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Top-Ranked Insurance Lawyers in Lakeland, Florida

Updated Methodology LexRank v1.29 lawyers rankedReviewed by LexRanked editorial team

Summary

As of November 1, 2026, the top-ranked insurance lawyers in Lakeland, Florida are David Eric Grisham (LexRank 80.00), William Simeon Chambers IV “Bill” (79.00) and Richard Clark May (71.93).

This ranking lists 9 insurance lawyers in Lakeland, Florida, in order of their LexRank score, calculated from their Florida Bar records and other cited sources. Their experience ranges from 5 to 49 years in practice. 1 of the 9 lists Spanish on their Florida Bar profile.

Lawyers ranked
9
Fully verified
9 of 9

The ranking

Ordered by organic LexRank score; paid placements are labelled and never affect a position. How we rank

  1. No change

    David Eric Grisham

    Independent practice · Lakeland, FL

    Verified
    • 29 years experience
    • Insurance
    • Bar status verified
    View profile
    Why #1?

    Ranks #1 with 80.00: strongest in Experience (30/30) and Practice-area relevance (20/20); held back by Reputation (0/20).

    Strongest

    • Experience 30/30 (ranking avg 20.7)
    • Practice-area relevance 20/20 (ranking avg 16.1)

    Held back by

    • Reputation 0/20 (ranking avg 0.9)
  2. No change

    William Simeon Chambers IV “Bill”

    Independent practice · Lakeland, FL

    Verified
    • 32 years experience
    • Construction · Insurance
    • Bar status verified
    View profile
    Why #2?

    Ranks #2 with 79.00: strongest in Experience (30/30) and Reputation (4/20). 1.00 points behind #1, mostly practice-area relevance.

    Strongest

    • Experience 30/30 (ranking avg 20.7)
    • Reputation 4/20 (ranking avg 0.9)

    1.00 points behind #1 (David Eric Grisham): Practice-area relevance −5.

  3. No change

    Richard Clark May

    Independent practice · Lakeland, FL

    Verified
    • 49 years experience
    • Guardianship · Insurance
    • Bar status verified
    View profile
    Why #3?

    Ranks #3 with 71.93: strongest in Experience (30/30) and Local relevance (5/5); held back by Reputation (0/20) and Practice-area relevance (13.3/20). 7.07 points behind #2, mostly reputation.

    Strongest

    • Experience 30/30 (ranking avg 20.7)
    • Local relevance 5/5 (ranking avg 5)

    Held back by

    • Reputation 0/20 (ranking avg 0.9)
    • Practice-area relevance 13.3/20 (ranking avg 16.1)

    7.07 points behind #2 (William Simeon Chambers IV “Bill”): Reputation −4, Practice-area relevance −1.7, Data quality −1.4.

    Not on record (scores 0, never estimated): website.

  4. No change

    William Barrow Bracken Jr.

    Independent practice · Lakeland, FL

    Verified
    • 27 years experience
    • Insurance · Medical Malpractice
    • Bar status verified
    View profile
    Why #4?

    Ranks #4 with 71.93: strongest in Experience (30/30) and Local relevance (5/5); held back by Reputation (0/20) and Practice-area relevance (13.3/20).

    Strongest

    • Experience 30/30 (ranking avg 20.7)
    • Local relevance 5/5 (ranking avg 5)

    Held back by

    • Reputation 0/20 (ranking avg 0.9)
    • Practice-area relevance 13.3/20 (ranking avg 16.1)

    Not on record (scores 0, never estimated): website.

  5. No change

    Michael Damian Ruel

    Independent practice · Lakeland, FL

    Verified
    • 18 years experience
    • Insurance · Product Liability
    • Bar status verified
    View profile
    Why #5?

    Ranks #5 with 66.60: strongest in Data quality (10/10) and Experience (21.6/30); held back by Reputation (0/20). 5.33 points behind #4, mostly experience.

    Strongest

    • Data quality 10/10 (ranking avg 9.5)
    • Experience 21.6/30 (ranking avg 20.7)

    Held back by

    • Reputation 0/20 (ranking avg 0.9)

    5.33 points behind #4 (William Barrow Bracken Jr.): Experience −8.4.

  6. No change

    Ramil Andrian Kaminsky “RAK”

    Independent practice · Lakeland, FL

    Verified
    • 13 years experience
    • Construction · Insurance
    • Bar status verified
    View profile
    Why #6?

    Ranks #6 with 64.60: strongest in Reputation (4/20) and Data quality (10/10); held back by Experience (15.6/30). 2.00 points behind #5, mostly experience.

    Strongest

    • Reputation 4/20 (ranking avg 0.9)
    • Data quality 10/10 (ranking avg 9.5)

    Held back by

    • Experience 15.6/30 (ranking avg 20.7)

    2.00 points behind #5 (Michael Damian Ruel): Experience −6.

  7. No change

    Michael Jared Schwartz

    Independent practice · Lakeland, FL

    Verified
    • 12 years experience
    • Insurance
    • Bar status verified
    View profile
    Why #7?

    Ranks #7 with 63.00: strongest in Practice-area relevance (20/20) and Local relevance (5/5); held back by Reputation (0/20) and Experience (14.4/30). 1.60 points behind #6, mostly reputation.

    Strongest

    • Practice-area relevance 20/20 (ranking avg 16.1)
    • Local relevance 5/5 (ranking avg 5)

    Held back by

    • Reputation 0/20 (ranking avg 0.9)
    • Experience 14.4/30 (ranking avg 20.7)

    1.60 points behind #6 (Ramil Andrian Kaminsky “RAK”): Reputation −4, Data quality −1.4, Experience −1.2.

    Not on record (scores 0, never estimated): website.

  8. No change

    Edward Broughton Kerr “Ed”

    Independent practice · Lakeland, FL

    Verified
    • 7 years experience
    • Insurance
    • Bar status verified
    View profile
    Why #8?

    Ranks #8 with 58.40: strongest in Practice-area relevance (20/20) and Data quality (10/10); held back by Reputation (0/20) and Experience (8.4/30). 4.60 points behind #7, mostly experience.

    Strongest

    • Practice-area relevance 20/20 (ranking avg 16.1)
    • Data quality 10/10 (ranking avg 9.5)

    Held back by

    • Reputation 0/20 (ranking avg 0.9)
    • Experience 8.4/30 (ranking avg 20.7)

    4.60 points behind #7 (Michael Jared Schwartz): Experience −6.

  9. No change

    Chase Robert Pansler

    Independent practice · Lakeland, FL

    Verified
    • 5 years experience
    • Insurance · Medical Malpractice
    • Bar status verified
    View profile
    Why #9?

    Ranks #9 with 49.33: strongest in Data quality (10/10) and Local relevance (5/5); held back by Reputation (0/20) and Experience (6/30). 9.07 points behind #8, mostly practice-area relevance.

    Strongest

    • Data quality 10/10 (ranking avg 9.5)
    • Local relevance 5/5 (ranking avg 5)

    Held back by

    • Reputation 0/20 (ranking avg 0.9)
    • Experience 6/30 (ranking avg 20.7)

    9.07 points behind #8 (Edward Broughton Kerr “Ed”): Practice-area relevance −6.7, Experience −2.4.

Data sources behind the scores

Every score on this page is calculated from facts backed by these sources. Each profile shows which source supports which fact and when it was last checked.

  • floridabar.org · Official / regulatory · 9 profile pages93 facts for 9 lawyers

Insurance market in Lakeland

LexRanked tracks 9 lawyers in insurance law in Lakeland, Florida. 9 of the lawyers have verified professional data. Data verified October 30, 2026.

Lawyers
9
Law firms
0
Verified professional data
9 of 9
Average rating
Withheldtoo few sourced ratings
Median review count
Withheldtoo few sourced counts
Median experience
18 years9 lawyers

Calculated by LexRanked from its own records on ; data verified . Ratings and review counts count only when backed by a source; figures from fewer than three profiles are withheld. All lawyers in Lakeland

What sets these Lakeland lawyers apart

Every lawyer in this ranking has a The Florida Bar license verified as eligible to practice, and every fact shown links to its source. The figures below come from each lawyer's Florida Bar profile.

Fact about the 9 ranked lawyers Figure
Years in practice 5 to 49 (median 18)
Languages besides English Russian (1), Spanish (1)
License status with The Florida Bar Eligible to practice, verified for every lawyer
Most common law school Stetson University College of Law (2 lawyers)

Who is included in this ranking?

Lawyers eligible to practice in Florida, with a Lakeland office address and insurance as a practice area on record. It compares 9 insurance lawyers, using only facts with a cited source. The Florida Bar does not board-certify lawyers in insurance, so the practice area is the one each lawyer lists on their Florida Bar profile, which The Florida Bar does not review. How we rank.

Florida rules to know

A Florida homeowner must give the insurer notice of a property insurance claim within 1 year after the date of loss, and a lawsuit for breach of the policy must be filed within 5 years of the loss.

Rule What it means
Notice of a property claim A new or reopened claim is barred unless notice reaches the insurer within 1 year after the date of loss; a supplemental claim within 18 months (Fla. Stat. § 627.70132(2))
Hurricane date of loss For hurricanes and other weather events, the date of loss is the landfall date or the date NOAA verifies the event (§ 627.70132(3))
Insurer response The insurer must acknowledge a claim communication within 7 days and pay or deny a property claim within 60 days after notice (§ 627.70131(1) and (7))
Lawsuit deadline 5 years from the date of loss for breach of a property insurance contract (§ 95.11(2)(e))
Bad faith An insured may sue an insurer that did not attempt in good faith to settle a claim, after 60 days written notice to the Department of Financial Services and the insurer (§ 624.155)
Court Where cases are heard
State court circuit Polk County is in Florida's Tenth Judicial Circuit

How to choose among these lawyers

Confirm the license, ask who will handle your matter, and get the fee terms in writing before you sign.

  1. Look up the lawyer in The Florida Bar's directory and check the bar number shown on their LexRanked profile.
  2. Ask whether the lawyer you meet will handle your matter personally, and how many matters like yours they have handled recently.
  3. Ask how they charge and what costs are extra, and get the agreement in writing.
  4. If you prefer to work in another language, check the languages listed on each profile.

Further reading

Sources for the rules above

Frequently asked questions

How long do I have to report a property insurance claim in Florida?

1 year after the date of loss for a new or reopened claim, and 18 months for a supplemental claim (section 627.70132). For a hurricane, the date of loss is the date it made landfall.

How long does my insurer have to pay or deny a claim?

60 days after it receives notice of the claim, unless factors beyond its control prevent it (section 627.70131(7)).

What is a civil remedy notice?

A written notice on a Department of Financial Services form that must be filed 60 days before a bad-faith lawsuit under section 624.155. No suit lies if the insurer pays or corrects the problem within those 60 days.

How long do I have to sue my insurance company?

5 years from the date of loss for breach of a property insurance contract (section 95.11(2)(e)), but the claim itself must first be reported within 1 year.

Which court handles cases in Lakeland?

State court cases in Polk County are heard in Florida's Tenth Judicial Circuit.

Are there Spanish-speaking insurance lawyers in Lakeland?

Yes. 1 of the 9 ranked lawyers lists Spanish on their Florida Bar profile. Each LexRanked profile shows the languages on record.

How is this ranking ordered?

By the LexRank score, calculated only from facts with a cited source: experience, practice-area relevance, awards on record such as board certification, professional credentials, data quality and location. Client reviews do not affect the LexRank score: neither star ratings nor the number of reviews is scored. Payment never changes a position.

Do client reviews affect the LexRank score?

Client reviews do not affect the LexRank score: neither star ratings nor the number of reviews is scored. Reviews are shown on profiles for information only, and Reputation counts only awards on record, such as board certification. How we rank

Which lawyers are verified?

9 of the 9 ranked lawyers have fully verified profiles: David Eric Grisham, William Simeon Chambers IV “Bill”, Richard Clark May, William Barrow Bracken Jr. and Michael Damian Ruel and others.

What is the difference between the top two lawyers?

David Eric Grisham scores 80.00 and William Simeon Chambers IV “Bill” 79.00, a gap of 1.00 points, mostly in practice-area relevance. Compare them side by side

About this ranking

Last updated
Methodology
LexRank v1.2 - deterministic, reproducible scoring
Editorial review
LexRanked editorial team,
Independence
Positions are never sold. Paid placements, if any, are labelled and do not affect scores.

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