William S. Berk, an “AV” Preeminent rated experienced trial lawyer, is a Founding Member Of Counsel for Berk, Merchant & Sims, PLC.

Position at BMS and practice area(s)

Of Counsel

• Property Insurance
• First- and Third-Party Insurance Defense
• First- and Third-Party Insurance Coverage
• Insurance Bad-Faith Litigation
• Insurance Fraud
• General Liability
• Subrogation
• Commercial Insurance
• Commercial Property Insurance
• Extra Contractual Insurance Claims
• Fire Insurance
• Insurance Contracts
• Insurance Investigations
• Insurance Litigation
• Property Insurance Coverage

Jurisdiction(s) of admission and total years of practice

• Florida Bar 1982
  • 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. Circuit Court of Appeals, 11th Circuit

Law School

• A.B. (1979) cum laude Bowdoin College, Brunswick, Maine
• J.D. (1982), University of Miami School of Law (Executive Editor, International Law Review)

Organizational affiliation

• Windstorm Insurance Network President 2013-2014
• Windstorm Insurance Network, WIND FELLOW Designation 2014
• Fellow, American College of Coverage Counsel (ACCC)
• Windstorm Insurance Network, Program Chair 2007
• Windstorm Insurance Network, Director 2007-2010
• Windstorm Insurance Network, Officer (Secretary) 2010-2011
• Windstorm Insurance Network, First Vice President, 2011-2012
• Windstorm Insurance Network, Umpire Review Committee
• Florida Bar Grievance Committee Vice-Chairman and Chairman
• Chairman, Florida Bar UPL Committee
• Member, The Federation of Defense & Corporate Counsel (FDCC)
• Member of American Bar Association Torts & Insurance Practice Section (TIPS), Property Insurance Law Committee, Insurance Coverage Litigation Committee; Litigation Section, Products Liability Committee
• Member of Defense Research Institute (DRI)
• Member, Dade Co. Defense Bar Assoc. & Dade Co. Bar Association
• Member of the Florida Defense Lawyers Association
• Associate Member of South Florida Claims Association
• Past president, Florida Advisory Committee for Arson Prevention (FACAP)
• Approved Instructor, Florida Department of Financial Services
• Associate Member, Loss Executives Association (LEA)
• Member, Claims & Litigation Management Alliance (CLM)
• Frequent Lecturer on Insurance Coverage, Bad Faith and Ethics for The National Business Institute, FACAP; The Windstorm Insurance Network; The Florida Insurance Fraud Education Committee; and others.
• Martindale-Hubbell AV Preeminent peer review rating (20 Years)
• Best’s Directory of Recommended Insurance Attorneys
• South Florida Legal Guide Top Lawyers, Insurance & Property Insurance
• Florida Super Lawyers
• Top Attorneys in Florida, Insurance Coverage Law
• Top Lawyers in Miami
• Top Lawyers in South Florida
• Associate Member, WSIA
• Associate Member, Florida Surplus Lines Association
• LexisNexis 2008 Insurer Attorney of the Year Finalist

Select Cases

• American Integrity Ins. Co. v. Maria Estrada, 3D16-966 (Fla. App. 3rd Dist. 2019)
• Evergreen Lakes Hoa, Inc. v. Lloyd's Underwriters at London, 2017 Fla. App. LEXIS 14833, 42 Fla. L. Weekly D 2226, 2017 WL 4679597
• Jinete v. American Integrity Ins. Co., 3D15-1803, (Fla. App. 3rd Dist. 2016)
• Grover Commer. Enters. v. Aspen Ins. UK, Ltd., 202 So. 3d 877, 2016 Fla. App. LEXIS 13406, 41 Fla. L. Weekly D 2098 (Fla. Dist. Ct. App. 3d Dist. Sept. 7, 2016)
• Samess v. American Strategic Ins. Corporation, 3D14-0543 (Fla. App. 3rd Dist. 2015)
• Yacht Club on the Intracoastal Condo. Ass'n v. Lexington Ins. Co., 2015 U.S. App. LEXIS 293 (11TH Cir. Fla. 2015)
• QBE Ins. Corp. v. Chalfonte Condominium Apartment Ass’n., Inc., 2012 Fla. LEXIS 1063 (Fla. 2012);
• State Farm v. Gonzalez, 828 So. 2d 1021 (Fla. 2002)
• Osting Schwinn v Certain Underwriters at Lloyd’s, London, 613 F. 3rd 1079 (11th Cir. 2011)
• Buckley Towers Condominium, Inc. v. QBE Insurance Corp., 2010 U.S. App. LEXIS 19144 (11th Cir. 2010)
• Banco Ficohsa v. Aseguradora, S.A. 2006 Fla. App. LEXIS 11925 (Fla. App. 3rd Dist. 2006)
• 224 W. Flagler Holdings, Inc. v. Terra Nova Ins. Co., 17 Fl. Law Weekly Fed. D444 (S.D. Fl. 2004)
• Saenz v. State Farm, 861 So. 2d 64 (Fla. App. 3 Dist. 2003)
• Solar Time Ltd. v. XL Specialty Ins. Co., 142 Fed. Appx. 430 (11th Cir. 2005)
• Am. Reliance Ins. Co. v. Kiet, 703 So. 2d 1190 (Fla. App. 3 Dist. 1997)
• State Farm v. Middleton, 648 So. 2d 1200 (Fla. App. 3 Dist. 1995)
• Lopez v. Southern Coatings, 580 So. 2d 864 (Fla. App. 3 Dist. 1991)
• Hess v. Fidelity Nat'l Prop. & Cas. Ins. Co., 2007 U.S. Dist LEXIS 10578 (N.D. Fl. 2007)
• Royal Marco Point 1 Condo Ass'n. v. QBE Insurance Corp., 2007 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 60940 (M.D. Fl. 2007)
• Dorset House Condo. Ass'n. v. QBE Insurance Corp., 2007 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 62298 (S.D. Fl. 2007)
• Underwriters at Lloyd's v. El-Ad Villagio Condo. Ass'n., 2008 Fla. App. LEXIS 714 (4 DCA 2008)
• Bonafonte v. Lexington Ins. Co., 2008 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 65794 (S.D. FL. 2008)
• Mayfair House Condo. Ass'n. v. QBE Ins. Corp., 2008 U.S. Dist. 66456 (S.D. FL. 2008)
• Vantage View, Inc. v. QBE Ins. Corp., 2009 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 20938 (S.D. Fla. Mar. 3, 2009)
• Shaker Vill. Condo. Ass'n v. Certain Underwriters at Lloyd's, London, 2009 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 16483 (S.D. Fla. Feb. 18, 2009)
• QBE Ins. Corp. v. Dome Condo. Ass'n, 577 F. Supp. 2d 1256 (S.D. Fla. 2008)
• Page v. QBE Ins. Corp., 2009 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 34310 (S.D. Fla. April 15, 2009)
• Nation Motor Club, Inc. v. Stonebridge Cas. Ins. Co., 2012 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 188063, 24 Fla. L. Weekly Fed. D 61 (S.D. Fla. July 3, 2012)
• Coconut Key Homeowners Ass'n v. Lexington Ins. Co., 649 F. Supp. 2d 1363, 2009 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 83652, 22 Fla. L. Weekly Fed. D 57 (S.D. Fla. 2009)
• Childs v. State Farm Fire & Cas. Co., 899 F. Supp. 613, 1995 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 17783 (S.D. Fla. 1995)
• General Star Indem. Co. v. Atl. Hospitality of Fla., LLC, 57 So. 3d 238, 2011 Fla. App. LEXIS 3201, 36 Fla. L. Weekly D 515 (Fla. Dist. Ct. App. 3d Dist. 2011)
• Ibis Villas at Miami Gardens Condo Ass'n v. Aspen Specialty Ins. Co., 799 F. Supp. 2d 1333, 2011 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 80995, 23 Fla. L. Weekly Fed. D 21 (S.D. Fla. 2011)
• Oriole Gardens Condo. Ass'n I v. Aspen Specialty Ins. Co., 875 F. Supp. 2d 1379, 2012 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 96432, 23 Fla. L. Weekly Fed. D 299, 2012 WL 2854331 (S.D. Fla. 2012)
• Ro-Ro Enters. v. State Farm Fire & Cas. Co., 1994 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 21767, 1994 WL 16782171 (S.D. Fla. June 22, 1994)