Kelley H. Armitage
Partner
West Palm Beach Office
1475 Centrepark Blvd., Suite 130
West Palm Beach, Florida 33401
Kelley H. Armitage is a partner in the West Palm Beach office of Quintairos, Prieto, Wood & Boyer, P.A. Mr. Armitage is a seasoned attorney with broad expertise and a record of excellence in civil litigation and contract negotiations. His legal expertise spans insurance defense, torts, contract disputes, labor and employment matters (including employer-employee relationships), corporate law, environmental law, government representation, nursing homes, assisted living facilities, hospitals, and medical malpractice defense. Additionally, he is well-versed in administrative hearings, appeals, and regulatory matters, including regulatory compliance and disputes.
Over the course of his illustrious legal career, Mr. Armitage has enhanced his analytical, negotiation, and problem-solving skills. He has expertly initiated and defended civil cases, handling pleadings, discovery, motions, and trials in both state and federal courts. Notably, in his previous role as a managing attorney for an insurance company, he led a legal team, providing guidance, mentorship, and strategic direction for litigation related to specific laws governing first-party property homeowners' insurance, coverage claims, PIP, bodily injury, and insurance fraud investigations.
As the City Magistrate in Sebastian, Florida, Mr. Armitage assumed a pivotal role in the administration of the city's judicial system policies and procedures. His responsibilities encompassed overseeing litigation and general services for major government entities. This included contract negotiations and review, lease agreements, telecommunications law, public finance, and inter-local agreements. He also presided over administrative hearings addressing violations of the city's ordinances.
In addition to his legal practice, Mr. Armitage has made significant contributions to legal education, having served as an educator for more than 15 years. As the Chairman of Legal Studies at the Graduate School of Business at the University of Phoenix and as a Legal Studies professor at Argosy University, he played a crucial role in educating and mentoring graduate and undergraduate students. His teaching expertise covered diverse areas, with a particular emphasis on contracts, criminal law, constitutional law, torts, employment law, property, judicial process, and environmental law. Mr. Armitage also excelled in supervising and evaluating a team of legal professionals.
Before embarking on his teaching career, Mr. Armitage served as the lead Assistant Attorney General for the State of Florida. In this capacity, he acted as the lead counsel for False Claims Act cases and civil forfeiture actions brought in both state and federal courts. He oversaw investigations of medical providers related to HIPAA, Medicare and Medicaid reimbursement, fraud and abuse, and anti-kickback issues. Moreover, he supervised investigations of nursing homes, assisted living facilities, and hospitals concerning patient abuse, neglect, and exploitation.
Mr. Armitage earned his Juris Doctor from the University of Florida in Gainesville, Florida, where he distinguished himself as the Editor of the University of Florida Journal of Law & Public Policy.
He is licensed to practice law in Florida.
Publications
- Denial Ain't Just a River in Egypt: A Thorough Review of Judicial Elections, Merit Selection and the Role of State Judges in Society, 29 Capital University Law Review 625 (2002). A summary of the deliberative ebb and flow in the judicial appointments versus judicial elections debate. This article has been cited in 30 legal journals.
- It's Good to be King (At Least it Used to be and Could be Again): A Textualist View of Sovereign Immunity, 29 Stetson Law Review 599 (2000). Examination of court decisions that address progressive social causes and public contracting. Investigation and deconstruction of textualist tendencies of modern courts concerning public contracting. This article has been cited by the West Virginia Supreme Court of Appeals and seven legal journals.
- Constitution Revision Commissions Prevent Logrolling, Don't They? 72 Florida Bar Journal 62 (Nov. 1998). Analysis of the role constitution revision commissions play in Florida. Determined that log-rolling prohibitions applied to ballot initiatives proposed by the Revision Commission. This article has been cited by five legal journals.
Professional Affiliations
- Palm Beach County Zoning Commission, West Palm Beach, Fl
- Amnesty International, New York, NY
- Town of Jupiter Art Committee, Jupiter, Fl
- The Federalist Society, Washington, D.C.
- Habitat for Humanity, West Palm Beach, Fl