Profile

Education

  • University of Miami School of Law, JD (magna cum laude), 2002
  • George Washington University, BA, Political Science, 1998

Kristen Perkins is a partner in the Fort Lauderdale office. Kristen’s practice focuses on complex insurance disputes involving a broad range of coverages including primary and excess general liability, employment, professional liability, directors & officers, property, auto and crime. Kristen handles litigation and arbitration on a wide array of coverage issues and extra-contractual disputes. She also assists her carrier clients with initial coverage determinations, opinions, claim handling advice, counselling on risk transfer, and a variety of ancillary issues facing insurers, including agent/producer disputes and enforcement of restrictive covenants.

Kristen speaks on emerging issues and trends in claims management best practices and extra-contractual issues.

Kristen in a member of the International Association of Defense Counsel (IADC), Claims and Litigation Management (CLM) and the Professional Liability Underwriting Society (PLUS).

Qualifications and admissions

  • Florida
  • New York
  • US District Court, Middle and Southern Districts of Florida

Work highlights

  • Obtained award in favor of Bermuda insurance carrier in London arbitration involving an employment practice liability insurance dispute
  • Summary judgment awarded in favor of insurer in arbitration enforcing restrictive covenants against competitor and former employees
  • Summary judgment awarded in favor of insurer on dispute involving coverage for condominium assessments
  • Motion to Dismiss granted in favor of insurer on dispute involving coverage under a CGL policy for ADA class action claims made in connection with the construction of a football stadium
  • Motion to Dismiss granted in favor of insurer on claims of extra-contractual liability
  • Successful representation of excess carrier in multi-casualty pedestrian bridge collapse involving multiple defendants and bankruptcy issues
  • Representation of insurers in the defense of bad faith claims involving personal injury offenses, specialty coverages and first-party property claims
  • Coverage and monitoring counsel for both domestic and international insurers on issues involving excess liability claims, construction defect coverage disputes, employment claims, personal and advertising injury, directors & officers liability, defect and injury claims involving large scale construction projects, interpretation of contract law, indemnity and risk transfer, and punitive damages
  • Defense of employment discrimination, ADA disability and website accessibility cases, retaliation, including Workers' Compensation retaliation claims, product liability, premises liability, and breach of contract cases

Presentations and publications

  • "Recognizing risk transfer opportunities," In-House Client Training (October 2023)
  • "Latest Trends and Concerns in Florida," In-House Client Training (September 2023)
  • "Emerging trends in construction defect and the new frontier for discovery battles," presented at Kennedys Hot Topics Conference (October 2022)
  • Presenter, 2021 IADC Annual Meeting, "Good Faith: Some Things Change, Some Stay the Same"
  • Moderator and Presenter, 2021 CLM Annual Conference, "Absence of Malice? It’s Assignment of Times," a panel discussion on Coverage B and anti-assignment provisions (June 2021)