Shareholder, Kristen M. Van der Linde
Shareholder, Kristen M. Van der Linde, mobile, Insurance Defense Attorney

Kristen M. Van der Linde

Shareholder / Practice Group Leader

Areas Of Practice

Kristen Van der Linde devotes her practice exclusively to the defense of cases and appeals involving trucking liability, automobile liability, premises liability, wrongful death, bad faith, negligent security, and coverage issues. She is admitted to practice law in Georgia as well as Florida.

Ms. Van der Linde is Board Certified in Civil Trial Law by The Florida Bar, which means that she is an expert in civil litigation before state and federal courts, administrative agencies and arbitrators. 

She frequently lectures on a wide range of topics including adjuster ethics, handling wrongful death claims, and bad faith litigation for continuing educational credit to insurance professionals.

Admissions

  • Florida, 1992 – Board Certified Civil Trial Law
  • Georgia, 1992
  • United States District Court
    • Middle District of Florida, 1992
    • Northern District of Georgia, 2005
    • Northern District of Florida, 2012
    • Southern District of Florida, 2012
  • United States Court of Appeals, 11th Circuit, 2015

Awards & Recognition

  • Board Certified in Civil Trial Law by The Florida Bar
  • AV® Preeminent Peer Review Rated by Martindale-Hubbell
  • Recognized by Best Lawyers® as Jacksonville Insurance Law Lawyer of the Year (2014-2015)
  • Recognized by Best Lawyers® as Jacksonville Personal Injury Litigation – Defendant’s Lawyer of the Year (2012, 2017, 2022)
  • Listed in The Best Lawyers in America© (2008-2024)
  • Recognized by Florida Super Lawyers (2010-2023)
  • Recognized as Jacksonville’s Best Lawyers by Jacksonville Magazine
    • Personal Injury Litigation – Defendants (2011-2015, 2017-2021)
    • Insurance Defense (2010-2021)
  • Recognized as Jacksonville’s Best Lawyer by Folio Weekly (2008-2012)
  • Listed in Florida’s “Legal Elite” by Florida Trend Magazine (2006-2015)
  • 2023 ABOTA Recipient of North Florida Civility Award

Memberships

  • American Board of Trial Advocates, 2008-present
  • Claims & Litigation Management Alliance
  • International Association of Defense Counsel
    • Vice Chairman, 2009 Mid-year Meeting, Insurance and Reinsurance
  • Defense Research Institute
  • The Florida Bar
    • Rules of Civil Procedure Committee, 2006-2009
  • Fourth Judicial Circuit Grievance Committee, past member
  • Florida Defense Lawyers Association
  • Jacksonville Association of Defense Counsel, President, 2001
  • The Georgia Bar
  • The Jacksonville Bar Association
  • Chester Bedell Inn of Court, (1998 – 2000) – Master (2009)
  • Best Lawyers in America, 2008-present

Hannah Emerson

Heather Peterson

Amy Harrell

Linda Odom

Seminars

  • 2019: Current Litigation Trends in Auto Cases; CEU Presentation
  • 2019: The Practice of Law is First and Foremost a Profession, “Civility Matters” Gary Pajcic Professionalism Seminar, ABOTA Jacksonville Chapter
  • 2018: Good Faith Claims Handling – Webinar, Jacksonville Association of Defense Counsel’s Annual Seminar
  • 2017: 5-Hour Law and Ethics Update CE 5-620; CEU Presentation
  • 2016: Boyd & Jenerette Insurance Claims College – Technology in Litigation
  • 2015: 5-Hour Law and Ethics Update; CEU Presentation
  • 2014: Opening Statements: The Do’s and Don’ts; American Board of Trial Advocates – Masters in Opening Statements & Closing Arguments
  • 2014: Point One at Me and Three Back at You: Strategies for Defending Multi-Party Professional Liability Lawsuits; Claims & Litigation Management Alliance 2014 Professional Liability & eDiscovery Conference
  • 2013: Masters in Opening Statements and Closing Arguments; The American Board of Trial Advocates
  • 2013: Developments in Florida Bad Faith Law, Jacksonville Association of Defense Counsel’s Annual Seminar; Young Lawyers – What is This Case Worth; 17th Annual Florida Liability Claims Conference
  • 2012: Bad Faith 101, National Business Institute
  • 2011: Bad Faith Law and Litigation in Florida and Legal Ethics and Conflicts: Changes and Effects for 2011
  • 2010: Ethical Traps to Avoid (2010), Adjuster Ethics, UM-Carrier Setting Off, and Medicare Set Asides
  • 2009: Update: Bad Faith Insurance Claims in Florida: Emerging Issues and Current Laws, and Priority of Coverage Issues
  • 2008: North Florida Personal Injury Verdicts, Florida Wrongful Death Claims, and Independent Medical Exam
  • 2007: Instructor, “Winning Your First Civil Trial”, Adjuster Ethics, Traps and Pitfalls to Avoid in Bad Faith Litigation, Florida Defense Lawyers Association, Independent Medical Examinations, Florida Defense Lawyers Association, Products Liability Case Law Update
  • 2006: Handling Wrongful Death Claims: Hurricane Claims Handling

* If you would like Ms. Van der Linde to present a seminar, please contact her directly.

Publications

  • Co-author, Florida, in Insurance Bad Faith-2010: A Compendium of State Law (Anthony R. Zelle et al. eds., DRI 2010).

Education

  • B.A., Fairfield University, 1989
  • J.D., Georgia State University, 1992
    • Moot Court Team
    • American Jurisprudence Award, Moot Court

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Comprehensive Services

Many cases overlap several areas of law. As a full service law firm, we are able to recognize how one legal discipline impacts another. We work as a team on complex issues that require knowledge of a variety of state and federal laws. This multi-disciplinary approach allows clients to receive the large-firm advantage of access to multiple attorneys in a wide scope of practice areas as well as the hands-on customer service offered by a boutique law firm. In addition to civil litigation, employment law, workers’ compensation defense, commercial law, construction law and appeals, our firm also handles professional liability claims.

Our bilingual staff is available to assist with immigration matters, including consular and removal defenses.