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Kathy J. Maus is a Partner at Butler. Starting with the firm in 1991, she is the Partner-in-Charge of the Tallahassee office. Kathy is active in the firm’s bad faith, first and third-party liability defense, and insurance coverage practices, including the areas of construction, employment, bodily injury, and catastrophic injury cases, among others.

Before earning her Doctor of Jurisprudence, cum laude, from Florida State University in 1991, Kathy served as a licensed Commercial Liability Claims Adjuster with a national insurance company, and she draws on this experience for her work.

Kathy is a Board Certified Civil Trial Lawyer and a recognized Florida Super Lawyer in Insurance Coverage. She is licensed in the State of Florida and each of Florida’s Federal District Courts within the 11th Circuit. She is licensed to practice in the 11th Circuit Court of Appeal and the United States Supreme Court. She served as a Board Director for the DRI, The International Association of Defense Counsel, and President of the Tallahassee Chapter of ABOTA, the Tallahassee Bar Association, and Tallahassee Women Lawyers. Kathy is also a member of the American College of Coverage and Extracontractual Counsel (ACCEC). 

Admissions

  • Florida

Recognitions

  • Dri’s Richard H. Krochock Award, 2007

Education

  • Florida State University
    Bachelor of Arts
  • Florida State University College of Law
    Doctor of Jurisprudence, Cum Laude

Memberships

  • ABOTA (American Board of Trial Advocates)
  • American College of Coverage and Extra-contractual Counsel (ACCEC)
  • Defense Research Institute (DRI)
  • Florida Defense Lawyers Association (FDLA)
  • International Association of Defense Counsel (IADC) – Insurance Law Committee
  • Tallahassee Bar Association
  • Tallahassee Women Lawyers (TWL)
  • Women in the Law Networking Committee

Courts

  • United States District Court – Northern District of Florida
  • United States District Court – Southern District of Florida
  • United States District Court – Middle District of Florida
  • United States Eleventh Circuit Court of Appeals
  • United States Supreme Court

Media

Essential Relationships Among Members of the Risk Mitigation Supply Chain

Mark your calendars for March 13, 2024! Tallahassee Partner Kathy Maus will be moderating a panel at the 2024 DRI Insurance Roundtable in Chicago, IL. Alongside co-panelist Dr. John Lowry (Thrivence), Kathy will lead a discussion on resolving challenges faced by firms and carriers in the insurance sector....

Best Lawyers – 2024 Edition

Join us in congratulating our attorneys who were recognized in the 2024 Best Lawyers publication! Click on their icons to learn more. Recognition by Best Lawyers is based entirely on peer review. Their process is designed to capture, as accurately as possible, the consensus opinion of leading lawyers about the professional abilities of their colleagues within the same geographical area and legal ...

Multiple Claimants & Insufficient Policy Limits

Join Partner Kathy Maus and co-presenter Julia Molander (JAMolander Consulting) as they present "Multiple Claimants & Insufficient Policy Limits" at the PLRB Claims Conference & Insurance Services Expo on March 19-22, 2023 in Orlando, FL. The program description is as follows: Describe the issues involved where multiple claimants seek compensation under a policy or policies with insuff...

When the Walls Fall Down: Disaster Litigation and the Surfside Condo Collapse

Join Partner Kathy Maus and co-presenters Douglas M. McIntosh (Segal McCambridge Singer & Mahoney, Ltd.), Randall Poston (Pivot Engineers), and Stephen P. Smith (Marlow, Adler, Abrams, Newman & Lewis) as they present for the 2023 IADC Midyear Meeting. This event takes place from February 18-23, 2023 in Austin, TX. The presentation description can be read below. The collapse of the Champla...

Catastrophic Losses – Insight into the Surfside Condominium Collapse Litigation

Join Partner Kathy Maus and co-presenter Ilana B. Olman (Segal McCambridge) as they present for the 2022 DRI Insurance Coverage and Practice Symposium. This event will take place on December 8, 2022 in New York, NY. The program description is written below: This session will examine the issues faced by the carriers and coverage counsel involved in the Surfside Condominium Collapse Litigation, whi...

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Partner Kathy Maus Elected as Secretary-Treasurer for DRI

Join us in congratulating Tallahassee Partner Kathy Maus for becoming selected as the Secretary-Treasurer for the DRI. Below is a message from our founder, Paul Butler: Being elected an officer isn’t the result of simply being popular or well liked. It’s the result of a LOT of work within and contributions to the organization while maintaining credibility as an effective practicing attorney...

Butler Proudly Sponsors DRI 2022 Annual Meeting

We are proud to be a sponsor for the DRI 2022 Annual Meeting. This event takes place from October 25-28, 2022 in Philadelphia, PA. Partners Pablo Cáceres, Matthew Lavisky and Kathy Maus will be in attendance. We hope to see you there! Learn more about the event here....

Best Lawyers – 2023 Edition

Join us in congratulating our attorneys who were recognized in the 2023 Best Lawyers publication! Click on their icons to learn more. Recognition by Best Lawyers is based entirely on peer review. Their process is designed to capture, as accurately as possible, the consensus opinion of leading lawyers about the professional abilities of their colleagues within the same geographical area and legal ...

Kathy Maus – Florida Super Lawyer 2022

Congratulations to Tallahassee Partner Kathy Maus for being named a Florida Super Lawyer for 2022! Click Kathy's photo to learn more about her. Super Lawyers is a rating service of outstanding lawyers from more than 70 practice areas who have attained a high-degree of peer recognition and professional achievement. The patented selection process includes independent research, peer nominations and ...

Recognizing the Best Lawyers in America 2022

Please join us in congratulating our Partners for being recognized on “The Best Lawyers in America” list for 2022. Recognition in Best Lawyers is widely regarded by both clients and legal professionals as a significant honor, conferred on a lawyer by his or her peers. For more than three decades, their publications have earned the respect of the profession, the media, and the public, as the m...

The Transformed Post COVID World: Responding to New Challenges and Higher Expectations for Corporate Legal Teams

Join Butler Partner Kathy Maus and Butler's Managing Partner Scott Katz as they participate in a panel discussion with Carin Brock, General Counsel & Vice President of Corporate Administration, Foxworth-Galbraith Lumber Company and Mallory South, Corporate Counsel Topgolf, International. This presentation will cover: Maintaining employee engagement to build a strong business culture whil...

Partner Kathy Maus Appointed Co-Chair for ACCC Litigation Committee

Join us in congratulating Partner Kathy Maus for being selected as Co-Chair of the Extra-Contractual and Bad Faith Claims Litigation Committee of the American College of Coverage Counsel (ACCC). The ACCC is composed of preeminent coverage and extra-contractual counsel in the United States and Canada, representing the interests of both insurers and policyholders. The organization facilitates and e...

Partner Kathy Maus Quoted in Insurance Law360: “Policyholders’ Hack Coverage Hopes Surge with Landry’s Win”

Partner Kathy Maus of Butler's Tallahassee office was recently quoted in an Insurance Law360 article titled "Policyholders' Hack Coverage Hopes Surge with Landry's Win," detailing a Fifth Circuit ruling involving a data breach suit between a hospitality company and JPMorgan Chase Bank. Read the full Law360 article here. For any further questions, please contact Kathy Maus....

Attorney Spotlight | Kathy Maus

This month’s attorney spotlight highlights a Butler Partner who has played an integral role in helping build the foundations of the Firm, Partner Kathy Maus. As a first, in many ways, and leader, Kathy not only helped pave the building blocks to create success for others but also set an example of what’s possible to achieve. In our interview, Kathy shares the value of past work experiences, he...

Kathy Maus | DRI Insurance Law Committee Chair

Join us in congratulating Partner Kathy Maus for being named Chair for the DRI Insurance Law Committee. As Committee Chair, Kathy ensures that ILC members are provided ample opportunities to network with other professionals as well as expand their knowledge base through several world-class seminars. The Insurance Law Committee (“ILC”) is one of DRI’s largest and most active committees with ...

How Carriers Implement Fair Claims Practices in a Hands-Off World

This article was originally published in the DRI For The Defense magazine, October 2020 edition. Legal opinions may vary when based on subtle factual differences. All rights reserved. Insurance bad faith claims are among the most contentious and heavily defended lawsuits in civil litigation. This article will explore the growing use of automation and predictive analytics in the insurance industry...

Can You Get Stuck with Stucco? Coverage Under an EIFS Exclusion for Property Damage Caused by Construction Defects

This article was originally published in the Florida Bar Journal November/December 2020 publication. Legal opinions may vary when based on subtle factual differences. All rights reserved. Many commercial general liability policies contain an exterior insulation and finish systems (EIFS) exclusion, which bars coverage under specific circumstances when EIFS is used in construction. EIFS is also kno...

Recognizing the Best Lawyers in America

Please join us in congratulating our Partners for being recognized on "The Best Lawyers in America" list for 2021. Recognition in Best Lawyers is widely regarded by both clients and legal professionals as a significant honor, conferred on a lawyer by his or her peers. For more than three decades, their publications have earned the respect of the profession, the media, and the public, as the most ...

Butler Sponsors DRI Insurance Coverage and Practice Symposium

Butler is proud to be a sponsor for the DRI Insurance Coverage and Practice Symposium on December 5, 2019, in New York, New York. This year’s symposium will give attendees the opportunity to: Engage with a distinguished faculty of insurance industry leaders, experts, and coverage lawyers. Be informed on emerging issues, recent court rulings, national trends, and the future of insurance co...

Butler Proud to Sponsor 2019 DRI Annual Meeting

Butler is proud to be a sponsor for the DRI Annual Meeting on October 16, 2019, in New Orleans, Louisiana. This program will give attendees the opportunity to: Experience outstanding educational programming on timely topics to include the ever-changing world and developing legal topics to stay ahead of the game. Earn up to 10 hours of CLE credit including up to 3 hours of ethics credit. G...

International Women’s Day – 2019

In celebration of International Women's Day, Butler's female attorneys came together to discuss important female figures in US history. Watch the video below: [embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4CTfgnj51So&feature=youtu.be[/embed]  ...

The Use And Abuse Of Experts

Partner Kathy Maus presented on the topic "The Use and Abuse of Experts" at the DRI Insurance Coverage and Practice Symposium on November 29—30. 2018 in New York, NY. This presentation discussed the use of experts in interpreting the scope and meaning of liability insurance policies....

Kathy Maus Appointed Vice Chair of the Insurance Law Committee

Congratulation to Partner Kathy Maus for being appointed as Vice-Chair of the Insurance Law Committee on behalf of the DRI. This appointment was made based on recommendations from current Committee leadership and has been approved by a consensus of DRI Officers. Kathy's appointment as Vice-Chair will last a one-year term, beginning on October 20, 2018, after which she will be eligible for appointm...

Fla. High Court Bolsters Policyholders In Bad Faith Cases

Partner Kathy Maus was featured in a Law360 article titled "Fla. High Court Bolsters Policyholders in Bad Faith Cases." This article discusses actions an insurer must make in order to defend against a bad faith claim. Read a short excerpt from the article below: Kathy J. Maus, partner-in-charge of Butler Weihmuller Katz Craig LLP’s Tallahassee office and a member of the International Associati...

Congratulations to Kathy Maus for Recognition in the Best Lawyers in America 25th Edition

Partner Kathy Maus has been recognized in the 25th Edition of The Best Lawyers in America. This publication is based on peer review and the evaluations of the country's leading lawyers....

Super Lawyers 2018

The 2018 Super Lawyer's List is here, and we're excited to show you our latest Super Lawyers and Rising Stars at Butler! Super Lawyers, a rating service for outstanding lawyers that utilizes independent research, peer nominations and peer evaluations, has selected multiple Butler attorneys as "Super Lawyers" in their area of practice. They have also designated our Rising Stars for those attorneys...

International Women’s Day

"LEADERSHIP IS ABOUT MAKING OTHERS BETTER AS A RESULT OF YOUR PRESENCE AND MAKING SURE THAT IMPACT LASTS IN YOUR ABSENCE." -SHERYL SANBERG (COO OF FACEBOOK) ...

5th Annual Bad Faith Claims & Litigation Strategies Execusummit – Who Is Afraid Of The Big Bad Wolf?

Kathy Maus and David Krouk from Butler Weihmuller Katz Craig along with co-presenter Beth Zaro Green presented in Uncasville, CT at the 5th Annual Bad Faith Claims & Litigation Strategies ExecuSummit on the topic of "Who is Afraid of the Big Bad Wolf?" This 2—part program compared elements of 1st & 3rd party insurance and Bad Faith laws between states and show how the fear of bad faith...

2017 Dri Northeast Regional Claims Conference – Bad Faith: Defusing The Fuse

Kathy Maus from Butler Weihmuller Katz Craig along with co-presenter Peter Kochenburger, presented in Hartford, CT at the 2017 DRI Northeast Regional Claims Conference on the topic of "Bad Faith: Defusing the Fuse". This program discussed ways in which an insurer can manage a claim while anticipating the institution of a bad faith claim. The discussion explored situations that may lead to a ba...

To Fee or Not to Fee, That is the Question: The Florida Supreme Court Finds Coverage for Proposal for Settlement Sanctions in Favor of the Plaintiff Under an Automobile Liability Policy in Macedo II

To understand the implications of Macedo II, it is important to understand what brought us here. It’s a long and bumpy road, but understanding what brought us here will be critical in order to understand how to go forward. Prior to the recent Florida Supreme Court’s decision in Government Employees Insurance Company v. Macedo, 2017 WL 2981812 (Fla. July 13, 2017) (Macedo II), a conflict exi...

The 2017 Super Lawyers List is Here!

The 2017 Super Lawyers List is here! Super Lawyers, a rating service for outstanding lawyers that utilizes independent research, peer nominations and peer evaluations, has selected multiple Butler attorneys as "Super Lawyers" in their area of practice. View our attorneys who are on the 2017 Super Lawyers List: A complete list of our "Super Lawyers" is available here  ...

CTRL Your Future

For the second year in a row, Butler Weihmuller Katz Craig has spread some end of the school year cheer to seniors in eight different locations. Butler’s annual CTRL Your Future essay contest was created by the Firm’s Community Service Committee to recognize deserving high school seniors who have exhibited a commitment to their academics. The winners in each city received a brand-new laptop wi...

Iadc Midyear Meeting – What Has Eight Corners And Is Not A Cube? Issues Arising From The Duty To Defend

Kathy Maus from Butler Weihmuller Katz Craig along with co-presenters Robin Donoian and Michael A. Hamilton presented in Scottsdale, AZ at the IADC Midyear Meeting on the topic of "What has Eight Corners and is Not a Cube? Issues Arising from the Duty to Defend" on February 21, 2017.  What are the issues that arise most frequently in defending insureds in third party claims? This program cover...

87th Annual Meeting & Educational Conference

Kathy Maus and Pablo Caceres presented at the 87th Annual Meeting & Educational Conference on January 26, 2017 at the Marriott Waterside Hotel & Marina. On the topic of "Who’s Afraid of the Big Bad Faith? Spotting the Wolf in Sheep’s Clothing". The program compared elements of Florida’s unique 1st party insurance bad faith law with those of other states and perhaps show how the fea...

Eleventh Circuit Affirms Judgment Notwithstanding the Verdict in UIM Bad Faith Case

On Friday, September 30, 2016, the Eleventh Circuit Court of Appeal affirmed a renewed motion for judgment as a matter of law that had been granted by the Middle District Court of Florida in an uninsured/underinsured motorist (“UIM”) bad faith case. In Cadle v. GEICO Gen’l Ins. Co., the federal appeals court held that the plaintiff’s failure to provide evidence that she suffered a permanen...

What Has Eight Corners, But Isn’t A Cube? Issues Arising From The Duty To Defend

Kathy Maus spoke at the 2016 Southeast Regional Claims Conference in Atlanta on September 28th, on the topic of "Issues Arising from the Duty to Defend". What are the most frequent issues in defending insureds in third-party claims? This program covered those, including the "eight corners rule" and it's exceptions, defending under a reservation of rights, withdrawal from the defense, the insure...

Tallahassee Recipient of Butler “Step-Up” Award Selected

The Tallahassee winner of the Butler Step-Up award has been selected. Kathy Maus presented the award to Ruth Castro, a senior at Godby High School, who received the award for her commitment to scholarly success and community service. The Firm's Community Service Committee enacted the Butler "Step-Up" Award to recognize deserving high school seniors who have exhibited a commitment to community...

2015 Bad Faith Litigation Strategies Execusummit – Spring Session

Kathy Maus spoke at the 2015 Bad Faith Litigation Strategies ExecuSummit - Spring Session on May 5—6,  2015 in Ucasville, CT. Kathy's topic was, "Bad Faith across Jurisdictions: Trends & Impacts: Spotlight on Florida."...

Seven Partners Listed in the Best Lawyers in America 2015

Butler is pleased to announce that seven of its Partners were listed in The Best Lawyers in America 2015, a highly regarded directory of attorneys, where inclusion is entirely peer-based and extremely selective. Fewer than 4% of the nation's attorneys are included. Jerry Albrecht, Paul Butler, Doug Berry, Bill Lewis, Kathy Maus, and John Weihmuller were selected for Insurance Law. Lewis Collins w...

Kathy Maus – Litigation Counsel of America

The firm is pleased to announce that Kathy Maus is now a Fellow in the Litigation Counsel of America – The Trial Lawyer Honorary Society. LITIGATION COUNSEL OF AMERICA...

Kathy Maus Selected to Fawl’s Class of Leaders in the Law

The firm is pleased to announce that Kathy Maus has been selected into the Florida Association for Women Lawyers (FAWL) 2012 Class of Leaders in the Law....

Iadc Midyear Meeting

Kathy Maus presented at IADC Midyear Meeting. The presentation was on, "What's Hot in Construction Defect Litigation."...

Determining Coverage In Property Insurance Policies- New Appleman On Insurance Law Library Edition, Chapter 42

Abstract Of Chapter 42 This chapter addresses the issues that can govern whether the loss or damage to particular property falls within the coverage provided by an insurance contract.  As in a news story, the critical questions affecting coverage for loss or damage to property under an insurance policy are "who," "what," "where," "when," and "how." When addressing a claim for indemnity for the...

Kathy Maus is Elected to the Iadc Board of Directors

The firm is pleased to announce that Kathy J. Maus was elected to the Board of Directors of the International Association of Defense Counsel (IADC) at its annual meeting in July 2011....

2011 Insurance Bad Faith And Extra-Contractual Claims Symposium

Kathy Maus was appointed Vice-Chair of the 2011 Insurance Bad Faith and Extra-Contractual Claim Symposium for DRI in Washington, DC....

Raising The Roof: What’s Hot In Construction Defect Litigation

Kathy J. Maus is a partner with Butler Weihmuller Katz Craig LLP, having joined the firm in 1991. Julius F. "Rick" Parker III is a senior associate with the firm, having joined the firm in 2004. Ms. Maus and Mr. Parker both practice in the firm's Tallahassee office and focus their practices on first and third party extracontractual litigation defense, casualty litigation and first and third-party ...

2011 Dri Insurance Coverage & Claims Institute

Kathy Maus spoke at the 2011 Insurance Coverage and Claims Institute...

Perera V. United States Fidelity & Guaranty Co.

Perera v. USF&G, ___ So. 3d ___, 2010 WL 1791151 (Fla. 2010) This opinion has not been released for publication. Until released it is subject to revision or withdrawal. In a decision that some may use to attempt to broaden the landscape for third-party bad faith actions, the Florida Supreme Court in Perera v. United Stated Fidelity & Guaranty Co., ___ So. 3d ___, 2010 WL 1791151 (Fla...

Pushing The Envelope: Exploring The Newest Trends In Bad Faith Exposure In Automobile Cases

Kathy J. Maus is a partner with Butler Weihmuller Katz Craig LLP, having joined the firm in 1991. Julius F. "Rick" Parker III is an associate with the firm, having joined the firm in 2004. Ms. Maus and Mr. Parker both practice in the firm's Tallahassee office and focus their practices on first and third party extracontractual litigation defense, casualty litigation and first and third-party covera...

Raising The Coverage Defense In The Bad Faith Case

This is one of a series of articles under the by line "Butler on Bad Faith" originally published in Mealey's Litigation Report: Insurance Bad Faith, Vol. 14, #12, p. 24 (October 24, 2000). © Copyright Butler 2000.   In representing insurers in bad faith litigation, from time to time one will find a coverage issue that was not raised in the underlying litigation. The question to be addressed in...

Bad Faith Findings In The Absence Of Coverage

This article was published in For the Defense Vol. 42, No. 1, January 2000. © Copyright 2000 DRI, Inc. Claimants sometimes seek bad faith damages from their insurer even when there is no coverage for the loss or claim. Courts have split on the issue of whether a carrier can be held liable for bad faith when there is no coverage. Courts often analyze this issue differently for first party and...

Standard Of Care In First Party Bad Faith Actions: Is “Fairly Debatable” Fair?

This is one of a series of articles under the by line "Butler on Bad Faith" originally published in Mealey's Litigation Report: Bad Faith, Vol. 13, #5, p. 21 (July 1, 1999). Copyright Butler 1999. I.   Introduction Since the early 1970s, when first-party bad faith actions came into being,(1) a considerable body of law has developed on the standard of care for insurers to avoid liability. In c...

Kathy Maus