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Top-Ranked Insurance Lawyers in Sarasota, Florida

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

Summary

As of November 1, 2026, the top-ranked insurance lawyers in Sarasota, Florida are William Denis Motherway (LexRank 78.60), Amy Millan DeMartino (77.40) and Stephen Mathew Fernandez (76.40).

This ranking lists 9 insurance lawyers in Sarasota, Florida, in order of their LexRank score, calculated from their Florida Bar records and other cited sources. Their experience ranges from 5 to 34 years in practice.

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

    William Denis Motherway

    Independent practice · Sarasota, FL

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

    Ranks #1 with 78.60: strongest in Experience (30/30) and Local relevance (5/5).

    Strongest

    • Experience 30/30 (ranking avg 21.1)
    • Local relevance 5/5 (ranking avg 5)

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

  2. No change

    Amy Millan DeMartino

    Independent practice · Sarasota, FL

    Verified
    • 24 years experience
    • Insurance
    • Bar status verified
    View profile
    Why #2?

    Ranks #2 with 77.40: strongest in Experience (28.8/30) and Local relevance (5/5). 1.20 points behind #1, mostly experience.

    Strongest

    • Experience 28.8/30 (ranking avg 21.1)
    • Local relevance 5/5 (ranking avg 5)

    1.20 points behind #1 (William Denis Motherway): Experience −1.2.

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

  3. No change

    Stephen Mathew Fernandez

    Independent practice · Sarasota, FL

    Verified
    • 22 years experience
    • Insurance
    • Bar status verified
    View profile
    Why #3?

    Ranks #3 with 76.40: strongest in Experience (26.4/30) and Data quality (10/10). 1.00 points behind #2, mostly experience.

    Strongest

    • Experience 26.4/30 (ranking avg 21.1)
    • Data quality 10/10 (ranking avg 9.2)

    1.00 points behind #2 (Amy Millan DeMartino): Experience −2.4.

  4. No change

    Vanessa R Ross “Vanessa”

    Independent practice · Sarasota, FL

    Verified
    • 20 years experience
    • Insurance
    • Bar status verified
    View profile
    Why #4?

    Ranks #4 with 74.00: strongest in Experience (24/30) and Data quality (10/10). 2.40 points behind #3, mostly experience.

    Strongest

    • Experience 24/30 (ranking avg 21.1)
    • Data quality 10/10 (ranking avg 9.2)

    2.40 points behind #3 (Stephen Mathew Fernandez): Experience −2.4.

  5. No change

    Courtney Sue Isop

    Independent practice · Sarasota, FL

    Verified
    • 19 years experience
    • Insurance
    • Bar status verified
    View profile
    Why #5?

    Ranks #5 with 72.80: strongest in Data quality (10/10) and Experience (22.8/30). 1.20 points behind #4, mostly experience.

    Strongest

    • Data quality 10/10 (ranking avg 9.2)
    • Experience 22.8/30 (ranking avg 21.1)

    1.20 points behind #4 (Vanessa R Ross “Vanessa”): Experience −1.2.

  6. No change

    Jeffrey Allan Canup “Jeff”

    Independent practice · Sarasota, FL

    Verified
    • 20 years experience
    • Insurance
    • Bar status verified
    View profile
    Why #6?

    Ranks #6 with 72.60: strongest in Experience (24/30) and Local relevance (5/5). 0.20 points behind #5, mostly data quality.

    Strongest

    • Experience 24/30 (ranking avg 21.1)
    • Local relevance 5/5 (ranking avg 5)

    0.20 points behind #5 (Courtney Sue Isop): Data quality −1.4.

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

  7. No change

    Matthew Shaw Francis

    Independent practice · Sarasota, FL

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

    Ranks #7 with 68.00: strongest in Data quality (10/10) and Local relevance (5/5); held back by Experience (18/30). 4.60 points behind #6, mostly experience.

    Strongest

    • Data quality 10/10 (ranking avg 9.2)
    • Local relevance 5/5 (ranking avg 5)

    Held back by

    • Experience 18/30 (ranking avg 21.1)

    4.60 points behind #6 (Jeffrey Allan Canup “Jeff”): Experience −6.

  8. No change

    Erin Marie Thorne

    Independent practice · Sarasota, FL

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

    Ranks #8 with 58.20: strongest in Local relevance (5/5) and Practice-area relevance (20/20); held back by Experience (9.6/30). 9.80 points behind #7, mostly experience.

    Strongest

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

    Held back by

    • Experience 9.6/30 (ranking avg 21.1)

    9.80 points behind #7 (Matthew Shaw Francis): Experience −8.4, Data quality −1.4.

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

  9. No change

    Marin Mihailovic “Marin”

    Independent practice · Sarasota, FL

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

    Ranks #9 with 54.60: strongest in Local relevance (5/5) and Practice-area relevance (20/20); held back by Experience (6/30). 3.60 points behind #8, mostly experience.

    Strongest

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

    Held back by

    • Experience 6/30 (ranking avg 21.1)

    3.60 points behind #8 (Erin Marie Thorne): Experience −3.6.

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

Insurance market in Sarasota

LexRanked tracks 9 lawyers in insurance law in Sarasota, Florida. 9 of the lawyers have verified professional data. Data verified October 22, 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
20 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 Sarasota

What sets these Sarasota 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 34 (median 20)
License status with The Florida Bar Eligible to practice, verified for every lawyer
Most common law school University of Florida, Fredric G. Levin College of Law (3 lawyers)

Who is included in this ranking?

Lawyers eligible to practice in Florida, with a Sarasota 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 Sarasota County is in Florida's Twelfth 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.

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 Sarasota?

State court cases in Sarasota County are heard in Florida's Twelfth Judicial Circuit.

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: William Denis Motherway, Amy Millan DeMartino, Stephen Mathew Fernandez, Vanessa R Ross “Vanessa” and Courtney Sue Isop and others.

What is the difference between the top two lawyers?

William Denis Motherway scores 78.60 and Amy Millan DeMartino 77.40, a gap of 1.20 points, mostly in experience. 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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