From early on, Steven Brodie had a knack for public speaking and a political inclination.

In high school, he was on the debate team. He also was the class president.

While working on his bachelor's degree at Tulane University, he served as the student body president. He also worked for political campaigns and wrote his college thesis on university students' tolerance for potentially deviant behavior by public officials.

It's no surprise then that Brodie became a litigator. He now primarily focuses on insurance-related litigation and has worked on cases throughout the U.S., including some beyond the insurance realm.

“I also have represented a number of banks, developers, telecommunications companies, been involved in taking companies public … cyber data breach cases with a recent primary focus on insurance,” Brodie said.

The Carlton Fields shareholder is co-managing shareholder of the Miami office along with Amy Furness and chair of the firm's insurance industry group. He has been involved with insurance litigation as far as Hawaii and Alaska.

Since he joined the firm in 2000, the Carlton Fields insurance practice has grown, both in the number of attorneys and the number of insurance companies it represents.

“We represent probably most of the major insurers now and have been working with some of the major insurance brokers. I have been involved with forming insurance companies in Florida that are meeting the needs of Florida citizens,” Brodie said.

NOTABLE CASES

Much like his overall legal experience, his insurance litigation practice, too, is eclectic.

He was part of a team that worked pro bono in the early 2000s representing Holocaust survivors, who wanted a say in the allocation of restitution payments from German insurance companies, Brodie said.

“There were insurance commissioners who reached a settlement with a number of German insurance companies that made restitution payments, and the question was, 'Holocaust survivors, do they have a say with the restitution money, how it's spent?' ” Brodie said.

He also was part of Carlton Fields teams that represented American International Group Inc., or AIG, and its member companies.

He represented Lexington Insurance Co. when it was sued by The Weitz Co. LLC. The Carlton Fields team obtained a summary judgment for its client in the Southern District of Iowa in the case where a general contractor was trying to obtain a double recovery of $50 million against a project owner's post-construction property insurers.

“ Just because you make a claim with the insurance company doesn't mean every claim is covered,” Brodie said, speaking generally about insurance cases. “Insurance policies need to be read and understood to determine what's covered and what's not.”

CIVIC INVOLVEMENT

Just as notable as his litigation career is his civic involvement. Brodie's late father, Myron J. “Mike” Brodie, is recognized in South Florida and abroad for his work for the Jewish community and the diverse South Florida community as a whole.

Mike Brodie, who died last June, served a 20-year tenure as president of the Greater Miami Jewish Federation.

“He was involved with bringing the pope here in the 1990s,” Brodie said, adding his father also led trips for non-Jews to Israel. “He was someone well-known throughout South Florida for his work of building community.”

Steven Brodie has followed his father's footsteps, finding time for extensive community involvement. He has served on the boards of the University of Miami, the Greater Miami Jewish Federation and United Way of Miami-Dade, according to the Carlton Fields website. He also was president of the UM's Miami citizens board.

More recently, he was part of a group that led a mission to Israel with more than 800 people, Brodie said.

If he had to sum up how he feels about his civic involvement and how he approaches his legal practice, he might say, “A life that touches others goes on forever.” The words resonated with him ever since the quote was placed on a dedication to his father in Israel.

“My father … was instrumental in showing me each day we should try to do what we can to make the world a better place. So every day I try to be the best lawyer I could be, be the best father, husband, grandfather I could be, and try to make a difference in the community.”

STEVEN BRODIE

Born: Neosho, Missouri, 1956

Children: Bradley and Michael

Spouse: Shelly Brodie

Education: University of Miami, J.D., 1981; Tulane University, B.S., 1978

Experience: Carlton Fields, 2000-present; Cohen Berke Bernstein Brodie & Kondell, 1986-2000; Finley Kumble Wagner, 1983-1986; Squire Sanders & Dempsey, 1981-1983