Kim E Wells, Lawyer

Mr. Wells has been a member of the Florida Bar for over 22 years, He has represented both insurers and their insureds over the course of his career and has practiced extensively in the Central Florida/Tampa Bay area for many years. His practice originally concentrated in the areas of insurance, including bad faith defense, and the defense of bodily injury claims and he was retained by insurance companies to represent them and their insureds. Over the years his practice evolved and his practice is now dedicated to exclusively representing consumers and businesses in insurance cases against their own insurance companies along with a few select personal injury cases.

These cases include, but are not limited to, insurance coverage claims, first party property matters (hurricane, windstorm, sinkhole, water damage, and fire losses), other insurance claims (life, health, disability and other direct actions against insurers), bad faith claims (claims against ah insurer for improper claim handling), insurance agent negligence, and bodily injury cases in both the state and federal courts. Mr, Wells is an experienced litigator, having litigated cases statewide, including the trial of numerous insurance coverage, bad faith, and bodily injury matters from as far north as Panama City and Jacksonville to as far south as West Palm, including trials in the Tampa Bay area.

Mr. Wells has worked with several legal firms over the course of his 22 year legal career. These include being a partner in the law firms of Pilka & Wells, P.A., where he worked from 2007 until he formed the Wells Law Group, PA; Kim E. Wells, P.A.; Weils, Wiggins & Perusek, P.A.; and The Law Offices of Kim Wells. He was also a Senior Associate at the firms of Butler Pappas and the Merlin Law Group.

He is a member of The Florida Bar and admitted to United States District Court, Middle District of Florida, as well as the Eleventh Circuit Court of Appeals. Mr. Wells' current professional memberships include the American Bar Association, Florida Justice Association, American Association for Justice (formerly ATLA), Windstorm Insurance Network, Former Chairman—Windstorm Insurance Network's Legal Committee, Hillsborough County Bar Association, and the Brandon Bar Association. He was formerly a member of the Florida Advisory Committee on Arson Prevention, The International Association of Arson Investigators, Defense Research Institute, as well as the Manatee, Leon and Sarasota County Bar Associations.

Mr. Wells is active in the community and is a member of the Brandon Chamber of Commerce, is a 2009 class member of Leadership Brandon and is a former Legal Advisor to the Florida State Elks Association, Inc. and Florida Elks Properties, Inc.

Mr. Wells' publications include "Raising the Coverage Defense in the Bad Faith Case" found at Mealy's Litigation Report, Insurance Bad Faith, Vol. 14, #12, p.24. He has also prepared and presented seminar materials in the area of Insurance Bad Faith Claims Handling for attorneys and insurance claims personnel and in both public seminars and in house seminars for insurers.