Francesca A. Ippolito-Craven

Shareholder

overview

Francesca Ippolito-Craven is a Shareholder and Co-Chair of Kubicki Draper's Hospitality, Retail & Premises Practice Group. She regularly handles complex civil and business litigation matters in Federal and State courts throughout Florida. Francesca's practice focuses on providing expert legal guidance and handling transactional and litigation matters for lodging establishments and restaurant owners, real estate developers/developments, franchisees, management companies, vendors, and contractors. She is also well-versed in representing boat and vessel owners, rental and excursion companies, brokers and marinas on property damage and personal injury claims, Limitation of Liability Act, as well as contractual matters. In addition, Francesca has extensive experience representing contractors, developers, owners, manufacturers and distributors in matters involving construction defects, accidents, products liability, environmental matters and contractual disputes.

Francesca is an "AV Preeminent" rated attorney by Martindale-Hubbell, and is a Certified Continuing Education Instructor for the State of Florida. Throughout her career, she has written articles relevant to the hospitality/tourism and construction industries, and lectured to owners, operators, contractors, risk management, security, in-house counsel, brokers and insurers on a variety of legal issues. Since 2010, Francesca has 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
Practice Areas
Credentials

Education

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

Admissions

  • 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

Professional Associations and Memberships

  • 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 and Conference Programs Committee Member
  • Global Alliance of Travel, Tourism and Hospitality Attorneys, Member
  • 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

Certifications / Specialties

  • Certified Continuing Education Instructor, State of Florida

Special Awards and Recognitions

  • "AV Preeminent" Rated by Martindale Hubbell
  • AHIA 
  • Martindale-Hubbell 
Presentations

Speaking Engagements / Presentations

  • "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
Authorships

Published Works

  • Overview
  • Practice Areas
  • Credentials
  • Presentations
  • Authorships

locations

Miami

Miami Office

9100 South Dadeland Blvd., Suite 1800
Miami, FL 33156

T: 305.374.1212 F: 305.374.7846

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Miami-Dade

Key West

Key West Office

402 Applerouth Lane, Suite 2C
Key West, FL 33040

T: 305.509.7300 F: 305.374.7846

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Monroe
Ft. Lauderdale

Ft. Lauderdale Office

110 East Broward Blvd., Suite 1400
Fort Lauderdale, FL 33301

T: 954.768.0011 F: 954.768.0514

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Broward
West Palm Beach

West Palm Beach Office

1700 Palm Beach Lakes Blvd., Suite 800
West Palm Beach, FL 33401

T: 561.640.0303 F: 561.640.0524

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Indian River | Martin | Okeechobee | Palm Beach | Saint Lucie

Tampa

Tampa Office

400 North Ashley Drive, Suite 1200
Tampa, FL 33602

T: 813.204.9776 F: 813.204.9660

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Hernando | Hillsborough | Manatee | Pasco | Pinellas | Polk | Sarasota
Orlando

Orlando Office

201 South Orange Avenue, Suite 475
Orlando, FL 32801

T: 407.245.3630 F: 407.245.7685

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Brevard | Highlands | Orange | Osceola | Seminole
Ocala

Ocala Office

1396 NE 20th Avenue, #500
Ocala, FL 34470

T: 352.622.4222 F: 352.622.9122

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Alachua | Citrus | Dixie | Gilchrist | Lake | Levy | Marion | Putnam | Sumter | Volusia
Jacksonville

Jacksonville Office

1 Independent Drive, Suite 1601
Jacksonville, FL 32202

T: 904.396.0062 F: 904.396.0380

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Baker | Bradford | Clay | Columbia | Duval | Flagler | Hamilton | Nassau | Saint Johns | Union
Pensacola

Pensacola Office

125 West Romana Street, Suite 550
Pensacola, FL 32502

T: 850.434.0003 F: 850.434.0223

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Escambia | Holmes | Okaloosa | Santa Rosa | Walton

Tallahassee

Tallahassee Office

1705 Metropolitan Boulevard, Suite 202
Tallahassee, FL 32308

T: 850.222.5188 F: 850.222.5108

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Bay | Calhoun | Franklin | Gadsden | Gulf | Jackson | Jefferson | Leon | Liberty | Wakulla | Washington | Madison | Lafayette | Taylor 

Ft. Myers

Ft. Myers Office

13350 Metro Parkway, Suite 201
Fort Myers, FL 33966

T: 239.334.8403 F: 239.939.0700

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Charlotte | Collier | DeSoto | Glades | Hardee | Hendry | Lee

Mobile

Mobile Office

11 North Water Street, Suite 10290
Mobile, AL 36602

T: 251.308.3351 F: 251.287.1624

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Baldwin | Washington | Clarke | Escambia | Covington | Geneva | Houston | Henry |  Dale | Coffee | Barbour | Pike |Crenshaw | Butler  | Monroe | Clarke | Choctaw | Wilcox | Bullock | Russell

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Our Firm

our hi(story)

In 1963, Gene Kubicki founded the firm based on dedication to excellence. The same high standards have been maintained for over five decades -- years which have seen the firm’s ranks swell to over 200 attorneys.

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Our team knows return clients are the life blood of any law firm and this is why we ensure client satisfaction by an exacting attention to service and quality.  Client service coupled with a spectacular work ethic, makes our team hard to beat.

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ourDIVERSITY

Kubicki Draper is committed to fostering an environment of equal opportunity for success and believes diversity is not only a moral imperative, but is also sound business practice.

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ourPractices

In response to the growing needs of its clients, the firm began expanding in the early 1980's and today is a diverse full-service law firm providing trial, appellate, coverage, commercial and real estate transaction services.

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ourresults

Kubicki Draper enjoys a national reputation for expertise in the handling of complex, high stakes litigation matters, as well as, appellate, general commercial and real estate practice.

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ourreach

With a dozen offices throughout the State of Florida and other key points in the southern parts of Georgia, Alabama, and Mississipi, our firm is familiar to every venue statewide and will never get home-teamed.

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