Full Profile
Stephanie Kolman has extensive experience handling complex state and federal appellate and civil litigation matters, including commercial and business disputes, class actions, products liability, catastrophic personal injury and wrongful death cases. Stephanie has briefed and argued appeals in the various circuit and district courts of appeals of Florida, as well as the US Courts of Appeals for the Fourth and Eleventh Circuits.
In addition to appeals, Stephanie focuses her practice on litigation support. She has extensive experience researching and drafting complex trial motions and memoranda, including motions to dismiss and for summary judgment, Daubert motions, motions in limine, trial briefs and motions for new trial and/or remittitur.
Stephanie also served on The Florida Bar's Appellate Court Rules Committee where she was intricately involved in decisions relating to drafting and revising the Florida Rules of Appellate Procedure.
Admissions
- US Courts of Appeals for the Fourth and Eleventh Circuits
- US District Courts for the Southern and Middle Districts of Florida
- All Florida state courts
Education
- J.D., University of Miami School of Law, 1992
- B.A., cum laude, Sociology (major), Legal Studies (minor), Brandeis University, 1998. Internship, Waltham District Court, Juvenile Probation Department.
Memberships
- The Florida Bar
- Appellate Practice Section
- Appellate Court Rules Committee (2006-2009)
- Dade County Bar Association
Experience
- Researched and drafted 50+ appeals, and argued nearly 40 appeals, including criminal appeals on behalf of the State of Florida during tenure as Assistant Attorney General for the Florida Department of Legal Affairs
- Served as local counsel in the defense of Humana Inc. and Humana Health Plan, Inc. in In re Managed Care Litigation (MDL No. 1334; S.D. Fla.) encompassing a multidistrict series of nationwide class action lawsuits brought by 600,000 medical providers alleging federal racketeering and contract claims against the managed-care industry
- Researched and drafted all pre-trial motions, appellate brief and related filings, including successful motion for final summary judgment in favor of the defendant, a multinational tire manufacturer, in a case involving the wrongful death of a seven-year-old girl in a sports utility rollover. The decision was upheld by the 11th Circuit Court of Appeals in a published opinion. Beauregard v. Continental Tire North America, Inc., 695 F. Supp. 2d 1344 (M.D. Fla. 2010), aff'd 2011 WL 3252564 (11th Cir. 2011)
- Researched and drafted jurisdictional and appellate briefs defending the entry of final summary judgment in favor of the defendants, a national manufacturer of roofing systems and its distributor, in a case involving claims for breach of warranty and violation of Florida’s Unfair and Deceptive Trade Practices Act. Final summary judgment on all claims was granted on the grounds that Plaintiff failed to produce any expert evidence that the roofing adhesive at issue was defective. The order was vacated on appeal based solely on a jurisdictional defect. Thermoset Corporation v. Building Materials Corp. of America d/b/a GAF Materials Corp., et al., 2015 WL 11197750 (S.D. Fla. 2015), vacated and remanded 849 F.3d 1313 (11th Cir. 2017).
- Researched and drafted jurisdiction-related motions in a case involving a unique issue under Florida law concerning the nominal nature of a bankrupt defendant for diversity purposes on removal to federal court where the plaintiff was required to file a claim against the discharged debtor under a state statute in order to collect against the debtor’s insurer. Monroe v. Continental Tire The Americas, LLC, 807 F. Supp. 2d 1129 (M.D. Fla. 2011)
- Researched and drafted motion for final summary judgment based on Plaintiffs' spoliation of the tire and vehicle in a case alleging claims for strict liability, negligence and breach of warranty against a multinational tire manufacturer involving one death, one brain-damaged individual and several other injuries. The Second District Court of Appeal of Florida affirmed the decision in a per curium opinion. Bosch v. Cooper Tire & Rubber Co., 49 So.3d 753 (Fla. 2d DCA 2010)
- Researched and drafted underlying motions, district court appellate brief and jurisdictional brief to the Florida Supreme Court defending the entry of a non-final order granting the defendant’s motion to strike a complaint of foreclosure filed against it by the City of Miami as a sham pleading and dissolving the City’s lis pendens on the defendant’s property. The order striking the complaint was affirmed by the Third District Court of Appeal. Discretionary review based on a purported express and direct conflict of law between the various district courts of appeal was denied. City of Miami v. The Urban League of Greater Miami, Inc., et al., 849 So.2d 1095 (Fla. 3d DCA), review denied, 865 So.2d 479 (Fla. 2003)
