Deborah S. M. Verley
Partner
Fort Lauderdale Office
2400 E. Commercial Blvd., Suite 520
Fort Lauderdale , Florida 33308
Deborah S.M. Verley is a partner in the Fort Lauderdale office of Quintairos, Prieto, Wood & Boyer, P.A. Her practice focuses on insurance defense from pre-claim through trial, with focus in the areas of complex civil litigation in a wide range of legal matters. She has handled complex construction matters for over 18 years involving all phases of construction defect primarily representing architects, engineers, and subcontractors under errors and omissions insurance policies, contract drafting and negotiations, and settlement negotiations. Ms. Verley has handled first party insurance subrogation matters, premises liability, products liability defense cases involving events resulting in personal injury. She routinely prepares and argues dispositive motions. Ms. Verley's practice also involved evaluating and drafting contracts to assist clients with procuring design or construction work on both private and public sector projects.
Previously, Ms. Verley worked as an attorney partner at QPWB's Miami-Dade office for eight years handling matters in all her current practice areas. Prior to rejoining the firm, she worked as an associate general counsel for a property and casualty insurance company where she was responsible for handling defense of first party property claims involving plumbing and catastrophic events. During her career, she also worked at other law firms representing architects, engineers, surveyors, and developers in construction defect cases on issues ranging from contract disputes, and multi-party construction defect disputes, in both state and federal courts, as well as through the arbitration process.
Ms. Verley previously handled real estate matters wherein she represented both public and private entities, handling corporate contract drafting and negotiations, review of commercial leases, and real estate closing. She has represented developers before municipal, county, and other governmental agencies for approval of commercial projects. Among her experiences, Ms. Verley also worked as an assistant school board attorney.
Her background in design and architecture is derived from her education and prior work experience in architecture, with both private firms and public entities. Such experience included the preparation of design development and construction documents, perform code investigation, addressing site plan issues, zoning ordinance review, compliance, and performed land use planning for various developers.
Ms. Verley received her Juris Doctor from the University of Miami School of Law in 1996 and a Bachelor of Architecture from the University of Miami School of Architecture in 1989.
She is licensed to practice law in Florida and is admitted in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Florida.