Francesca Ippolito-Craven is a shareholder and a co-chair of the firm’s Hospitality, Retail & Premises Practice Group. She regularly handles complex civil and business litigation matters in federal and state courts throughout Florida, as well as alternative dispute resolutions. Francesca’s practice focuses on providing expert legal guidance and managing contractual and litigation matters for lodging establishments, restaurant owners, real estate developers and developments, franchisees, management companies, vendors, and contractors. She is particularly well-versed in negligent security claims and group sales and event contracts, offering specialized expertise to hospitality clients.

Francesca represents hotels and resorts in convention and group-related matters on both national and international levels. Additionally, she has significant experience representing boat and vessel owners, rental and excursion companies, brokers and marinas in property damage and personal injury claims, Limitation of Liability Act, and contractual matters. Her extensive experience also includes representing contractors, developers, owners, manufacturers and distributors in matters involving products liability and environmental matters.

An “AV Preeminent” rated attorney by Martindale-Hubbell, Francesca is a Certified Continuing Education Instructor for the State of Florida. She has authored articles relevant to the hospitality, tourism and construction industries, and has lectured extensively to owners, operators, contractors, risk management, security, in-house counsel, brokers and insurers on a variety of legal topics. From 2010 through 2021, Francesca co-authored the Florida section 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
• Commercial Litigation and Transactions
• Construction
• Defamation
• Environmental
• Hospitality and Retail
• Liquor Liability
• Premises Liability
• Products Liability
• Trucking – Transportation – Logistics

Education

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

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

• Kubicki Draper Hospitality, Retail, and Premises Liability Practice Group, Co-Chair
• Florida Bar Association
• Florida Restaurant and Lodging Association, Miami Dade County Chapter, Government Relations/Advocacy Committee Member
• Academy of Hospitality Industry Attorneys (AHIA), Board of Directors (2016-2022, 2024-2025) and Conference Programs Committee (2022 through the present)
• Claims and Litigation Management Alliance (CLM), Member, Retail, Restaurant and Hospitality Section
• Dade County Bar Association
• The Americas Lodging Investment Summit (ALIS), Conference Planning Committee, 2019

• Certified Continuing Education Instructor, State of Florida

• “AV Preeminent” Rated by Martindale Hubbell

• “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)