Carlton Fields Adds Two Lawyers, Continues Growth of Property & Casualty Insurance Practice

Carlton Fields is pleased to announce that two attorneys have joined the firm’s Property and Casualty Insurance Practice Group: Kelley C. Godfrey and Andrew K. Daechsel.

The new hires will bolster Carlton Fields’ national insurance industry team, which has grown to more than 100 attorneys throughout the firm’s 10 offices across the U.S. The firm’s insurance clients are active in every sector of the insurance industry, including life and financial lines, property and casualty, reinsurance, and title insurance. On their behalf, Carlton Fields attorneys handle complex litigation and class action defense, and offer corporate and regulatory guidance.

“We are thrilled to have Kelley and Andrew join the firm,” said Steven J. Brodie, co-chair of Carlton Fields’ Insurance industry group, and Miami co-office managing shareholder. “Their arrival underscores our continued commitment to expand our already nationally recognized property and casualty practice, and to serve the diverse needs of our clients.”

This year, the firm has added four property and casualty insurance attorneys. Most recently, Carlton Fields’ Insurance practice was ranked No. 1 for the 14^th consecutive year by Chambers USA. The firm was also named, for a second consecutive year, to a select group of 21 law firms rated by corporate counsel as having the best insurance industry client relationships, according to the 2017 BTI Industry Power Rankings.

Godfrey is an associate in the firm’s Orlando office. Her civil litigation practice focuses on insurance services and coverage issues, including the defense of breach of contract claims and bad faith claims. She has overseen discovery, taken and defended depositions, consulted with experts, argued motions, and conducted full case assessments as to both liability and causation issues. She also has experience in premises and product liability cases.

Prior to joining Carlton Fields, she was an associate with Wicker, Smith, O’Hara, McCoy & Ford P.A., where she handled complex medical malpractice cases and represented hospitals, physicians, and other healthcare providers throughout the State of Florida. Godfrey received her J.D., cum laude, from the University of Florida’s Fredric G. Levin College of Law. While in law school, Godfrey was an active member of the Trial Team and competed in various tournaments, including the Student Trial Advocacy Competition and the Florida National Trial Advocacy Tournament. She also won the Book Award in Legal Drafting. She received her B.S., magna cum laude, from the University of Florida’s Warrington College of Business Administration. She is a member of the Orange County Bar Association and The Florida Bar.

Daechsel is an associate in the firm’s Miami office. His litigation practice focuses on insurance coverage. He has represented a variety of private and public businesses, including multiple Fortune 500 companies. His experience includes breach of contract, bad faith, and improper conduct in issuing lender-placed insurance. He has also represented whistleblowers in a qui tam action alleging student loan fraud at a for-profit university.

Prior to joining Carlton Fields, Daechsel was an associate at Wargo French, LLP. Before that, he served as a judicial intern to the Honorable Thomas E. Morris of the U.S. District Court for the Middle District of Florida.

Daechsel received his J.D., cum laude, from the University of Florida’s Fredric G. Levin College of Law, where he was the senior managing editor of the Florida Law Review and won Book Awards in Advanced Legal Research, Regulating Financial Institutions, and Criminal Law. He received his B.S., cum laude, from the University of Florida’s Warrington College of Business Administration. He is a member of The Florida Bar.

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