Biography :
Russel Lazega is the Founder and Owner of Florida Advocates, a statewide insurance litigation firm he started in 1998 in a 10’x10′ windowless room in Little Haiti. Today, Florida Advocates has grown to a team of 50+ professionals, including 15+ attorneys across five Florida offices—Miami, Orlando, Dania Beach, Tallahassee, and Tampa.
If anybody understands the mindset of the insurance industry, it’s Russ Lazega.
Russ began his insurance career with the Florida Department of Insurance Legal Services Division, where he helped prosecute insurance companies and agents for violating the Florida Insurance Code. He also served as an intern to Chief Justice Harry Lee Anstead of the Supreme Court of Florida. That insider experience—combined with nearly three decades of advocating for consumers—makes Russ one of the most formidable insurance litigators in the state.
When a disaster damages your home or business, you need more than just a lawyer—you need a team that listens, understands what you’re going through, and delivers results. At Florida Advocates, we get your family’s home back to normal.
The Attorney Who Literally Wrote the Book on Florida Insurance Law
Russ isn’t just experienced in insurance litigation—he literally wrote the book on it. Several books, in fact:
- “Florida Motor Vehicle No-Fault Law & Practice (P.I.P.)” (2025-26 ed.) — Thomson Reuters / West Publishing, Florida Practice Series
- “West’s Florida Insurance Law & Practice” — Co-author, Florida Practice Series (covers motor vehicle insurance, property insurance, life insurance, health insurance, and workers compensation)
- “Florida Motor Vehicle No-Fault” (2001 Supplement) — Harrison Company
Distributed nationally by Thomson Reuters, these texts are used by courts, insurance companies, law schools, and attorneys throughout Florida and beyond. When judges and opposing counsel need to understand Florida property insurance law, they turn to books that Russ wrote.
Serving Clients Throughout Florida
As a Florida property damage attorney, Russ and the Florida Advocates team represent homeowners, business owners, and condominium associations across the entire state:
South Florida
- Dania Beach property damage lawyer — Home of Florida Advocates
- Hollywood property damage lawyer
- Ft Lauderdale property damage lawyer
- Miami property damage lawyer
- West Palm Beach property damage lawyer
- Broward property damage attorney
- Miami-Dade County property damage attorney
- Palm Beach County property damage attorney
Tampa Bay Area
- Tampa property damage lawyer
- Hillsborough County property damage attorney
Statewide Coverage With offices in Miami, Orlando, Dania Beach, Tallahassee, and Tampa, Florida Advocates handles property damage claims throughout Florida—including the Panhandle, Gulf Coast, and Central Florida. No matter where your property is located, we can help.
Russ is fluent in Spanish and provides dedicated legal representation to Florida’s Spanish-speaking community. Se habla español.
Property Damage: We Get Your Family Their Home Back Sooner
When a hurricane, flood, fire, or other disaster damages your home or business, the last thing you need is an insurance company that won’t pay what you’re owed. Russ and his team handle:
- Hurricane & Storm Damage Claims — Wind, rain, flooding, storm surge
- Water Damage Claims — Burst pipes, roof leaks, flooding
- Fire & Smoke Damage Claims
- Roof Damage Claims — Wind, hail, aging, storm damage
- Condominium Association Claims — Multi-building and complex property disputes
- Commercial Property Claims — Businesses, restaurants, hotels
- Denied Insurance Claims
- Delayed Insurance Claims • Underpaid Insurance Claims
- Insurance Bad Faith
- First-Party Property Insurance Disputes
What Russ Apart
InsuranceSets Regulatory Insider Before representing consumers, Russ worked for the Florida Department of Insurance, where he helped prosecute insurance companies and agents for violating the Florida Insurance Code. He also served as an intern to Chief Justice Harry Lee Anstead of the Supreme Court of Florida. Few attorneys in Florida have this level of insider knowledge about how insurance is regulated—and how insurers operate.
The Author Insurance Companies Recognize Russ authored the leading textbooks on Florida insurance law, including West’s Florida Insurance Law & Practice, which covers property and windstorm insurance. Courts, insurance companies, and attorneys rely on his work. When you hire Russ, you’re hiring the attorney who wrote the rules that everyone else follows.
100,000+ Cases Handled Over his career, Russ has handled well over 100,000 insurance cases throughout Florida, including trial court litigation and appeals at the circuit court, district court, and supreme court levels.
Educator and Speaker Russ regularly speaks to lawyers, judges, and insurance professionals on Florida property insurance law. He has lectured law students at St. Thomas University College of Law on Litigation Discovery and Investigation, and for nearly twenty years served as the lead faculty for Half-Moon Seminars’ annual Florida insurance law program, addressing audiences of 75 to 100 attorneys, judges, and insurance professionals.
Highest Professional Ratings
- AV Rated by Martindale-Hubbell — The publication’s highest rating for skill and professionalism
- 10/10 Rating on Avvo.com — Perfect score
- Florida Trend Magazine Legal Elite — Named to the list of top Florida attorneys numerous times
A Leader in the Legal Community
- Past President and Current Secretary, North Dade Bar Association
- Past President and Current Board Member, South Broward Bar Association
- General Counsel, Responsive Automobile Insurance Company
Trusted by Other Attorneys A great source of pride for Florida Advocates is that so much of the firm’s caseload comes from other insurance attorneys seeking a skilled litigation team to take their complex property damage cases through trial and appeal. When other lawyers need help, they call Russ.
Education :
- J.D. with Honors, Florida State University College of Law, 1996 — Member, Law Review — Editorial Board Member, Land Use and International Law Journals — Intern to Chief Justice Harry Lee Anstead, Supreme Court of Florida — Law Clerk, Company Regulation Section, Florida Department of Insurance
- B.A. with Honors in Political Science, University of Florida, 1993
Bar Admissions :
- Florida (1996) — Bar No. 91588
Ratings :
- AV Rated by Martindale-Hubbell (Highest Rating)
- 10/10 Avvo Rating
- Florida Trend Magazine Legal Elite (Multiple Years)
Publications:
- West's Florida Insurance Law & Practice (West Publishing, 2007–present) — Including windstorm/property coverage
- Florida Motor Vehicle No-Fault Law – P.I.P. (West Publishing, 2002–present)
- Florida Motor Vehicle No-Fault (Harrison Company, 2001)
- Managing Bubbie (Award-winning memoir)
Professional Leadership:
- President, South Broward Bar Association (2018)
- Past President, North Dade Bar Association
- General Counsel, Responsive Automobile Insurance Company