Maria Vernace focuses her practice on business litigation at the trial and appellate levels in state and federal courts. Maria has significant experience in defending legal malpractice and malicious prosecution cases.
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Partner, Litigation
Maria Vernace focuses her practice on business litigation at the trial and appellate levels in state and federal courts. Maria has significant experience in defending legal malpractice and malicious prosecution cases.
Represented an Am Law 100 law firm and its prior attorney defending a malpractice claim arising from transactional legal work. Obtained summary judgment on statute of limitations grounds, which was per curiam affirmed in December 2024.
Represented a defendant attorney against a RICO claim by a mobile home association arising from the sales transaction of the mobile home park. Secured dismissal of the claim at the pleading stage. Defendant attorney awarded entitlement to statutory attorney’s fees and sanctions.
Represented an attorney and his law firm defending against a malicious prosecution and tagalong conspiracy claim. Obtained summary judgment for the attorney and his law firm by establishing probable cause existed for the attorney’s actions taken while representing his client, which was affirmed on appeal. Rivernider v. Meyer, 174 So. 3d 602 (Fla. 4th DCA 2015).
Represented a prior excess insurance carrier in an action by the subsequent excess insurance carrier that was seeking to avoid or shift responsibility for its share of a $10 million settlement. Obtained a complete defense verdict after a two-plus-week 2018 jury trial. A confidential resolution was reached after the defense verdict, and no appeal was taken.