Independent lawyer rankingsEvery fact traceable to a sourcePayment never changes a ranking
LexRanked
Menu

Insurance

Top-Ranked Insurance Lawyers in Vero Beach, Florida

Updated Methodology LexRank v1.28 lawyers rankedReviewed by LexRanked editorial team

Summary

As of November 1, 2026, the top-ranked insurance lawyers in Vero Beach, Florida are James Edward Conway “James” (LexRank 78.60), Julie Lewis Hauf (77.60) and Ford John Fegert “Ford” (76.50).

This ranking lists 8 insurance lawyers in Vero Beach, Florida, in order of their LexRank score, calculated from their Florida Bar records and other cited sources. Their experience ranges from 23 to 55 years in practice. 1 of the 8 lists Spanish on their Florida Bar profile.

Lawyers ranked
8
Fully verified
8 of 8

The ranking

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

  1. No change

    James Edward Conway “James”

    Independent practice · Vero Beach, FL

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

    Ranks #1 with 78.60: strongest in Practice-area relevance (20/20) and Experience (30/30); held back by Reputation (0/20).

    Strongest

    • Practice-area relevance 20/20 (ranking avg 15.2)
    • Experience 30/30 (ranking avg 29.4)

    Held back by

    • Reputation 0/20 (ranking avg 0.5)

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

  2. No change

    Julie Lewis Hauf

    Independent practice · Vero Beach, FL

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

    Ranks #2 with 77.60: strongest in Practice-area relevance (20/20) and Data quality (10/10); held back by Reputation (0/20). 1.00 points behind #1, mostly experience.

    Strongest

    • Practice-area relevance 20/20 (ranking avg 15.2)
    • Data quality 10/10 (ranking avg 9.3)

    Held back by

    • Reputation 0/20 (ranking avg 0.5)

    1.00 points behind #1 (James Edward Conway “James”): Experience −2.4.

  3. No change

    Ford John Fegert “Ford”

    Independent practice · Vero Beach, FL

    Verified
    • 36 years experience
    • Insurance · Maritime
    • Bar status verified
    View profile
    Why #3?

    Ranks #3 with 76.50: strongest in Reputation (4/20) and Data quality (10/10); held back by Practice-area relevance (12.5/20). 1.10 points behind #2, mostly practice-area relevance.

    Strongest

    • Reputation 4/20 (ranking avg 0.5)
    • Data quality 10/10 (ranking avg 9.3)

    Held back by

    • Practice-area relevance 12.5/20 (ranking avg 15.2)

    1.10 points behind #2 (Julie Lewis Hauf): Practice-area relevance −7.5.

  4. No change

    Geoffrey Bennett Marks “geoffrey bennett marks”

    Independent practice · Vero Beach, FL

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

    Ranks #4 with 73.60: strongest in Experience (30/30) and Professional credentials (15/15); held back by Reputation (0/20). 2.90 points behind #3, mostly reputation.

    Strongest

    • Experience 30/30 (ranking avg 29.4)
    • Professional credentials 15/15 (ranking avg 15)

    Held back by

    • Reputation 0/20 (ranking avg 0.5)

    2.90 points behind #3 (Ford John Fegert “Ford”): Reputation −4, Data quality −1.4.

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

  5. No change

    Clinton Winfield Lanier

    Independent practice · Vero Beach, FL

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

    Ranks #5 with 73.60: strongest in Experience (30/30) and Professional credentials (15/15); held back by Reputation (0/20).

    Strongest

    • Experience 30/30 (ranking avg 29.4)
    • Professional credentials 15/15 (ranking avg 15)

    Held back by

    • Reputation 0/20 (ranking avg 0.5)

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

  6. No change

    John G Rooney “John”

    Independent practice · Vero Beach, FL

    Verified
    • 55 years experience
    • Civil Rights · Insurance
    • Bar status verified
    View profile
    Why #6?

    Ranks #6 with 72.50: strongest in Data quality (10/10) and Experience (30/30); held back by Reputation (0/20) and Practice-area relevance (12.5/20). 1.10 points behind #5, mostly practice-area relevance.

    Strongest

    • Data quality 10/10 (ranking avg 9.3)
    • Experience 30/30 (ranking avg 29.4)

    Held back by

    • Reputation 0/20 (ranking avg 0.5)
    • Practice-area relevance 12.5/20 (ranking avg 15.2)

    1.10 points behind #5 (Clinton Winfield Lanier): Practice-area relevance −2.5.

  7. No change

    Michael Scott Reeser

    Independent practice · Vero Beach, FL

    Verified
    • 41 years experience
    • Insurance · Medical Malpractice
    • Bar status verified
    View profile
    Why #7?

    Ranks #7 with 71.93: strongest in Experience (30/30) and Professional credentials (15/15); held back by Reputation (0/20) and Practice-area relevance (13.3/20). 0.57 points behind #6, mostly data quality.

    Strongest

    • Experience 30/30 (ranking avg 29.4)
    • Professional credentials 15/15 (ranking avg 15)

    Held back by

    • Reputation 0/20 (ranking avg 0.5)
    • Practice-area relevance 13.3/20 (ranking avg 15.2)

    0.57 points behind #6 (John G Rooney “John”): Data quality −1.4.

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

  8. No change

    Jacqueline A. Grady

    Independent practice · Vero Beach, FL

    Verified
    • 23 years experience
    • Civil Rights · Consumer Protection
    • Bar status verified
    View profile
    Why #8?

    Ranks #8 with 70.93: strongest in Data quality (10/10) and Professional credentials (15/15); held back by Reputation (0/20) and Practice-area relevance (13.3/20). 1.00 points behind #7, mostly experience.

    Strongest

    • Data quality 10/10 (ranking avg 9.3)
    • Professional credentials 15/15 (ranking avg 15)

    Held back by

    • Reputation 0/20 (ranking avg 0.5)
    • Practice-area relevance 13.3/20 (ranking avg 15.2)

    1.00 points behind #7 (Michael Scott Reeser): 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 · 8 profile pages79 facts for 8 lawyers

Insurance market in Vero Beach

LexRanked tracks 8 lawyers in insurance law in Vero Beach, Florida. 8 of the lawyers have verified professional data. Data verified October 30, 2026.

Lawyers
8
Law firms
0
Verified professional data
8 of 8
Average rating
Withheldtoo few sourced ratings
Median review count
Withheldtoo few sourced counts
Median experience
37 years8 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 Vero Beach

What sets these Vero Beach 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 8 ranked lawyers Figure
Years in practice 23 to 55 (median 37)
Languages besides English Danish (1), French (1), German (1), Spanish (1)
License status with The Florida Bar Eligible to practice, verified for every lawyer

Who is included in this ranking?

Lawyers eligible to practice in Florida, with a Vero Beach office address and insurance as a practice area on record. It compares 8 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 Indian River County is in Florida's Nineteenth 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 Vero Beach?

State court cases in Indian River County are heard in Florida's Nineteenth Judicial Circuit.

Are there Spanish-speaking insurance lawyers in Vero Beach?

Yes. 1 of the 8 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?

8 of the 8 ranked lawyers have fully verified profiles: James Edward Conway “James”, Julie Lewis Hauf, Ford John Fegert “Ford”, Geoffrey Bennett Marks “geoffrey bennett marks” and Clinton Winfield Lanier and others.

What is the difference between the top two lawyers?

James Edward Conway “James” scores 78.60 and Julie Lewis Hauf 77.60, a gap of 1.00 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.

Explore