William Collum

Join Partners Tracy Jurgus, William Collum, and Michael Montgomery as they present for the 2023 FIFEC Annual Conference. The event will be held from July 12-14, 2023 at the Renaissance Orlando at SeaWorld Resort, Orlando, FL. This course provides an overview of effective claims-handling practices, including an adjuster’s obligations during the claims process.  Tracy, Michael, and William discu...

We are proud to announce that Tampa Partner William Collum has been recognized in the 2023 JD Supra Readers' Choice Awards for his scholarly contributions to insurance literature. The JD Supra Readers' Choice Awards acknowledge top authors and firms for their thought leadership in key topics during all of last year. Click here to view a list of William's publications....

Join Partner William Collum and co-presenters Donna DeVaney Stockham (Stockham Law Group), Chris Glenn (Beazley USA), Rick Tutwiler (Tutwiler & Assoc. Public Adjusters), and Kristine L. Elkind (Matson, Driscoll & Damico, LLP) as they present for the WIND 2023 Conference. This presentation will take place in Caribe Royale, Orlando, FL from January 24-25, 2023. This presentation aims to giv...

The adjustment of hurricane claims sometimes involve discrete issues regarding either special coverages under insurance policies or different types of structures governed by a patchwork of federal and state laws. Civil Authority Civil Authority is a coverage under many homeowner and commercial policies that may provide loss of use coverage to an insured who has suffered no physical loss to insur...

Our latest webinar series will inform you on issues that may arise during adjustment of Hurricane Ian claims. In the third part of this series, Partners Tim Engelbrecht and William Collum, along with J.S. Held's Mike Rimoldi, will provide a discussion on the fundamental aspects of Civil Authority and Ordinance or Law coverages under commercial and homeowner policies and considerations for analysi...

Join us in congratulating our attorneys who were recognized in the 2023 Best Lawyers - Ones to Watch publication! Click on their icons to learn more. Recognition by Best Lawyers is based entirely on peer review. Their process is designed to capture, as accurately as possible, the consensus opinion of leading lawyers about the professional abilities of their colleagues within the same geographical...

Satellite and mapping imagery has an important role in the litigation of property insurance claims, from its use to question a witness under oath, its use as a demonstrative aid at trial, to even being admitted into evidence at trial. Over the years, commercially available satellite imaging and mapping imaging technology has advanced. What decades ago was grainy imaging technology has now devel...

When contained in an insurance policy, a choice of law provision generally provides that the law of a certain state will apply to the policy and the determination of rights and responsibilities under the policy. Sometimes, a policy can also contain a mandatory arbitration provision, requiring all disputes arising pursuant to the policy be submitted to a binding arbitration. If the choice of law p...

Having been called back to the capitol by Florida’s governor for a special session to address issues within the property insurance market, the Florida Legislature passed two property insurance bills, SB 2-D and SB 4-D, both of which were signed by the Governor on May 26, 2022. SB 2-D and SB 4-D have provisions that affect both admitted carriers and surplus lines carriers. The key provisions of t...

Join Partner William Collum as he presents for the 2022 FIFEC Conference on June 9, 2022. Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s fictional detective Sherlock Holmes baffled his investigative partner, Dr. Watson, with his investigational prowess, solving the toughest of puzzles with the smallest of clues. Although a fictional character, Holmes’ investigational methods and analysis provide the modern-day inv...

Join us in congratulating Partner William Collum for being appointed as Vice President for the Florida Advisory Committee on Arson Prevention (FACAP). Founded in 1975 the Florida Advisory Committee on Arson Prevention is a non-profit organization developed for the sole purpose to wage a war against the ever-growing problem of arson and insurance fraud in the state of Florida. Click here to learn ...

Join Partner William Collum and co-panelists Craig Maihiot (Florida Family Insurance), Christopher Scarlett (Phoenix Claims Consulting) and Donna Stockham (Stockham Law Group, P.A) as they present for the 2022 Windstorm Conference at the Loews Royal Pacific Resort on January 25, 2022. This presentation aims to give the professional tools in understanding emotions and logic in claims handling/adju...

In most circumstances involving an insurer’s extension of coverage for a property loss, an appraisal provision in an insurance policy provides an insured and an insurer a mechanism by which to resolve disagreements regarding the amount owed for that loss.  If invoked, each party appoints an appraiser, the individual to act as a representative of that party for the appraisal. While most, if no...

Hours before the close of Florida’s 2021 annual legislative session, the Florida Legislature passed SB 76, legislating wide changes to the handling and litigation of property insurance claims.  The bill affects both admitted insurers and surplus lines insurers.  The bill would take effect July 1, 2021, pending approval by the governor.  Solicitation for roof claims  SB 76 creates Florida S...

Partner William Collum presented "Understanding & Adjusting Business Income Claims" for the 2021 Windstorm Virtual Workshop. This presentation aimed to give the professional a solid foundation for understanding and adjusting business income claims. He and his co-presenters Mike Giasi of Giasi Law, PA, Patrick Garrett of Garrett Claims Group, Christopher Glenn of Beazley USA, and Kristine Elkin...

As we move into the new year, please join us in congratulating our firm’s newest Partners! You can learn more about them by clicking on their individual photos....

Senior Associate William Collum presented two classes at the 2020 FACAP Annual Arson Seminar on March 4, 2020, in Ocala, FL. Learn more about both classes below: STRATEGIES FOR ENSURING EFFICIENT AND EFFECTIVE INVESTIGATIONS IN FIRE CLAIMS This presentation focused on best practices for efficient and effective insurer investigations in fire claims. We discussed the interplay of post-loss duties ...

Presenter: William Collum Co-Presenters: Mike Giasi (Giasi Law, P.A.), Chris Glenn (Beazley USA, Managing General Agent for syndicate out of Lloyd’s, London), and Pat Garrett (North American Insurance Consultants, Inc.). This presentation gave professionals a solid foundation for understanding commercial windstorm claims. Various commercial policy provisions, prevalent in windstorm claims, ...

William Collum presented "A Holmesian Approach to Fire Investigations" for the FACAP 2019 General Meeting in Tampa, Florida on August 1, 2019. This interactive course explored the Holmesian approach to investigations and the investigational tools utilized in several famous Sherlock Holmes manuscripts and applies several investigational tools and techniques to modern fire investigation, inc...

Join us in congratulating William Collum for being appointed to the Florida Advisory Committee on Arson Prevention (FACAP) Board of Directors. Founded in 1975, the Florida Advisory Committee on Arson Prevention is a non-profit organization dedicated to the prevention of arson and insurance fraud in the state of Florida. Visit their website here....

William Collum and co-panelist Andrea Matott presented "Commercial Policies and Claims: Insight and Lessons from Hurricane Irma" at the 2019 Windstorm Insurance Conference in Orlando, FL on January 29, 2019. This presentation aimed to give the professional a solid foundation for understanding commercial windstorm claims....

Because there can be more than one individual or entity that holds an interest in the property, a property insurance policy is generally drafted in such a way to identify and protect all the individuals or entities who have an interest in the property, even a mortgagee. When there is a loss to property covered by the insurance contract, all those individuals or entities have a vested interest in t...

William Collum from Butler Weihmuller Katz Craig presented in Orlando, FL at the Windstorm Insurance Conference on the topic of "Commercial Claim Boot Camp: A Guide to Handling Commercial Windstorm Claims". This presentation aimed to give the professionals a solid foundation for understanding commercial windstorm claims. We discussed various standard commercial policy provisions that frequently a...

William presented  "Strategies for Ensuring Efficient and Effective Examinations Under Oath in Fire Claims". This presentation focused on the “superbowl” of the claim investigation: the Examination Under Oath. ...

William Collum from Butler Weihmuller Katz Craig along with co-presenters Mike Giasi, Patrick Garrett, and Mike Ferguson, presented in Orlando, FL at the 18th Annual Windstorm Insurance Conference on the topic of "Duties After Loss: Viewpoints from Insured and from Insurer Across Different Loss Scenarios" on January 29, 2017. ...

William Collum and Gerald Albrecht spoke at the Florida Advisory Committee on Arson Prevention (FACAP) Training Opportunity Meeting on August 25th. Their presentation addressed the legal issues regarding the claims file, including privileges and protections. They also discussed good faith claims, handling and documentation of the claims file, and the art of communication with the insured, especi...

Jerry Albrecht and William Collum presented at the Florida Advisory Committee on Arson Prevention (FACAP) Seminar November 4 —6, 2015 in Ocala, FL. Jerry and William's topic was, "Meet Your New Best Friend-Your Claim File”...

The following article was originally published in the HCBA magazine, The Lawyer, May - June 2015. Section 627.706, Florida Statutes, has not always required "structural damage" as part of a "sinkhole loss." Until 2005, the statute required "actual physical damage to the property." The 2005 amendment to section 627.706 narrowed the damage requirement to "structural damage to the building" but...

William Collum spoke at the Tampa Insurance Professionals Business Meeting on April 17, 2014. The topic was, "2014 Florida Insurance Legislation Update."...

The following article was originally published in the HCBA Magazine, The Lawyer, September - October 2012. From moldy lunch boxes to deformed 2x4s, determining what paper, electronic data, materials, tools, and equipment might be relevant to a pending construction-related claim, and require preservation, is a daunting task. The problem is compounded once construction is completed and the pro...