Amy L. Koltnow

As a Shareholder at Colodny Fass, Amy L. Koltnow is a highly skilled and experienced litigator, specializing in business disputes, real estate, trust and probate, and insurance litigation. Ms. Koltnow is known for her ability to navigate complex legal issues and achieve favorable outcomes for her clients. She has served as first chair trial counsel in jury and non-jury cases in federal and state courts, arbitration, and administrative forums, and has appeared before state and county regulatory boards. 

Ms. Koltnow’s expertise extends to successfully defending class actions and insurance “bad faith” cases, handling non-compete cases, partnership and corporate dissolutions, professional negligence claims, matters involving statutory interpretation, covenant and lien enforcement issues, foreclosures, and collection matters. Over the years, she has built a solid reputation as a go-to attorney, known for providing effective representation to individuals and companies alike.

Ms. Koltnow’s experience also includes serving as outside General Counsel for a Florida property and casualty insurance company. In this role, she oversaw the company’s state-wide portfolio of litigated cases, selecting and managing panel defense counsel, and developing effective litigation strategies to achieve favorable outcomes in court while protecting the company’s legal interests. Ms. Koltnow worked closely with the company’s executive team, providing legal advice and guidance on insurance coverage, risk management, cost controls, and other critical issues affecting the company’s legal and financial exposure. Her extensive legal knowledge and strategic insights proved invaluable in helping the company overcome legal challenges and achieve its business objectives.

Ms. Koltnow is a member of the Claims and Litigation Management Alliance, a national, invitation-only organization committed to promoting high standards of litigation and claims management. Her expertise in the field has earned her certification by the Florida Division of Insurance Agent and Agency Services as a Continuing Education Instructor in Adjuster Law and Policy, demonstrating her commitment to advancing the profession. Her in-depth knowledge of the legal issues affecting insurance companies has made her a valuable resource in the industry. She frequently speaks on insurance law and litigation-related topics at industry events, sharing her insights and knowledge with peers and colleagues. In addition, Ms. Koltnow has acted as an expert witness in litigated insurance disputes, providing testimony in court to assist judges in determining the reasonableness of attorney’s fees.

Before joining Colodny Fass, Ms. Koltnow worked for several prominent South Florida law firms where she gained considerable experience handling complex commercial litigation cases on behalf of individuals and corporations. Ms. Koltnow also served five years as an Assistant State Attorney for the State Attorney’s office in Miami-Dade County, Florida, where she was appointed by the then State Attorney Janet Reno. Additionally, she worked as an attorney for the U.S. Small Business Administration’s Disaster Assistance Division facilitating the agency’s efforts to assist small businesses in South Florida recover from the devastating effects of Hurricane Andrew.

Ms. Koltnow earned her Bachelor of Science in Journalism and Communications from the University of Florida before obtaining her Juris Doctor from Stetson University College of Law. While at Stetson, she distinguished herself as an editorial board member of the Stetson Law Review and a member of the Moot Court Board. Ms. Koltnow was also a key member of Stetson’s nationally acclaimed mock trial teams, winning numerous state, regional, and national awards and scholarships for her excellence in advocacy, including Best Oral Advocate in the state of Florida. Ms. Koltnow’s exceptional trial advocacy skills were recognized with the Victor O. Wehle Award upon graduation. As a Teaching Fellow at Stetson, she also shared her knowledge and expertise with law students by instructing them on the fundamentals of trial practice.

In addition to her work as a litigator, Ms. Koltnow is also committed to serving her community. She was awarded the Child Advocacy Award by the Miami-Dade County Bar Association for her pro bono efforts in the South Florida community. This award reflects Ms. Koltnow’s deep commitment to public service and her dedication to making a difference in the lives of those around her.

Special Recognition

• “Colodny Fass Law Firm Creates Executive Committee to Manage Business Development and Expansion,” Jul. 27, 2016
• “Colodny Fass Litigators File Amicus Brief For Property Casualty Insurers Association of America, Others in Florida Supreme Court ‘Next Door’ Workers’ Compensation Case,” June 18, 2014
• “Colodny Fass Named 2014 South Florida’s Top Insurance Litigation Department of the Year by the Daily Business Review,” Apr. 9, 2014
• Amy Koltnow Named Partner at Colodny Fass, January 2013
• Recipient, “Put Something Back” Pro Bono Project Award, Eleventh Judicial Circuit and Miami-Dade County Bar Association, for outstanding pro bono contributions in the field of child advocacy, 2004.

Speaking Engagements

• “Florida Property Insurance Law Updates (2021): A Year in Review and a Look Ahead”, In-House Webinar presented to employees at Amica Mutual Insurance Company (2022)
• “A Primer on ‘Bad Faith’ Allegations in First Party Property Damage Claims,” In-House Webinar presented to employees at Florida Peninsula Insurance Company (2022)
• “Duties After Loss – A View from Both Sides of the Policy”, Webinar Speaker, Pincus Professional Education, 1st Party Property Insurance Bad Faith Cases from Start to Finish (2021)
• “Evaluating Losses with Multiple Causes”, In-House Webinar presented to employees at Frontline Insurance (2020)
• “Concurrent Causation: Was it Flood or Was it Wind?” Panelist Speaker, FAIR Foundation Virtual Conference Series, Building a Culture of Preparedness (2020)
• “First-Party Bad Faith in Property Claims”, Speaker, Pincus Professional Education, Insurance Bad Faith Cases: Litigation from Start to Finish (2019)
• “Controlling the Story through Strategic and Persuasive Deposition Techniques”, Speaker, State of the Florida Insurance Market Summit (2015)
• “Effective Use of Social Media, Investigations in Claims Handling & Litigation, It’s No Secret”, Speaker, State of the Florida Insurance Market Summit (2014)
• “Don’t Get Caught with Your Whistle Blown”, Speaker, State of the Florida Insurance Market Summit (2013)
• “Crawling Out of the Litigation ‘Hole’ – An In-Depth Conversation on Sinkholes and Fighting Fraudulent Claims”, Speaker, State of the Florida Insurance Market Summit (2012)
• “News from the World of Insurance Litigation”, Speaker, State of the Florida Insurance Market Summit (2012)

Published Articles and Media Mentions

• “Interested to Know Whether a Contingency Fee Public Adjuster Can Serve as a ‘Disinterested’ Appraiser?”, Co-Authored by Amy Koltnow and Michael Billmeier, Nov. 15, 2021
• “Homeowners Repaired Water Damage Before Contacting Their Insurer. They Can’t Recover Under Their Policy”, Daily Business Review, May 21, 2018. An appellate court in Florida ruled that homeowners who repaired water damage to their home before filing a claim with their insurer could not recover their loss under their policy because they had prejudiced their insurer’s ability to investigate the extent of the damage. Amy Koltnow of Colodny Fass represented the appellee.
• “Insurance Regulation Lawyers Colodny Fass Chosen by A.M. Best to Revise Prestigious Florida Insurance Law Digest for Fifth Consecutive Year,” Mar. 29, 2017
• “Colodny Fass Law Firm Creates Executive Committee To Manage Business Development and Expansion,” Jul. 27, 2016.
• “Colodny Fass Litigators Successfully Thwart Statewide Florida Class Action Threatening Insurer’s Option to Repair,” Jul. 6, 2015.
• “Colodny Fass Litigators Obtain Landmark Success on the Sinkhole Warfront,” Nov. 20, 2013
• “Colodny Fass Litigators Successfully Defeat High-Stakes Class Action,” Sept. 11, 2013.
• “Colodny Fass Lawyers Maria Elena Abate and Amy Koltnow Join Council on Litigation Management,” Oct. 19, 2011.
• “Putting a Stop to the Parade of Horribles”, Federation of Regulatory Counsel Quarterly Journal of Insurance Law and Regulation (Spring 2008, Vol. 19 Edition 1), Co-Authored by Amy Koltnow and Maria Abate. After three long years of claims handling and litigation chaos, the Florida Supreme Court put an end to the havoc wreaked by the 2004 appellate court decision in Mierzwa v. Florida Windstorm Underwriting Ass’n that shifted the burden of paying for non-covered flood damage to homeowner insurance companies.
•  “Practice Tips: Liability of Construction Design Professionals and the Economic Loss Rule”, The Brief – American Bar Association (Winter 2000, Vol. 29, No. 2), Co-Authored by Amy Koltnow and Steven B. Lesser. The Florida Supreme Court handed a significant victory to consumers in Moransais v. Heathman, agreeing to hold construction professionals such as architects and engineers to the same basic malpractice standard as doctors and lawyers. 
• A.M. Best 12th installment of the Insurance Law Podcast; To listen to attorneys Amy Koltnow and Maria Abate from the law firm of Colodny Fass in Florida discuss an important Supreme Court decision favoring major insurance companies, click here.

Reported Cases

• Security First Ins. Co. v. Czelusniak, 305 So. 3d 717 (Fla. 3d DCA 2020).
• De La Rosa v. Florida Peninsula Ins. Co., 246 So. 3d 438 (Fla. 4th DCA 2018).
• United Auto Ins. Co. v. Gables MRA, 997 So. 2d 1208 (Fla. 3d DCA 2008).
• O’Grady v. Potash, 861 So. 2d 1281 (Fla. 3d DCA 2003).
• Nomo Research, Inc. v. CCL Plastic Packaging, Inc., 862 So. 2d 785, 2003 (Fla.  3d DCA 2003).
• Cohen v. Cohen, 813 So. 2d 1060 (Fla. 4th DCA 2002).
• Music Associates, Inc. v. Chase Music Associates, Inc., 795 So. 2d 284 (Fla. 3d DCA 2001).