Kurtis Jay Keefer
Pensacola, Florida 32502
Education
- University of Miami School of Law, J.D., 2003, Magna Cum Laude
- University of Miami Business Law Review, Articles and Comments Editor
- The Order of the Coif, Dean’s List, Dean’s Merit Scholarship, CALI Excellence for the Future Award
- West Virginia University, M.B.A., 2000
- University of South Florida, B.A. Psychology, 1995
Professional Memberships
- The Florida Bar, 2003
- The West Virginia Bar, 2004
- U.S. District Courts for the Southern, Middle and Northern Districts of Florida
- U.S. District Courts for the Southern and Northern Districts of West Virginia
- Eleventh Circuit Court of Appeals
- Windstorm Insurance Network
Pro Bono
- Mr. Keefer frequently provides legal assistance to those who may not have the means to pay.
Publications
- Florida Public Adjuster’s Handbook of Statutes, Rules, and Other Legal Authorities
- Windstorm Insurance Network Conference – Presenter
Overview
Mr. Keefer limits his practice to disputed property insurance claims. He has handled scores of hurricane claims, including those from seventeen hurricanes (Charley (2004), Frances (2004), Ivan (2004), Jeanne (2004), Dennis (2005), Katrina (2005), Wilma (2005), Matthew (2016), Maria (2017), Irma (2017), Michael (2018), Sally (2020), Zeta (2020), Ida (2021), Ian (2022), Idalia (2023), and Milton (2024)). Additionally, he has handled claims caused by a variety of other covered losses, including water leaks, fire, smoke, mold, vandalism, theft, collapse, flood, and others. These claims have ranged from small single-family residences to large governmental and commercial entities, including condominium and apartment complexes, homeowner’s associations, hotels, shopping centers, hospitals, housing authorities, and school districts. He has also handled claims involving aircraft and watercraft losses.
Mr. Keefer has handled claims on behalf of both insurers and policyholders. He has also served as a party appointed arbitrator for large loss insurance claims.
Mr. Keefer is a frequent speaker at the Windstorm Insurance Network’s (“WIND”) annual conference.
Mr. Keefer is admitted to practice before the state and federal courts in both Florida and West Virginia, and the Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit. He obtained his law degree from the University of Miami, where he graduated with magna cum laude honors in the top 10% of his class. He was a member of the Dean’s List and was granted the Dean’s Merit Scholarship. He was also awarded membership to The Order of the Coif, legal education’s national honorary society. Additionally, he was a member of the University of Miami Business Law Review. Mr. Keefer has a Master of Business Administration degree from West Virginia University, and a Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of South Florida.
The following is a list of recent favorable rulings from some of the large loss cases Mr. Keefer has handled:Castillo at Tiburon Condo. Ass’n v. Empire Indem. Ins. Co., No. 2:20-cv-468-FtM-38MRM, 2020 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 240568 (M.D. Fla. Dec. 22, 2020); Castillo at Tiburon Condo. Ass’n v. Empire Indem. Ins. Co., No. 2:20-cv-468-SPC-MRM, 2021 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 185287 (M.D. Fla. Sep. 28, 2021); Cherrystone Court, Inc. v. Cin. Indem. Co., No. 2:21-cv-736-JLB-MRM, 2022 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 142102 (M.D. Fla. July 12, 2022); Cherrystone Court, Inc. v. Cincinnati Indem. Co., No. 2:21-cv-736-JLB-NPM, 2022 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 144582 (M.D. Fla. Aug. 12, 2022); Cloisters of Naples, Inc. v. Landmark Am. Ins. Co., No. 2:22-cv-546-JLB-KCD, 2023 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 6884 (M.D. Fla. Jan. 13, 2023); Concord at the Vineyards Condo. Ass’n v. Empire Indem. Ins. Co., No. 2:21-cv-380-SPC-MRM, 2021 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 190690 (M.D. Fla. Oct. 4, 2021); Concord at the Vineyards Condo. Ass’n v. Empire Indem. Ins. Co., No. 2:21-cv-380-SPC-KCD, 2022 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 142866 (M.D. Fla. Aug. 10, 2022); Concord at the Vineyards Condo. Ass’n v. Empire Indem. Ins. Co., No. 2:21-cv-380-SPC-KCD, 2022 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 199800 (M.D. Fla. Nov. 2, 2022); Concord at the Vineyards Condo. Ass’n v. Empire Indem. Ins. Co., No. 22-13881, 2024 U.S. App. LEXIS 2715 (11th Cir. Feb. 6, 2024); Dover Place Condo. Ass’n v. Empire Indem. Ins. Co., No. 2:22-cv-450-JLB-KCD, 2022 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 231999 (M.D. Fla. Dec. 27, 2022); Mont Claire at Pelican Marsh Condo. Ass’n v. Empire Indem. Ins. Co., No. 2:19-cv-601-FtM-38MRM, 2020 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 23589 (M.D. Fla. Jan. 10, 2020); Mont Claire at Pelican Marsh Condo. Ass’n v. Empire Indem. Ins. Co., No. 2:19-cv-601-FtM-38MRM, 2020 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 22521 (M.D. Fla. Feb. 10, 2020); Mont Claire at Pelican Marsh Condo. Ass’n v. Empire Indem. Ins. Co., No. 2:19-cv-601-SPC-MRM, 2021 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 142298 (M.D. Fla. May 24, 2021); Mont Claire at Pelican Marsh Condo. Ass’n v. Empire Indem. Ins. Co., No. 2:19-cv-601-SPC-MRM, 2021 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 141563 (M.D. Fla. July 29, 2021); Mont Claire at Pelican Marsh Condo. Ass’n v. Empire Indem. Ins. Co., No. 2:19-cv-601-SPC-KCD, 2023 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 71174 (M.D. Fla. Apr. 24, 2023); St. Lucia Condo. Ass’n v. Lexington Ins. Co., No. 2:20-cv-125-FtM-66NPM, 2020 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 201624 (M.D. Fla. Oct. 29, 2020); Terrace III at Highland Woods Ass’n v. Empire Indem. Ins. Co., No. 2:20-cv-861-JLB-NPM, 2021 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 227783 (M.D. Fla. Nov. 29, 2021); Turnberry Woods at the Strand Condo. Ass’n v. Empire Indem. Ins. Co., No. 2:21-cv-138-SPC-MRM, 2021 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 186598 (M.D. Fla. Sep. 29, 2021); Waterford Condo. Ass’n of Collier Cty., Inc. v. Empire Indem. Ins. Co., No. 2:19-cv-81-FtM-38UAM, 2019 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 140073 (M.D. Fla. July 3, 2019); Waterford Condo. Ass’n v. Empire Indem. Ins. Co., No. 2:19-cv-81-FtM-38NPM, 2019 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 138930 (M.D. Fla. Aug. 16, 2019); Waterford Condo. Ass’n of Collier Cty. v. Empire Indem. Ins. Co., No. 2:19-cv-81-FtM-38NPM, 2019 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 170996 (M.D. Fla. Oct. 2, 2019).