Michael A. Cassel, LL.M., is the managing partner and co-founder of Cassel & Cassel, P.A., where he represents policyholders throughout the state of Florida in first party property insurance claims.  Michael is licensed by the Florida and Washington D.C. Bars as well as in the Southern, Middle, and Northern Federal Districts of Florida, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 11th Circuit, and has argued before the Judicial Panel for Multidistrict Litigation.  He has earned an AV Preeminent rating from Martindale Hubbell.  He has also been named a Florida Super Lawyer for the last two years by Florida Super Lawyers Magazine and a Rising Star for the prior six consecutive years, was named as one of South Florida Business Journal's 40 Under 40 for 2020, and one of the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation 40 Under 40 Outstanding Young Professionals of South Florida for 2022.  Michael regularly publishes blogs on newly released case law pertaining to first party property insurance claims and has become a regular on the lecture circuit presenting on topics such as building code compliance, ordinance and law coverage, bad faith litigation, technology in claims adjustment, and providing updates on case law and legislative changes.  He obtained his Masters of Insurance Law from the University of Connecticut in 2023.

Mr. Cassel began his career defending insurance carriers in both State and Federal Court where he concentrated on first and third-party commercial and residential insurance claims with a focus on coverage, liability, and bad faith issues.  While representing carriers, he instructed courses on claims adjustment practices as well as deposition skills for insurance adjusters, corporate representatives, and expert witnesses.  Mr. Cassel has since taken the knowledge and experience obtained in defending and instructing insurance companies and utilized it in the representation of policyholders throughout the State of Florida.  He has also served as an expert witness on issues regarding coverage, standard of care in property insurance matters, and valued policy law.

A complete copy of Mr. Cassel's curriculum vitae can be downloaded by clicking here.

Admission to Practice

• Florida
• Washington, D.C.
• U.S District Court, Southern District of Florida
• U.S District Court, Middle District of Florida
• U.S District Court, Northern District of Florida
• U.S. Court of Appeals, Eleventh Circuit 
• Judicial Panel for Multidistrict Litigation

​Education

• LL.M. - Insurance Law, University of Connecticut
• J.D., Florida International University College of Law
• B.A., Muhlenberg College

Membership

• Children's Bereavement Center
  • Member - Board of Directors (2024 to present)
• Windstorm Insurance Network
  • Member - Board of Directors (2021 to 2024)
  • Member - Conference Committee (2019)
• Greater Hollywood Chamber of Commerce
  • Member - Board of Directors (2019 - 2021)
  • Alumnus - Leadership Hollywood 43
• ​Florida Association of Public Insurance Adjusters
  • Associate Member

​Licenses and Certifications

• Approved Instructor – Adjuster Law, Policy, and Ethics

Awards and Recognition

• Florida Super Lawyers Magazine
  • 2023-2024 Super Lawyer
  • ​2017-2022 Rising Star
• 2022 Cystic Fibrosis Foundation 40 Under 40 Outstanding Young Professionals of South Florida
• 2020 South Florida Business Journal's 40 Under 40
• 2020 Rising Star, Young Leader Award - Greater Hollywood Chamber of Commerce
• 2020-2021 Top Lawyer: Insurance Law - Fort Lauderdale Illustrated 
• AV Preeminent Rating, Martindale-Hubbell 

​Speaking Engagements

• 2025 Florida's Law and Ethics Update for Adjusters hosted by WIND - Case Law and Legislative Update (Sole Presenter)
• 2025 FAPIA Public Adjuster Academy - Substantial Losses and Law & Ordinance (Co-Presenter)
• 2025 WIND Conference - Case Law and Legislative Update (Lead Presenter)
• 2024 WIND Conference - Case Law and Legislative Update (Lead Presenter) & 4 Hour Ethics Update (Sole Presenter)
• 2023 Pincus Professional Education - First Party Property Insurance: Coverage and Bad Faith Litigation 101 (Co-Presenter)
• 2023 WIND Conference - Case Law and Legislative Update (Lead Presenter) & 4 Hour Ethics Update (Co-Panelist/Lead Presenter on Case Law)
• 2022 Florida Bar RPPTL Construction Law and Insurance & Surety Committee - A First Look at New Legislation Impacting Property Insurance (Co-Presenter)
• 2022 WIND Conference - Case Law Webinar Series​​ (Lead Presenter)
• 2022 WIND Conference - Tech Panel​​ (Moderator)
• 2021 Florida Justice Association Civil Remedies Webinar - Civil Remedy Notices for Property Insurance (Panelist)
• 2021 FAPIA Fall Conference - The 2021 Legislative Session & Its Effects on Property Insurance Claims (Co-Presenter with Hillary Cassel)
• 2021 WIND Conference - Case Law and Legislative Update​​ (Lead Presenter)
• 2020 FAPIA Conference - CRNs and DFS Complaints: How, When, & Why (Sole Presenter)
• 2020 Florida Justice Association Civil Remedies Webinar - Civil Remedy Notices for Property Insurance (Panelist)
• 2020 WIND Conference - Case Law and Legislative Update​​ (Lead Presenter)
• 2019 FAPIA Conference - Building Code Compliance and Ordinance & Law​ (Sole Presenter)
• 2019 WIND Conference - Building Code Compliance in Emergencies​ (Lead Presenter)

​Blogs and Publications

• Applying Florida's Valued Policy Law to Wind vs. Flood Hurricane Claims (White Paper) - March 2025
• Senate Bill 2-A: the Laws it Changed and its Impact on Past, Present, and Future Claims, 36 St. Thomas L. Rev. 1 (2023)
• American Coastal v. San Marco Villas: Reoslving the Conflict regarding Dual-Track Appraisal - February 2024
• Parrish v. State Farm: The Supreme Opinion on Public Adjusters acting as "Disinterested" Appraisers - February 2023
• Cordero v. FIGA: Mitigating Factors in the Late Notice/ Prejudice Analysis - January 2023
• An Exploration on the Application of Actual Cash Value versus Replacement Cost Value in Florida Property Insurance Claims (White Paper) - May 2022
• Godfrey v. People's Trust: The Burden of Proving Prejudice regarding a Failure to Comply with Conditions Precedent - April 2022
• Anchor v. Trif: Intent as an Element to Void Coverage based on False Statements or Material Misrepresentations - September 2021
• A study on Sebo and its effect on Florida's Multiple Peril Loss Analysis (White Paper)- July 2021
• Mezadieu v. Safepoint: Material Misrepresentations and the Voiding of Coverage - April 2021
• Security First v. Czelusniak: Analysis of the Anti-Concurrent Causation Doctrine - May 2020
• Vazquez v. Citizens & Tio v. Citizens: Replacement Cost Value, Actual Cash Value, and Matching - March 2020
• Revisiting Alvarez v. State Farm: What does it really mean? - March 2020
• State Farm v. Sanders: Public Adjusters as "Disinterested" Appraisers - August 2019
• Bryant v. GeoVera: Confession of Judgment, Waiver of the Sworn Proof of Loss Requirement, and Ripening Bad Faith - May 2019
• Alvarez v. State Farm: Intentional Misrepresentations and the Voiding of Coverage - April 2019
• SafePoint v. Sousa: Compliance with Post-Loss Conditions and Appraisal - April 2019
• Tracey v. People's Trust: The Scope of Appraisal in Partially Denied Claims - July 2018
• De La Rosa v. Florida Peninsula: Overcoming the Presumption of Prejudice caused by Failure to Provide Prompt Notice - May 2018
• Hicks v. American Integrity: Ambiguities in the Constant Repeated Seepage Exclusion - February 2018
• A Study in the Application of Contingency Risk Fee Multipliers in First Party Insurance Actions - October 2017
• Castro v. Homeowners Choice : Waiver of Post-Loss Conditions after a Denial of Coverage - August 2017
• State Farm v. Fernandez: Compelling Appraisal as it relates to Compliance with Post-Loss Conditions - February 2017
• State Farm v. Figueroa: Mitigating Factors for Compliance with Post-Loss Conditions - February 2017
• Homeowners Choice v. Maspons: Direct Physical Loss as a Trigger for Coverage - January 2017
• MYD Marine Distrib., Inc., v. Int'l Paint Ltd.: Offers of Judgment in Actions Seeking Monetary and Non-monetary Relief - April 2016
• State Farm v. Lime Bay Condominium: Notice Requirement regarding the Right to Mediation, "No Action" Clauses, and Confessions of Judgment - March 2016
• Robinson v. Florida Peninsula: Option to Repair - December 2015
• Post-Loss Assignment of Insurance Rights and Benefits: Part Two - June 2015
• Post-Loss Assignment of Insurance Rights and Benefits: Part One - April 2015
• Price v. Castle Key: Contractual Ambiguities pertaining to the Constant Repeated Seepage Exclusion - September 2014
• Cammarata v. State Farm: Ripening of Bad Faith Actions - September 2014

Oral Arguments

• Universal Prop. & Cas. Ins. Co. v. Jimaca Investments, LLC - February 2024

Representative Cases

• Universal Prop. & Cas. Ins. Co. v. Barone, 2025 WL 209351 (Fla. 4th DCA 2025) (Per Curium Affirmed)
• Universal Prop. & Cas. Ins. Co. v. Jimaca Investments, LLC, 388 So. 3d 779 (Fla. 3d DCA 2024) (Per Curium Affirmed)
• Heritage Prop. Ins. Co. v. Applebaum, 4th DCA Case No.: 4D22-0061 (2022) (Writ of Cert Denied)
• Vazquez v. Citizens Prop. Ins. Corp., 304 So. 3d 1280 (Fla. 3d DCA 2020) (Motion for Clarification Granted)

Amicus Curae

• Am. Coastal Ins. Co. v. Patios W. One Condo. Ass'n, Inc., Florida Supreme Court Case No.: SC2024-0160 (Co-Counsel for Amicus Curae United Policyholders)
• Universal Prop. & Cas. Ins. Co. v. Hughes, Florida Supreme Court Case No.: SC24-0025 (Co-Counsel for Amicus Curae United Policyholders)
• Heritage Prop. Ins. Co. v. Leacock, Third District Court of Appeal Case No.: 3D22-0193 (Counsel for Amicus Curae Florida Policyholders Cooperative)
• Sanders v. State Farm Fla. Ins. Co., Florida Supreme Court Case No.: SC20-596 (Counsel for Amicus Curae Florida Policyholders Cooperative)