Jennifer L. Velazco

Jennifer L. Velazco is a partner in the Tampa office of Quintairos, Prieto, Wood & Boyer, P.A. She focuses her practice in the areas of insurance coverage litigation, general liability, complex commercial litigation and insurance defense, with particular emphasis on cases involving first-party insurance coverage and sinkhole litigation defense. Ms. Velazco handles all phases of each case, from consultations and opinions to litigation and appeals.

She handles matters involving insurance coverage analysis, liability defense and claims litigation on behalf of insurance carriers. Ms. Velazco has jury trial experience in a number of areas, including complex commercial matters and sinkhole and hurricane litigation. She has substantial experience dealing directly with legal issues surrounding bad faith and perils associated with sinkhole, windstorm, fire, water and mold; and has successfully defended, litigated and resolved hundreds of claims for authorized insurers and surplus lines carriers. She was heavily involved with the claims and disputes resulting from the 2004-2005 hurricane season in Florida.

Ms. Velazco represents insurance carriers throughout Florida. Some of her clients include Homewise Insurance Company, Geovera Specialty Insurance Company and State Farm Florida Insurance Company.

Prior to joining QPWB, Ms. Velazco was an attorney with a national law firm in Tampa, Florida. She gained significant experience in first party and liability coverage. Previously, she was an associate with an insurance defense firm in its offices in Tallahassee and Tampa, Florida, handling hurricane and catastrophe claims.

In 2005, Ms. Velazco received her Juris Doctor from Stetson University College of Law and a Master in Business Administration summa cum laude from Stetson University; she received a Bachelor of Science cum laude from Florida State University in 2001, majoring in political science.

During law school, Ms. Velazco was a certified legal intern with the Civil Poverty Law Clinic of Gulfcoast Legal Services. She was also a federal judicial intern for the Honorable Elizabeth Kovachevich, District Judge, U.S. District Court, Middle District of Florida. Ms. Velazco was also a state judicial intern for the Honorable William Fuente, 13th Judicial Circuit, Hillsborough County, Florida.

Ms. Velazco's law school accomplishments include receiving the Walter Mann Leadership and Professional Award, the Bill Blews Pro Bono Award, and the Full Time Leadership Development Certificate. She was listed in "Who's Who Among Students in American University and Colleges," and selected for the Dean's Search Committee, she was also a member of the Ferguson White Inn of Court.

Ms. Velazco is licensed to practice law in Florida and is admitted in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Florida and U.S. District Court for the Middle District of Florida.

Ms. Velazco is a member of The Florida Bar's standing committee "Legal Needs of Children in Florida." Her professional memberships also include the Florida Advisory Committee on Arson Prevention (FACAP), the International Association of Special Investigation Units (IASIU) and the American Bar Association.