Swope Rodante adds former insurance defense partner Jamie Novaes

Swope, Rodante, Newsome & Steinberg has hired Jamie Novaes in Tampa, bringing more than 12 years of insurance defense and civil litigation experience to the firm’s plaintiff-side practice. The move expands the firm’s work in insurance bad faith, personal injury, wrongful death and complex litigation.

Why it matters: - Jamie Novaes arrives with firsthand experience defending insurers in coverage, liability and bad faith disputes. - The hire strengthens Swope, Rodante, Newsome & Steinberg's plaintiff-side work for injured individuals and policyholders. - The move adds trial, appellate and claims-evaluation experience to the firm's litigation team.

What happened: - Swope, Rodante, Newsome & Steinberg announced that Jamie Novaes has joined the firm in Tampa. - Novaes brings more than 12 years of experience handling complex insurance, bad faith and civil litigation matters. - Before joining the firm, Novaes spent over a decade representing insurance companies. - Managing Partner Dale Swope said Novaes spent years on the other side of these cases and understands how insurance companies evaluate claims and approach litigation.

The details: - Novaes now focuses on insurance bad faith, personal injury, wrongful death and complex civil litigation. - Her new role centers on representing injured individuals and policyholders. - During her insurance defense career, Novaes became a partner. - Her work covered pre-suit investigation through trial and appeal. - She evaluated high-value claims. - She conducted hundreds of depositions. - She argued dispositive and evidentiary motions. - She advised insurers on coverage, liability and bad faith issues. - Novaes is a Tampa native. - She graduated cum laude from the University of South Florida. - She earned her law degree cum laude from Stetson University College of Law. - She graduated in the top seven percent of her Stetson class. - At Stetson, she served on the Moot Court Board and Mock Trial Board. - She was part of the team that won the ABA National Appellate Advocacy Championship. - Super Lawyers recognized Novaes as a Rising Star. - Best Lawyers named her one of its Ones to Watch in America. - Novaes is admitted to The Florida Bar and the U.S. District Courts for the Middle, Southern and Northern Districts of Florida. - The firm said Novaes' addition further strengthens its insurance bad faith, personal injury and complex litigation practices. - The firm said more information is available at the company's announcement.

Between the lines: - The hire gives the firm a lawyer who knows how insurers build defenses and assess exposure. - That background can matter in bad faith and coverage disputes, where strategy and documentation often shape outcomes. - Novaes' appellate and trial experience also fits a firm that handles cases from investigation through appeal.

What's next: - Novaes will apply her defense-side experience to plaintiff representation. - The firm is likely to use her background across bad faith, personal injury, wrongful death and complex civil cases. - The addition suggests continued growth in the firm's litigation bench.

The bottom line: - Swope, Rodante, Newsome & Steinberg is betting that an experienced former insurer-side attorney can sharpen its plaintiff-side edge.