About Us - Benrubi Law

Who We Are

West Palm Beach Board Certified Civil Trial Attorney

Mr. Benrubi launched his legal career in 1988 after receiving his J.D. from the University of Florida. He worked in a small Fort Lauderdale insurance-defense firm and then joined the house counsel of Geico insurance, managing its West Palm Beach office for three years. This initial period of his career, working as a lawyer representing insurance companies, has proven invaluable to Mr. Benrubi today as he applies that knowledge to his cases on behalf of policyholders.

In 1995, he left Geico because he decided that he wanted to represent individuals rather than insurance companies and joined Broad and Cassel in West Palm Beach for three years. He then joined a firm where he began his focus on insurance policyholder representation. He quickly became partner at that firm, Liggio Benrubi, P.A., where he remained for 18 years before launching his own firm, Benrubi Law, and joining Rosenthal, Levy, Simon & Sosa as of counsel.

About Richard M. Benrubi

Mr. Benrubi possesses a strong professional commitment to his clients because oftentimes his legal help is the only way they can get their lives back in order. “I like helping people who have nowhere else to turn,” he says. “These are people who are sick, injured, disabled, need surgery. Their loved ones pass away and even though they have life insurance, the insurance company denies their claim. I get great satisfaction from helping these people out.”

His work on behalf of policyholders has also resulted in cases that have changed Florida law. In early 2016, the Florida Supreme Court ruled in his favor in Paton v. Geico General Insurance Co., holding that billing records of opposing counsel are relevant as a guiding determination of plaintiff’s attorney fees. Another case, Lutz v. Protective Life was a health-insurance class-action lawsuit charging that Protective Life had engaged in illegal premium charges.

benrubi-law_integrity_relationships_results

Mr. Benrubi’s commitment to policyholders is not restricted solely to his clients. He frequently lectures on insurance law and also writes an insurance column for the Florida Justice Association’s monthly publication, FJA Journal. He enjoys the Martindale-Hubbell Law Directory’s top AV rating and has been named as a “Super Lawyer” 11 consecutive years by the Super Lawyers rating service.

He has served as president of the Palm Beach County Justice Association and the Palm Beach Chapter of the American Board of Trial Advocates. In 2015 and 2016 he and his wife, Karen S. Benrubi, co-chaired the Palm Beach County Legal Aid Society’s Pro Bono Recognition Evening to honor lawyers who have provided valuable volunteer services to the indigent community. He was recently inducted into the International Society of Barristers, an invitation-only organization, extended only to advocates of exceptional talent, whose qualities include integrity, honor, and collegiality, embodying the spirit of a true professional.

In his limited spare time, Mr. Benrubi pursues an interest in music—in particular, live blues acts, travel and sports.

LITIGATION PERCENTAGE

100% of Practice Devoted to Litigation

CERTIFIED LEGAL SPECIALTIES

Board Certified Civil Trial Lawyer, Florida Bar, 1995

BAR ADMISSIONS

Florida, 1989
U.S. District Court Southern District of Florida, 1992
U.S. District Court Middle District of Florida, 2012
U.S. Court of Appeals 11th Circuit, 2005

EDUCATION

University of Florida College of Law, Gainesville, Florida
- J.D. – 1988
University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida
- B.S. – 1985
- Major: Business Administration

PUBLISHED WORKS

“Does Campbell vs. State Farm Signal the End for a Large Punitive Damage Award in an Insurance Bad Faith Case?”, Palm Beach County Trial Lawyers Association Publication, Briefings, Volume 4, Issue 9, Summer, 2004

REPRESENTATIVE CASES

Paton v. Geico General Insurance Co., 2016 WL 1163372 (2016)
Genovese v. Provident Life and Accident Ins. Co. (2011)
Lutz v. Protective Life Ins. Co., 328 F. Supp. 2d 1350 (S.D. Fla. 2007)
Dadeland Depot, Inc. v. St. Paul Fire & Marine Ins. Co., 2004 WL 2029765 (11th Cir. 2004)
Larshan v. Principal Life Ins. Co., No. 4D03-4824 (2005)
Travelers Indemnity Ins. Co. of Illinois v. Meadows MRI, No. 4D04-1702 (2005)
Kennedy v. Health Options, Inc., 329 F. Supp. 2d 1314 (S.D. Fla. 2004)
Family Care Center, P.A. v. Truck Ins. Exchange, 875 So. 2d 750 (Fla. App. 4 Dist. 2004)
Saenz v. State Farm Fire and Cas. Co., 861 So. 2d 64 (Fla. App. 3 Dist. 2003)
Delmas v. Harris, 806 So. 2d 578 (Fla. App. 4 Dist. 2002)
Marlin v. State Farm Mut. Auto. Ins. Co., 761 So. 2d 380 (Fla. App. 4 Dist. 2000)
Carenza v. Sun Intern. Hotels, Ltd., 699 So. 2d 830 (Fla. App. 4 Dist. 1997)

CLASSES/SEMINARS

“Cross Examination of the IME in a Low Impact Auto Collision”, Fall Advanced Trial Skills Seminar, AFTL, Orlando, Florida, November 19, 1998
“Winning the Downcoding & Late Payment Wars”, Palm Beach County Medical Society Seminar, PBCMS, Boca Raton, Florida, April 12, 2000
“Use of Motions in Limine at Trial”, Auto Negligence Seminar, AFTL, Miami, Florida, July 27, 2000
“Homeowner’s Claims”, 2002 Insurance Seminar, AFTL, Lauderdale, Florida, September 20, 2002
“Homeowner’s Insurance Claims”, Insurance Issues in the New Millennium, Orlando, Florida, September 21, 2001
“Homeowner’s, Health and Disability Insurance Bad Faith”, Insurance Bad Faith Seminar, AFTL, Fort Lauderdale, Florida, September 21, 2001
“Proving Damages – Including Punitive and Bad Faith Damages”, Proving Damages Seminar, AFTL, Fort Lauderdale, Florida, March 14, 2003
“Bad Faith and Punitive Damages: The Most Recent Court Decisions, Developments, and Trends…and How They Should Impact the Strategy for Your Next Disability Case”, The Seventh National Advanced Forum on Litigating Disability Insurance Claims, American Conference Institute, Boston, MA, June 10, 2004
Florida Justice Association’s monthly publication, FJA Journal
“Does Campbell vs. State Farm Signal the End for a Large Punitive Damage Award in an Insurance Bad Faith Case?”, Briefings, Volume 4, Issue 9, Summer 2004 (Palm Beach County Trial Lawyers Association publication, 2004 – Present
“Life, Health and Disability Insurance”, 2006 Insurance Seminar, Tampa, Florida, September 8, 2006
“The Individual Disability Policy – First Party Insurance”, Insurance Bad Faith Seminar, Tampa, Florida, March 23, 2007
“Hot Topics in Property Insurance”, Issuance Coverage Litigation Seminar, West Palm Beach, Florida, December 1, 2016

HONORS AND AWARDS

Martindale-Hubbell Law Directory’s top AV rating
Named as a “Super Lawyer”
America’s Top 100 Attorneys, Lifetime Achievement Membership

PROFESSIONAL ASSOCIATIONS AND MEMBERSHIPS

Florida Justice Association, 1998 – Present
Academy of Florida Trial Lawyers, EAGLE Program Sponsor and Insurance Task Force, 1998 – Present
The Palm Beach County Trial Lawyers Association, 1998 – Present
The Palm Beach County Trial Lawyers Association, Board of Directors, 2000 – 2008
The Palm Beach County Trial Lawyers Association, President, 2007 – Present
The Palm Beach County Bar Association, Member, 1993 – Present
American Association for Justice (AAJ), 1998 – Present
South Palm Beach County Bar Association, 2001 – Present
American Board of Trial Advocates (ABOTA), Palm Beach Chapter, Member, 2007 – Present
American Board of Trial Advocates (ABOTA), Palm Beach Chapter, President, 2014 – Present
International Society of Barristers, 2017 – Present
Legal Aid Society of Palm Beach County – Board of Directors, Co-Chair of Annual Pro Bono Recognition Gala, 2015-2016, 2010 – Present
Florida Supreme Court Committee on Business and Contract Standard Jury Instructions, 2016 – Present
The Palm Beach County Justice Association, President- 2007; Board of Directors, 2000 – 2008, 1998 – Present
Broward County Trial Lawyers Association

PAST EMPLOYMENT POSITIONS

Law Office of Richard M. Benrubi, P.A.
Liggio Benrubi, P.A., Partner
Broad and Cassel
Geico House Counsel