed professionals in malpractice actions, licensing board matters, and disciplinary proceedings. Notable successes include:
- Securing summary judgment for a New Jersey law firm and its principal in a legal malpractice action in federal court;
- Successfully defending commercial and residential real estate brokers in post-transaction litigation;
- Defending a title agency against mortgage fraud allegations and an accounting firm in a malpractice dispute;
- Representing financial professionals in FINRA proceedings, including suitability claims brought by investors; and
- Resolving numerous legal and insurance broker malpractice claims through early resolution.
Insurance Coverage
Matthew also has a robust insurance coverage practice, representing insurers in high-stakes disputes involving complex policy interpretations and bad faith allegations. He has:
- Secured dismissals for insurance carriers in a declaratory judgment and breach of contract actions;
- Successfully represented insurance carriers in coverage litigation before state and federal courts at both the trial and appellate levels affirming no duty to defend or indemnify;
- Represented a reinsurer in an insurance coverage action; and
- Represented a hospital in a multi-year insurance coverage battle involving multiple appeals.
Commercial Litigation
Outside of the insurance context, Matthew also represents individuals and corporate clients in sophisticated, high-profile commercial disputes involving business dissolution, fraud, breach of fiduciary duty, trade secrets, products liability, and employment-related matters including ERISA, discrimination, harassment, whistleblower, and wrongful termination claims such as:
- Defended corporate clients in matters involving business dissolution, fraud, breach of fiduciary duty, and trade secrets;
- Defended companies and their owners in corporate raiding cases;
- Successfully represented an owner of a closely held corporation in a judicial dissolution action and a breach of fiduciary duty action;
- Successfully defended a national staffing agency and various employees in a corporate raiding matter; and
- Successfully represented medical professionals in RICO, insurance fraud, and licensure cases.
Matthew’s strategic, results-driven approach and breadth of experience make him a trusted advisor to professionals, insurers, and corporate clients facing complex and high-stakes litigation.
Mr. Masson is an experienced civil litigator with a history of success in handling a broad array of complex and high exposure civil matters for individuals, insurers, and other business entities. Mr. Masson prides himself on being an out of the box thinker that is dedicated to meeting his client’s specific needs, providing them with superb legal representation, and obtaining very favorable results.
Mark Mercer is Of Counsel in Lydecker’s Los Angeles and San Diego office. He has over 20 years of experience representing companies and public agencies on complex legal issues. His career legal started with personal injury defense, which then lead him to representing sureties in construction litigation. From there, his practice transitioned to the public sector where he represented and advised public agencies with a variety of construction and environmental compliance issues. In addition, to practicing construction law, Mark has worked in other areas of the law such as real estate, project entitlement and insurance coverage.
Ms. Negrette is Of Counsel in the firm’s Boca Raton office where she focuses her practice in construction defect litigation and construction-related disputes. In this complex field, Ms. Negrette is dedicated to representing contractors, developers, subcontractors, and other construction professionals in a wide range of high-stakes, multi-million dollar litigation disputes stemming from the design and construction of residential and commercial projects. Ms. Negrette joined the firm in May 2023. Prior to joining the firm, Ms. Negrette focused her practice in the areas of insurance coverage, first-party property defense, general liability, and complex commercial litigation.
While in law school, Ms. Negrette competed in four moot court competitions including the National Puerto Rican Bar Moot Court Competition where her team was awarded Best Brief at Nationals. Ms. Negrette graduated magna cum laude and received Book Awards in Contracts, Evidence, and Appellate Practice Workshop. During law school, Ms. Negrette also completed a judicial internship with the Honorable Tim Bailey of the 17th Judicial Circuit Court of Florida.
In 2025, Ms. Negrette was recognized as a Florida Super Lawyers Rising Star. Lawyers are selected for inclusion each year based on peer nominations, evaluations, and third-party research.
Mr. Quetglas is an associate in the firm’s Miami office. Mr. Quetglas’ practice involves defending organizations and individuals involved in personal injury actions, premises liability matters, negligent security claims, professional liability claims, and construction defect matters throughout the State of Florida.
Prior to joining the firm, Mr. Quetglas was an associate at a boutique defense litigation firm based in Downtown Miami, Florida, where he represented insurers in complex insurance coverage litigation, claims handling, general liability claims, first-party property coverage, and bad faith litigation.
During law school, Mr. Quetglas worked as a Law Clerk at a national firm in Downtown Washington, D.C. specializing in the litigation of complex personal injury, medical malpractice, negligent security and civil rights matters.
