Francesca Ippolito-Craven is an equity partner and Co-Chair of the firm’s Hospitality, Retail & Premises Practice Group. She represents clients in complex civil and business litigation matters in federal and state courts throughout Florida, as well as in arbitration and other alternative dispute resolution proceedings.

Francesca focuses her practice on providing strategic legal counsel to lodging establishments, restaurant owners, real estate developers, franchisees, management companies, vendors, and contractors. She advises clients on contractual matters and guides them through all phases of litigation, with particular depth in the hospitality and retail sectors.

She is especially well-versed in group sales and event contracts, offering specialized expertise to hospitality clients nationwide and internationally. Francesca regularly represents hotels and resorts in convention and group-related disputes throughout the United States, the Caribbean, and Mexico.

Her litigation experience spans a broad range of matters, including contract disputes, negligent security, liquor liability, premises liability, wrongful death, false imprisonment, foodborne illness claims, products liability, environmental and toxic torts, and ADA website compliance. She also represents boat and vessel owners, rental and excursion companies, brokers, and marinas in contractual disputes, property damage and personal injury claims, and matters arising under the Limitation of Liability Act.

In addition, Francesca represents contractors in work-site and vehicular accident cases, as well as manufacturers, distributors, and retailers in products liability and environmental litigation.

Francesca holds an “AV Preeminent” rating from Martindale-Hubbell and is a Certified Continuing Education Instructor for the State of Florida. She has authored numerous articles relevant to the hospitality, tourism, and construction industries and frequently lectures to owners, operators, contractors, risk managers, security professionals, in-house counsel, brokers, and insurers on a wide range of legal topics. From 2010 through 2021, she co-authored the Florida chapter of the nationally published Tort Law Desk Reference: A Fifty-State Compendium (Aspen Publishers).

Industries:

• Amusement & Theme Parks
• Apartments & Condominiums
• Bars and Nightclubs
• Casinos
• Concert venues
• Cruise Lines
• Construction & development
• Events & Festivals
• Health Clubs/Gyms & Spas
• Lodging establishments (Hotels, resorts, vacation clubs & conventions)
• Marinas
• Restaurants
• Retail & Shopping Centers
• Security
• Tours & Excursions
• Valet
• Vessel owners, rental companies and brokers

• Admiralty and Maritime
• Alternative Dispute Resolution
• Automobile and Motorized Vehicles
• Class Actions / Multi-District Defense
• Commercial Litigation and Transactions
• Community Associations
• Construction
• Defamation
• Electric Utility Defense
• Environmental
• Hospitality and Retail
• Labor and Employment
• Liquor Liability
• Nursing Home and Assisted Living Facilities
• Premises Liability
• Presuit Settlement Assistance
• Products Liability
• Trucking – Transportation

Education

• Stetson University (J.D., 1997)
• Florida State University (B.A., 1994)

• State of Florida 1998
• United States District Court, Middle District of Florida
• U.S. District Court, Northern District of Florida
• United States District Court, Southern District of Florida

• Kubicki Draper Hospitality, Retail, and Premises Liability Practice Group, Co-Chair
• Academy of Hospitality Industry Attorneys (AHIA), President Elect (2026); Board of Directors (2016 – 2022 and 2024 – present) and Conference Programs Committee (2022- present)
• American Lodging Investment Summit (ALIS), Law section (Conference Planning Committee, 2019 and 2026 – 2027)
• Florida Bar Association
• Florida Restaurant and Lodging Association, Miami Dade County Chapter, Government Relations/Advocacy Committee Member
• Claims and Litigation Management Alliance (CLM), Member, Retail, Restaurant and Hospitality Section
• Dade County Bar Association
• Miami Beach Chamber of Commerce, Member

• Certified Continuing Education Instructor, State of Florida

• “AV Preeminent” Rated by Martindale Hubbell

• “Bad Discs or Bad Claims? Evaluating Spinal Injury Cases,” KD Webinar, 2026
• “Insuring Against Tragedy: A Look at Human Trafficking Liability and Coverage,” Academy of Hospitality Industry Attorneys (AHIA), Fall Meeting, 2025
• “We Got Your Back! — Examining and Defeating Spinal Injury Claims,” Kubicki Draper Webinar, 2023
• “The Limitation of Liability Act: Still Making Waves on Plaintiff’s Claims,” Kubicki Draper Webinar, 2022
• “The More the Merrier: Risk Transfer,” Kubicki Draper Webinar, 2022
• “Construction Accident Litigation: Pitfalls, Perils and Litigation,” James River, 2021
• “Nursing Home Claims: How to Handle with Skilled Care from Pre-Suit through Litigation,” Kubicki Draper Webinar, 2021
• “Gym Liability: An Exercise in Civility,” Kubicki Draper Webinar, 2021
• “A Reservation for Exploitation: Human Trafficking in the Hospitality Industry,” Kubicki Draper Webinar, 2020
• “Bugs, Drugs and Thieves,” Kubicki Draper Webinar, 2020
• “COVID-19 Claims Will Be Contagious: What’s to Come for the Hospitality Industry?” Kubicki Draper Webinar, 2020
• “Security After Las Vegas,” Panelist, AHIA, 2018
• “Reservation for Exploitation: Recognizing, Preventing, and Confronting Human Trafficking in the Hospitality Industry,” Hospitality Law Conference, 2018
• “Discussion of the Most Frequent Claims and How to Prevent Them,” CLM, 2018
• “Managing Outside Counsel,” Legends of the Boardroom, 2017
• “Comparative Negligence,” FIGA, 2017
• “Security Legal Issues,” LIV Nightclub, 2017
• “Hospitality Legal Issues,” Sound Hospitality Management, LLC, 2017
• “Hospitality Legal Issues,” Grand Beach Hotel, 2017
• “Trucking Case Law and Regulations Update and/or Motor Carrier, Trucking and Cargo Law Developments,” FIGA, 2016
• “Common Types of Claims Against Lodging Establishments,” Marriott Vacations Worldwide, 2016
• “Corporate Representative Depositions, 2015 Appellate Decisions & Transferring Risk in Construction Defects Cases,” FIGA, 2015
• “Appellate Overview & Early Case Resolution,” FIGA, 2015
• “Excessive Use of Force & Other Security Issues,” Academy of Hospitality Industry Attorneys Spring Meeting, 2015
• “Excessive Use of Force & Other Security Issues,” Fontainebleau, Miami Beach, 2014
• “Florida 5-Hour Law and Ethics Update,” Gallagher Bassett, 2014
• “Foundations of Products Liability: Hot Topics and Defense Strategies,” Claims Management Inc., Walmart, 2014
• “SPAS,” Academy of Hospitality Industry Attorney (AHIA), Spring Meeting, 2013
• “Florida Hotel Legal Issues,” Grand Beach Hotel, 2012
• “Desperately Seeking Summary Judgment: Strategies in Premises Liability Cases,” Kubicki Draper Claims Management Conference, 2012
• Academy of Hospitality Industry Attorney (AHIA), Spring Meeting, 2012
• “Premises Liability,” Kubicki Draper Claims Management Conference, 2010
• “Hotel, Event Sponsorship & Amusement Parks,” Kubicki Draper Claims Management Conference, 2009

• Playing Catch-Up on Regulating Short-term Rentals, Hotel Business Review, December 2017
• Tort Law Desk Reference: A Fifty State Compendium (Aspen Publishers, 2010 through 2017 ed.) Florida Law Section
• How Hotels Can Minimize the Bite of the Zika Virus, Hotel Business Review, December 2016 (Updated 2017, KD Quarterly Winter Edition)