Insurance Coverage and Extra-Contractual Litigation
Insurance Coverage and Extra-Contractual Litigation Team
Our insurance coverage practice group regularly represents international insurance carriers, third-party administrators, and insurance brokers on a wide array of insurance policy and coverage issues from the inception of a claim through trial, as well as any bad faith litigation stemming therefrom.
Our attorneys routinely assist carriers by providing opinions concerning coverage and defense opinions involving complex insurance issues, novel issues of law, and interpretations of specialized/manuscript insurance policies, reservation of rights, settlement agreements, cost-sharing agreements, and administrative responses (Civil Remedy Notices) involving statutory bad faith claims.
The firm also regularly handles insurance coverage litigation, as well as insurance disputes resolved through alternative dispute resolutions, including mediations and arbitration proceedings.
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Insurance Coverage and Extra-Contractual Litigation Team
Susan Ayers is Of Counsel in Lydecker’s Los Angeles office. She brings nearly 25 years of civil litigation experience representing clients in construction defect, insurance defense, first party property and hurricane claims, professional liability, personal injury, real estate, environmental matters, and appellate proceedings.
Prior to joining Lydecker, Ms. Ayers managed a high volume caseload involving complex insurance defense matters. She previously founded Ayers Law Firm, PLLC, where her practice encompassed civil litigation, real estate, bankruptcy, franchise, and family law matters. She also served as in house counsel to a California real estate development group, representing developers, community associations, and commercial property owners.
Earlier in her career, Ms. Ayers served as a Senior Attorney for the State of Florida, where she developed extensive motion practice and trial experience. During law school, she externed for the Honorable Robert W. Alberts of the United States Bankruptcy Court for the Central District of California and worked in the tax legal division of PricewaterhouseCoopers.
In addition to her legal practice, Ms. Ayers is a licensed Florida real estate broker.
Hagen Brody is a Partner 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.
Mrs. Diverio is a shareholding partner at Lydecker’s Miami office and is the chair of the property practice group. She is a trial and appellate attorney for first and third party lawsuits. She handles bad faith claims, third party claims nationally, fire/theft/fraud investigations, windstorm coverage insurance defense, personal injury, general liability, subrogation claims, fraud investigations, and all types of property damage claims.
In addition to her broad insurance coverage practice, Ms. Diverio has significant experience in Directors & Officers (D&O) condominium litigation, where she represents boards, associations, and insurers in matters involving governance disputes, fiduciary duty claims, and coverage issues. Her work in this area provides clients with strategic counsel on both preventative risk management and litigation defense.
Mrs. Diverio litigates insurance disputes involving high exposure commercial and personal lines in both State and Federal court. Mrs. Diverio’s practice group handles claims from pre-suit investigations through trials and appeals.
Mrs. Diverio has handled a multitude of appellate and trial matters and has been first-handedly involved in changing and upholding Florida Statutes on significant current insurance defense issues.
Most importantly, Mrs. Diverio’s strength lies in client relations and professionalism. She maintains an open line of communication with her clients during all phases of litigation, settlement of a dispute, and works in conjunction with her adjusters to quickly and efficiently resolve claims.
Alex Garrett is Of Counsel in Lydecker’s Tampa office and is a former Public Defender with extensive experience in a broad range of civil disputes. Mr. Garrett represents a wide range of clientele, including condominium associations, homeowners associations, small businesses, governmental entities, resorts, restaurants, and other establishments within the hospitality industry.
A Florida Native, Mr. Garrett is a “Double Gator” and received his Bachelor of Science in Finance and his Juris Doctorate at the University of Florida.
Mr. Garrett is committed to staying up to date on new developments in the law and is dedicated to providing his clients exceptional outcomes with a focus on their individual needs.
Matthew Gelder is an Associate in Lydecker’s Jersey City office. Mr. Gelder’s practice involves all aspects of state civil trial litigation with a primary focus in insurance litigation.
Mr. Gelder earned his J.D. from Seton Hall University School of Law in May 2024. During law school, Mr. Gelder interned at the New Jersey Alcoholic Beverage Control (NJABC), where he was responsible for researching issues relating to alcohol licensing enforcement. Mr. Gelder also earned a concentration in gaming, sports, entertainment, hospitality, and administrative law while at Seton Hall Law. Furthermore, Mr. Gelder was a member of the Sports and Entertainment Law Society. Mr. Gelder spent the year after graduating law school clerking in the New Jersey Superior Court Family Division.
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.
Jacqueline Humbert is an experienced trial attorney in Lydecker’s Miami office whose practice focuses on commercial litigation, creditor-debtor disputes, insurance litigation, construction defect matters, and other complex civil disputes. With more than 18 years of litigation experience, Ms. Humbert has represented individuals, businesses, insurers, property owners, financial institutions, and other clients in state and federal courts throughout Florida.
Ms. Humbert has extensive courtroom experience, having served as lead counsel in more than 75 jury trials. She began her career as an Assistant Public Defender in Broward County, where she spent more than a decade handling serious felony matters, including first-degree murder, major crimes, and death penalty cases. Her experience included complex motion practice, evidentiary hearings, appellate matters, and trial preparation, as well as supervising and mentoring junior attorneys.
Since transitioning to civil practice, Ms. Humbert has represented both plaintiffs and defendants in a broad range of matters, including commercial and contract disputes, first-party property insurance and coverage litigation, construction defect and catastrophic property damage claims, and creditor-debtor matters. She also has significant experience in judgment enforcement and debt recovery, including domestication of judgments, fraudulent transfer actions, garnishments, levies, asset investigations, and other post-judgment remedies.
Ms. Humbert earned her Juris Doctor from St. Thomas University School of Law and her Bachelor of Arts in Political Science from the University of Florida. She is admitted to The Florida Bar and the United States District Courts for the Southern and Middle Districts of Florida. Ms. Humbert is fluent in English and Spanish.
Melissa Hubble is Of Counsel in Lydecker, LLP’s Miami office. Ms. Hubble’s practice involves all aspects of state civil trial litigation with a primary focus in bodily injury, premises liability, general liability, and negligent security. Ms. Hubble also handles construction defect matters, tort liability, officers and directors, insurance coverage, and contractual litigation matters.
Ms. Hubble earned her J.D. from Ave Maria School of Law in May of 2021, graduating with honors. Prior to earning her degree at Ave Maria School of Law, Ms. Hubble attended the University of Florida Levin College of Law. During law school at the University of Florida Levin College of Law, Ms. Hubble was a general editor for the Law of Public Policy Journal and a member of the John Marshall Bar Association.
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.
Christopher Lutzel is an associate at the firm’s Dallas and Miami offices. Mr. Lutzel is a detail-oriented, communicative litigator experienced in providing tailored strategies that conclude with superb results for his clients whether through favorable settlements or other means of resolution. Mr. Lutzel provides in-depth analysis of all facets of a case from presuit investigation through trial preparation in order to provide his clients with optimal strategy recommendations based on how any case develops through the course of litigation.
Mr. Lutzel concentrates his practice in cases involving Bodily Injury, Premises Liability, and Commercial and Homeowner’s First-Party Disputes. His experience involves matters dealing with traumatic brain injuries, physical altercations resulting in injury, slip/trip and fall, and motor vehicle accidents among others in addition to his experience in property matters centered around catastrophes, weather, and non-weather related property damage.
Mr. Lutzel graduated from the FIU College of Law. While in Law School, Mr. Lutzel was president of the Real Property, Probate, and Trust Law Society. While in college, Mr. Lutzel was a member of the Baylor University football team.
Robert Pariser supervises a talented team of attorneys who practice in the New Jersey, New York, and Pennsylvania offices. The attorneys I collaborate with are comprised of former educators, prosecutors, law clerks to state and federal judges and insurance professionals.
Robert Pariser’s legal practice focuses on the defense of claims against professionals (E&O, A&B, LPL or MPL), directors and officers (D&O) and against employers (EPL). Mr. Pariser represents design professionals (A&E) and other real estate professionals, including managing agents, appraisers, title agents, condo and co-op boards and developers in various disputes. On behalf of construction owners and managers, he defends claims prosecuted by injured workers brought pursuant to the New York Labor Law.
Robert Pariser also represent clients on other types of discrimination claims, including alleged civil rights violations, including the Americans with Disabilities Act.
Robert Pariser defends environmental cases, involving mold, asbestos and ground contamination.
Robert Pariser represents public and private educators in breach of contract, employment, bullying, failing to promote and in due process matters.
Robert Pariser has had election, stock redemption, auction, foreclosure/ sheriff sale, false arrest, prosecutorial misconduct disputes. Robert Pariser has been on the New York Metro Super Lawyers list from 2011-present.
Zayd Takiedine is an Associate Attorney in Lydecker’s Doylestown, Pennsylvania office. Mr. Takiedine’s practice primarily focuses on the areas of professional liability, general liability, commercial litigation, and insurance-related disputes.
Mr. Takiedine earned his Juris Doctor from Rutgers Law School, where he obtained a Certificate in Corporate and Business Law. While at Rutgers, he was selected to participate in the Entrepreneurship Clinic, where he assisted in representing local start-up for-profit and non-profit entrepreneurs. During law school, Mr. Takiedine gained valuable in-house transactional and litigation experience as an intern for a Fortune 500 real estate developer and served as a Summer Associate at a prominent suburban Philadelphia law firm.
Prior to joining Lydecker, Mr. Takiedine practiced at a full-service law firm in the Philadelphia area, where he handled a broad range of civil litigation matters and real estate tax assessment appeals.
