Patrick Betar

Patrick Betar is a partner with Berk, Merchant & Sims, having joined the firm in 2006. He devotes much of his time to first-party coverage insurance coverage matters, and he is experienced in handling third-party liability defense (including construction defect and premises liability). Further, Patrick has handled several appeals before Florida’s intermediary Courts of Appeal, the Florida Supreme Court, and the Eleventh Circuit Court of Appeals. Patrick has been named an AV Preeminent Lawyer by Martindale-Hubbell, and has been listed repeatedly as Rising Star by Thompson Reuters’ Super Lawyers and a Top Attorney by Florida Trend: Legal Elite.

Patrick received a Bachelor of Arts degree in history and international studies from Rhodes College. He received his Juris Doctor from Syracuse University and his Master of Arts from the Maxwell School of Citizenship and Public Affairs at Syracuse University.

Patrick is certified by the State of Florida as an instructor for insurance adjuster training courses and has presented courses in ethics and the law many times, including at the PLRB Claims Conference and the Windstorm Insurance Conference. He also previously served on the Florida Bar’s Federal Court Practice Committee for several years.

Position at BMS and practice area(s)

Partner

  • First party insurance coverage
  • Appellate
  • Construction Defect
  • Premises liability

Jurisdiction(s) of admission and total years of practice

  • Florida, 2005
  • United States District Court, Southern District of Florida, 2006
  • United States District Court, Middle District of Florida, 2006
  • United States District Court, Northern District of Florida, 2007
  • Eleventh Circuit Court of Appeals, 2021

Organizational affiliation

  • Florida Bar
  • Federal Bar Association
  • Coral Gables Bar Association
  • St. Jude’s Children’s Research Hospital – Volunteer for the 5K Walk/Run

Select Cases

  • Am. Coastal Ins. Co. v. Quadomain Condo. II Ass'n, No. 4D19-1316, 294 So. 3d 921 (Fla. 4th DCA 2020)
  • Am. Integrity Ins. Co. v. Estrada, 276 So. 3d 905 (Fla. 3d DCA 2019)
  • Santos v. Am. Integrity Ins. Co., 258 So. 3d 434 (Fla. 3d DCA 2018)
  • Big League Ventures, LLC v. Certain Underwriters at Lloyd's, 253 So. 3d 600 (Fla. 4th DCA 2018)
  • Certain Underwriters at Lloyd's v. Pierson, 46 Fla. L. Weekly D1288 (Fla. 4th DCA June 2, 2021)
  • Shlager v. ASI Assurance Corp., 225 So. 3d 829 (Fla. 4th DCA 2017)
  • Torruellas v. Lexington Ins. Co., 221 So. 3d 623 (Fla. 2d DCA 2016)
  • Khan v. Metro. Cas. Ins. Co., No. 6:12-cv-1354-Orl-KRS, 2014 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 200345 (M.D. Fla. Mar. 6, 2014)
  • Nation Motor Club, Inc. v. Stonebridge Cas. Ins. Co., 24 Fla. L. Weekly Fed. D61 (U.S. S.D. Fla. July 3, 2012)
  • Royal Bahamian Ass'n v. QBE Ins. Corp., 268 F.R.D. 692 (S.D. Fla. 2010)
  • La Gorce Palace Condo Assoc. v. QBE Ins. Corp., 733 F. Supp. 2d 1332 (S.D. Fla. 2010)
  • Mizner Tower Condo. Ass'n v. QBE Ins. Corp., 530 F. Supp. 2d 1304 (S.D. Fla. 2008)
  • QBE Ins. Corp. v. Dome Condo. Ass'n, 577 F. Supp. 2d 1256 (S.D. Fla. 2008)

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