Attorneys

Contact

South Florida Office
One Financial Plaza, 23rd Floor
100 Southeast Third Avenue
Fort Lauderdale, Florida 33394
(954) 492-4010 (tel)
(954) 492-1144 (fax)

Tallahassee Office
215 S. Monroe Street
Suite 701
Tallahassee, Florida 32301
(850) 577-0398 (tel)
(850) 577-0385 (fax)

Assistant Name:
Suzann Platt

Assistant E-mail:
splatt@cftlaw.com

Assistant Phone:
(954) 492-4010 x1201

Practice Areas

Fred E. Karlinsky
Shareholder
Adjunct Professor, Florida State University College of Law
fkarlinsky@cftlaw.com
Direct Dial: (954) 332-1749

Fred Karlinsky joined Colodny, Fass, Talenfeld, Karlinsky & Abate in 1993, prior to which he held positions with the Florida House of Representatives, Florida Department of Community Affairs and as a law clerk to a trial judge in the 11th Judicial Circuit in Miami-Dade County, Florida.

In 1996, Mr. Karlinsky joined the Florida Residential Property and Casualty Joint Underwriting Association, where he attained the position of Chief Legal Officer and Assistant Executive Director. In that capacity, he performed executive and legal functions, participated in all major decisions and activities regarding the Association and worked closely with Florida Department of Insurance senior officials, as well as key industry and legislative leaders. Mr. Karlinsky returned to the Firm in 1999 and became a shareholder in 2001, whereupon the name of the Firm was changed to Colodny, Fass, Talenfeld, Karlinsky & Abate.

Mr. Karlinsky concentrates in the areas of insurance regulatory law and related matters, transactional law, executive and legislative governmental affairs, administrative law and corporate representation.

Mr. Karlinsky is a primary strategist in all types of insurance-related legislative initiatives including, but not limited to, property and casualty, automobile, health, workers’ compensation and medical malpractice insurance. One of the chief architects of a substantial revision to Florida’s automobile insurance law, he also was involved in the redrafting of Florida’s property residual market statute, as well as the rewrite of the State’s workers’ compensation, medical malpractice and homeowners insurance laws.

He represents both foreign and domestic insurers and reinsurers in Florida, throughout the United States and internationally in all elements of the insurance and reinsurance business, as well as in operational issues ranging from start-up activities, structuring and financing, vendor relationships and a complete array of regulatory issues including licensure, compliance, expansion, solvency, rate and form filings and financial and market conduct examinations.

Currently, he serves as Florida counsel to the Property Casualty Insurers Association of America and general counsel and chief lobbyist for the Florida Property and Casualty Association, an association comprised of a number of Florida domestic property and automobile insurance companies.

Mr. Karlinsky is a member of the Florida Bar and admitted to practice in all Florida trial and appellate courts, the United States Court of Appeals for the 11th Circuit, United States District Court for the Southern, Middle and Northern Districts of Florida, United States Supreme Court, United States Court of Federal Claims and the United States Tax Court. He also is a Certified Mediator, a Guardian Ad Litem, and has served as a Florida Office of Insurance Regulation Certified Continuing Education Instructor. From 1999 to 2004, he served as a member of the Florida Bar Judicial Evaluation Committee.

Previously having served as Florida Co-Finance Chairman for the 2008 McCain-Palin Presidential campaign and currently as Co-Finance Chairman of Senator Jeff Atwater's campaign for Florida Chief Financial Officer, Mr. Karlinsky is active in state and national politics. His political affiliations include the Republican Jewish Coalition, for which he serves on the Board of Directors and as Co-Chair of the Young Leadership Council. Additional leadership roles include Co-Chairmanship of Team 100, the Republican National Committee major donor program, and service as the Regional Finance Chairman and Jewish Outreach Coalition Chairman for the Republican Party of Florida.

His professional memberships include the American Bar Association, Broward County Bar Association, Miami-Dade County Bar Association, Tallahassee Bar Association, AmComp, the American Corporate Counsel Association, the Florida Association of Professional Lobbyists, the Florida Academy of Professional Mediators and the Federation of Regulatory Counsel ("FORC").

Mr. Karlinsky is currently a Fellow of the American Bar Foundation, an honor limited to one-third of one percent of attorneys in America. In addition, he is a Business Services Member and serves on the Governmental Affairs Committee of the American Association of Managing General Agents, a member of the Association of Insurance Compliance Professionals, the Florida Self-Insurers Guaranty Association, the Gerson Lehrman Group Council, the International Association of Insurance Receivers, the Society of Financial Examiners, and the Industry Education Council of the National Conference of Insurance Legislators. With other members of the Firm, Mr. Karlinsky attends all meetings of the National Association of Insurance Commissioners, National Conference of Insurance Legislators and Southeastern Regulators Association throughout the year.

A frequent guest speaker on insurance legislative and regulatory matters at national, international and corporate insurance conferences, Mr. Karlinsky also frequently authors insurance-related articles, including those that have been published in Florida Underwriter magazine, the Federation of Regulatory Council Journal, the Intermediaries & Insurance Underwriters Association ("IRU") Journal of Reinsurance and the Professional Association for Chartered Property Casualty Underwriters ("CPCU") e-Journal, among other publications.

Rated "AV" by Martindale-Hubbell, Mr. Karlinsky has been named over the course of multiple years to Florida Trend Magazine's Legal Elite, the Top Lawyers Section of South Florida Legal Guide, and as a Florida Super Lawyer.

In June 2008, Mr. Karlinsky was appointed as an Adjunct Professor by Florida State University College of Law. In 2009, he joined Dino Falaschetti, Florida State Associate Professor of Law and Economics, in co-teaching a new course entitled "The Law and Economics of Insurance Regulation." The course, which Mr. Karlinsky helped to create, was also offered in Spring 2010.

He received his Bachelor of Science from the University of Miami and his Juris Doctorate from the Florida State University College of Law, where he and his wife, Autumn, recently endowed the Karlinsky Family Scholarship. Mr. Karlinsky is also a member of the Florida State University College of Law Board of Visitors.

Areas of Experience

· Insurance regulatory law
· Insurance transactional matters
· Insurance legislation
· Executive, legislative and municipal government affairs
· Governmental law
· Corporate representation
· Healthcare

Education

· Florida State University, J.D. 1992
· University of Miami, B.S. 1989

Legal Memberships and Courts

· Florida Bar, admitted 1993
· Florida Trial and Appellate courts
· United States Supreme Court
· United States Court of Appeals for the 11th Circuit
· United States and Florida Courts for Middle, Northern and Southern Districts
· United States Court of Federal Claims
· United States Tax Court
· American Corporate Counsel Association
· American Bar Association
· Broward County Bar Association
· Florida Academy of Professional Mediators
· Florida Bar Judicial Evaluation Committee (1998-2004)
· Miami-Dade County Bar Association

Professional Associations

· Fellow of the American Bar Foundation (ABF)
· American Association of Managing General Agents (AAMGA)
· Association of Insurance Compliance Professionals (AICP)
· The American Society of Workers Comp Professionals, Inc. (AmComp)
· AIDA Reinsurance and Insurance Arbitration Society (ARIAS - US)
· Federation of Regulatory Counsel (FORC)
· Florida Association of Professional Lobbyists (FAPL)
· Florida Association of Self-Insurers (FASI)
· Gerson Lehrman Group Council Member (GLG)
· International Association of Insurance Receivers (IAIR)
· Industry Education Council of the National Conference of Insurance Legislators (NCOIL)
· Louisiana Insurers' Conference (LIC)
· Society of Financial Examiners (SOFE)
· Surplus Lines Law Group (SLLG)

Civic and Community Involvement

· Florida State University College of Law Adjunct Professor
· Florida State University College of Law Board of Visitors
· Florida’s Children First volunteer
· Guardian Ad Litem
· Republican National Lawyers Association
· Republican Jewish Coalition
· University of Miami "Miami Circle"

Conferences Attended

· The Cagney Network Insurance Round Table; July 14-15, 2010; Chicago, IL
· NCOIL Summer Meeting; July 7-11, 2010; Boston, MA
· Republican National Committee Donor Retreat; June 24-27, 2010; Napa Valley, CA
· Property Insurance Trends, Capacity and Regulatory Developments seminar hosted by The Florida Catastrophic Storm Risk Management Center and The National Alliance for Insurance Education & Research; June 23, 2010; Lake Buena Vista, FL
· Florida Hurricane Catastrophe Fund 10th Annual Participating Insurers Workshop; June 3-4, 2010; Orlando, FL
· NAIC 2010 Financial Summit - Keys to Solvency: Unlocking the Future; Jacksonville, FL; June 2-4, 2010
· Casualty Actuarial Society Spring Meeting; San Diego, CA; May 23-26, 2010
· AAMGA Annual Meeting; Palm Desert, CA; May 23-26, 2010
· NAIC Life Insurance and Annuities Committee public hearing on Stranger Originated/Owned Annuities; Washington, D.C.; May 20, 2010
· Florida Economic Development Council 2010 Conference: “Without Limits: Strategies for Florida’s Future”; May 16-18, 2010
· Association of Insurance & Reinsurance Run-Off Companies (AIRROC) Membership Meeting; May 13, 2010
· Climate and Loss Mitigation Conference; National Weather Center; May 4, 2010
· Surplus Lines Law Group Spring Meeting; April 15-16, 2010
· NAIC Spring 2010 National Meeting; March 25-28, 2010
· Brokers and Reinsurance Markets Association Annual Board Meeting; March 4, 2010
· Insurance Auto Auctions Cat Conference; February 3-5, 2010
· Florida Chamber Insurance Summit; January 27-28, 2010
· State of the Florida Insurance Market Summit; January 20-22, 2010
· ABA - 36th Annual TIPS Midwinter Symposium; January 14-17, 2010
· Best of Belron Client Summit; January 9-11, 2010
· NAIC Winter 2009 National Meeting; December 5-8, 2009
· NCOIL 2009 Annual Meeting; November 18-22, 2009
· Property Insurance Report National Conference 2009; November 17, 2009
· AAMGA 2009 Fall Meeting; November 12-14, 2009· NAIC Winter 2009 National Meeting; December 5-8, 2009
· Association of Insurance Compliance Professionals 2009 National Conference; October 4-5, 2009
· Out of the Storm '09: Making Reform Work, New Orleans, Louisiana; September 30-October 2, 2009
· 2009 Florida Hurricane Catastrophe Fund Ninth Annual Participating Insurers Workshop; June, 2009
· AAMGA Annual Meeting; May 17-20, 2009
· FEDC 2009 Florida Economic Development Conference; May 17-19, 2009
· Auto Insurance Report Conference; April 26-28, 2009
· Intermediaries and Reinsurance Underwriters Association Spring Conference; April 5-7, 2009
· NAIC Spring 2009 National Meeting; March 15-18, 2009
· Brokers and Reinsurance Markets Annual Board of Directors Meeting; March 4-5, 2009
· NCOIL Spring Meeting; February 27-March 1, 2009
· American Conference Institute-Complying with the Evolving Framework of Insurance Regulation; February 27, 2009
· FASI 2009 Winter Conference; January 29-30, 2009
· IAIR Insolvency Workshop; January 21-24, 2009
· Standard & Poors Insurance Hot Topics Conference; December 16, 2008
· National Underwriter Conference; December 10, 2008
· Hurricane Science for Safety Leadership Forum; December 3, 2008
· 20th Annual Property-Casualty Conference; November 20-21, 2008
· AAMGA Fall Meeting; Legislative Roundtable; November 13-15, 2008
· National Conference of Insurance Guaranty Funds/IAIR Joint Seminar; November 6-7, 2008
· Surplus Lines Law Group Fall Meeting; October 2008
· Southeastern Regulators Association Conference; October 2008
· Louisiana Insurers' Conference; October 2008
· London Summer School (presenter); September 2008
· 2008 Florida Hurricane Catastrophe Fund Eighth Annual Participating Insurers Workshop (panelist); June 2008
· Brokers & Reinsurance Markets Association Board of Directors meeting (guest speaker); March 5-6, 2008
· State of the Florida Insurance Market Summit; 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2010
· North American Insurance Conference; 2006, 2007
· Annual, Spring and Summer meetings of NCOIL
· Spring, Summer, Fall and Winter meetings of the NAIC

Recent Speeches

· The Cagney Network Insurance Round Table; July 15, 2010; “Federal and State Regulations and Pending Financial Reform”

· Property Insurance Trends, Capacity and Regulatory Developments seminar hosted by The Florida Catastrophic Storm Risk Management Center and The National Alliance for Insurance Education & Research; June 23, 2010; Lake Buena Vista, FL – “2010 Florida Property Insurance Legislative Report”

· RIMS Broward County Chapter Meeting; June 16, 2010; “2010 Florida Property Insurance Legislative Report”

· Bermuda Independent Underwriters’ Association; June 15, 2010; “2010 Florida Property Insurance Legislative Report”

· Webinar: "Chinese Drywall - Update and Implications" with Fred E. Karlinsky; June 4, 2010 - hosted by Stifel Nicolaus Capital Markets

· Florida Hurricane Catastrophe Fund 10th Annual Participating Insurers Workshop; June 3, 2010; Orlando, FL – “2010 Florida Insurance Legislative Wrap-up”

· Casualty Actuarial Society Spring Meeting; May 26, 2010 – “Update: 2010 Florida Legislative Session”

· Casualty Actuarial Society Spring Meeting; May 26, 2010 – “A Primer on Chinese Drywall Issues”

· Worldwide Webinar on 2010 Florida Legislative Action; May 5, 2010 - hosted by Fred Karlinsky and Katie Webb of Colodny, Fass, Talenfeld, Karlinsky & Abate

· CITON Insurance Group Agent Forum; March 10, 2010 - "State of the Insurance Market: Coastal Insurance Issues."

· Insurance Professionals of South Florida; March 9, 2010 - "Update: Regulatory and Legislative Issues in Florida."

· Brokers and Reinsurance Markets Association Annual Board Meeting; March 4, 2010 - "Update: Regulatory and Legislative Issues in Florida."

· State of the Florida Insurance Market Summit; January 21, 2010 - "State of the State: Florida Political Briefing."

· Property Insurance Report National Conference 2009; November 17, 2009 - "What Can the Nation Learn From Florida's Property Insurance Market?"

· American Association of Managing General Agents 2009 Fall Meeting, November 12-14, 2009 - Mr. Karlinsky was a featured panelist in a legislative and regulatory forum.

· Association of Insurance Compliance Professionals 2009 National Conference, October 4-5, 2009 - Mr. Karlinsky was a featured speaker in a forum on state-by-state and national catastrophe proposals, their pricing, availability and reinsurance capacity.

· Out of the Storm '09: Making Reform Work, New Orleans, Louisiana, September 30-October 2, 2009 - Mr. Karlinsky served as moderator for the "Virtues and Limits of Reinsurance" panel.

· Insurance Market Conferences (IMC), London, England - Mr. Karlinsky served as an instructor.

· Association of Insurance Compliance Professionals Gulf States Chapter 2009 Education Day, July 31, 2009 - Presented on Florida property and casualty insurance issues.

· Intermediaries & Reinsurance Underwriters Association Spring Conference, April 5-7, 2009 - "Florida Update: High Noon on the Sunshine State."

· Brokers and Reinsurance Markets Annual Board of Directors Meeting, March 4-5, 2009 - Mr. Karlinsky gave an update on Florida regulatory and legislative issues.

· The Cagney Network State Farm Florida Withdrawal Update, February, 2009.

· Louisiana Insurers' Conference, October, 2008 - Mr. Karlinsky served as a presenter.

· London Summer School, September, 2008 - Mr. Karlinsky served as a presenter.

· 2008 Florida Hurricane Catastrophe Fund Eighth Annual Participating Insurers Workshop, June, 2008 - Mr. Karlinsky served as a panelist.

· Florida State University College of Law Economic Regulation of Business class, April 7, 2008 - "Insurance Regulatory & Legislative Issues in Florida."

· Southern Oak Insurance, April 4, 2008 - "2008 Florida Legislative Update."
Brokers & Reinsurance Markets Association, April 1, 2008 - "Regulatory & Legislative Issues in Florida."

· Brokers & Reinsurance Markets Association Board of Directors, March 5-6, 2008 - Mr. Karlinsky was the guest speaker.

· Association of Insurance and Financial Analysis, March 2, 2008 - "Regulatory & Legislative Issues in Florida."

· Florida State University College of Law Board of Visitors, February 18, 2008 - "Florida and Federal Insurance Update."

· State of the Florida Insurance Market Summit, 2007, 2009 - "State of the State: Florida Political Briefing."

· Risk Management Solutions, November 13, 2007 - "Florida Insurance Update & Emerging Federal Issues."

· MacNeill Group, August 15, 2007 - "Emerging Issues in U.S. Insurance and Law."

· Guy Carpenter & Company,July 13, 2007 - "Florida Insurance Update and Emerging Federal Issues."

· Risk Management Solutions, March 8, 2007 - "2007 Florida Legislative Update."

Recently-Published Articles and Media Appearances

· ABA Tort Trial and Insurance Practice Law Journal; Winter 2010; “Recent Developments in Excess Insurance, Surplus Lines Insurance, and Reinsurance Law” by Fred E. Karlinsky, Richard J. Fidei, Krista S. Kovalcin, et al

· Florida Underwriter Magazine; June 1, 2010; "Do We Feel Lucky? Florida’s Property Insurance Market Remains a Game of Chance as the Season Begins” by Fred E. Karlinsky and Richard J. Fidei

· Florida Underwriter Magazine; May 26, 2010; “A Closer Look at SB 2044” by Fred E. Karlinsky and Richard J. Fidei

· Fred Karlinsky in Best's Review: Consumers Will Be Hurt if SB 2044 Does Not Pass; May 21, 2010

· Federation of Regulatory Counsel FORC Alert, April 2010 Florida Update by Fred E. Karlinsky

· Federation of Regulatory Counsel FORC Alert, January 2010 Florida Update by Fred E. Karlinsky.

· Florida Underwriter Magazine, November 2009 - "Florida Still Fine-Tuning Public Adjusters" by Fred E. Karlinsky and Richard J. Fidei.

· Federation of Regulatory Counsel Journal, Vol. 20, Edition 3, Fall 2009 - "New Perspectives on Reinsurance Collateral Requirements," by Fred E. Karlinsky and Richard J. Fidei.

· Florida Underwriter Magazine, Volume 26, Number 9, September 2009 - "Looking To Buy Or Sell?" by Fred E. Karlinsky and Richard J. Fidei.

· September 2009 FORC Alert - Florida Update by Fred E. Karlinsky.

· Florida Underwriter Magazine, July 2009 - "Property Insurers Tackle Reinsurance Challenges" by Fred E. Karlinsky and Richard J. Fidei.

· June 2009 FORC Alert - Federal Update by Fred E. Karlinsky.

· Setnor Byer Insurance "Risky Business" Podcast, May 8, 2009 - "Florida 2009 Legislative Session Wrap-Up" by Fred E. Karlinsky.

· The Reactions Regulation Webcast: The Year of Reckoning, May 5, 2009 - "The Year of Reckoning: Pending Federal Issues" by Fred Karlinsky.

· Broward Politics, May 6, 2009 - "Weston lawyer helping state Republicans raise money." Fred E. Karlinsky of Weston has been tapped by the state Republican Party to serve as its regional finance co-chairman for Fort Lauderdale.

· Florida Underwriter Magazine, April 2009 "Decision Time For Credit Scoring? Debate Swirls As Bills Fly" by Fred E. Karlinsky, Richard J. Fidei and Jennifer C. Erdelyi.

· Republican Jewish Coalition; March 23, 2009. Fred Karlinsky elected to the Board of Directors.

· Florida Underwriter Magazine, March 2009 - "2009 Legislative Session Will Prove Rocky" by Fred E. Karlinsky and Richard J. Fidei.

· CPCU Society eJournal, Vol. 62, No. 3, March 1, 2009 - "Florida Insurance Dilemma--Efforts to Manage the Unmanageable" by Fred E. Karlinsky and Richard J. Fidei.

· February 2009 FORC Alert - Florida Update by Fred E. Karlinsky.

· Florida Underwriter Magazine, February 2009 - "Surplus Lines Courting Trouble" by Fred Karlinsky and Richard Fidei.

· AM Best National Podcast, February 10, 2009 - Fred Karlinsky and Krista Kovalcin discuss the impact of the State Farm Florida property insurance coverage withdrawal. To listen, click here.

· Florida Underwriter Magazine, December 2008 - "Florida Adopts New Ratings-Based Reinsurance Collateral Rule" by Fred E. Karlinsky and Richard J. Fidei.

· The Intermediaries and Reinsurance Underwriters Association Journal of Reinsurance, Volume 15, Number 4, Fall 2008 - "Catastrophe Risk in Florida: Efforts to Manage the Unmanageable" by Fred E. Karlinsky and Richard J. Fidei.

· U.S. Exposure: A DMA Claims Service and ISAC Newsletter, Issue #2, October 2008 - "Catastrophe Risk in Florida: Efforts to Manage the Unmanageable" by Fred E. Karlinsky and Richard J. Fidei.

· The Miami Herald, October 24, 2008 - Fred Karlinsky comments on the Emma Murray v. Mariners Insurance Supreme Court decision.

· Florida's Ratings-Based Reinsurance Collateral Rule, October 8, 2008 - By Fred Karlinsky and Rich Fidei.

· Recent Federal Decision Requires Filing of Surplus Lines Insurance Forms in Florida, October 8, 2008 - By Fred Karlinsky and Rich Fidei.

· Federation of Regulatory Counsel ("FORC") Quarterly Journal of Insurance Law and Regulation, Vol. 19 Edition 1, Spring 2008 - "Credit-Based Insurance Scores," co-authored by Fred E. Karlinsky and Rich Fidei.

· A.M. Best - To listen to an A.M. Best podcast of Fred Karlinsky discussing the June 2007 Supreme Court decision in the credit-scoring cases involving Safeco and Geico, and the impact on Florida and other states, click here.

· Daily Business Review, July 18, 2007 - "Attorney puts together funding for two insurers," Colodny, Fass, Talenfeld, Karlinsky & Abate attorneys Mike Colodny, Fred Karlinsky, Rich Fidei, Sandy Fay and Erin Siska assisted in securing $16.5 million and $7 million loans from Florida's Insurance Capital Build-Up Incentive Program.

· Insurance Journal, November 5, 2007 - "Striking A Balance Over the Use of Credit-Based Insurance Scores," co-authored by Fred E. Karlinsky and Richard J. Fidei.

· Colodny, Fass, Talenfeld, Karlinsky & Abate partners Fred Karlinsky and Rich Fidei were featured as guest columnists in the August 7, 2007 issue of Daily Business Review regarding consumer credit histories and insurance law. To view the article, click here.

· Florida Underwriter Magazine, November 2009 - "Florida Still Fine-Tuning Public Adjusters" by Fred E. Karlinsky and Richard J. Fidei.