Litigation Team
This is us. Have a look at what makes our team unique. You'll find an impressive set of skills and experience woven throughout our close-knit group of dedicated lawyers and legal professionals. Reach out, get to know more about what makes us work so well together to support our clients throughout the property insurance claims process.
Scott Kandell
Founding Partner
305-858-2220
Throughout his 27 years of legal practice, Scott E. Kandell has committed to helping people in his native South Florida both within the legal field and his community. Born and raised in South Florida, Scott is one of the founding partners of Kandell, Kandell & Petrie. He graduated from Tulane University with a bachelor of arts in 1993 and the University of Miami School of Law in 1995, and then began his professional career with Brumer, Cohen, Logan, Kandell & Kaufman. After several years of practicing personal injury law with Brumer, Cohen and the successor law firm of Cohen & Kandell, Scott and his father, Stephen, moved their offices to Coconut Grove and established Kandell, Kandell & Petrie in 2001. As the firm’s managing partner, Scott has directed its evolution from a small and successful personal injury law practice into a prominent property insurance coverage firm with a diverse clientele. Despite its growth, Kandell, Kandell & Petrie maintains the same degree of excellence, professionalism, and personalized service that it was founded on throughout all its practice areas. Mr. Kandell has diversified his own practice substantially in the past two decades, representing individuals, restaurants, real estate entities, and corporations big and small across the state. He has directed multimillion-dollar tort claims to successful resolution and guided catastrophic commercial property losses to favorable outcomes with damages in excess of $25 million. Scott has been recognized by his peers multiple times as a top-rated Super Lawyer in the state of Florida. No matter the size of the claim, the charismatic second-generation civil litigation attorney prioritizes his clients’ needs, providing responsive, personalized attention and utilizing his extensive network of contacts throughout South Florida to resolve claims as quickly and efficiently as possible. Scott focuses on insurance law, insurance coverage disputes, first party insurance claims and denials, commercial property insurance claims, hurricane and windstorm claims, water loss and statutory bad faith claims. In keeping with his family’s long-standing history of community involvement, Scott has brought his signature enthusiasm and leadership skills to roles as a youth soccer coach for Pinecrest Premier Soccer in South Miami-Dade and as a board member of Temple Beth Am and Temple Beth Am Day School. When not practicing law, the die-hard Miami sports fan spends all of his free time with his three children and cheering on the Heat, Dolphins, Marlins, Panthers, and Hurricanes.
Justin Petrie
Partner
Justin D. Petrie brings his passion for helping Florida and Colorado residents, business owners, and their families to secure the best possible outcome for their insurance coverage needs to his everyday practice as a partner at Kandell, Kandell & Petrie. A native of the Adirondack Mountains in upstate New York, Justin attended the University of Rochester, where he earned his bachelor’s degree in physics while playing basketball for the NCAA Division III Yellowjackets. He then moved south and graduated from the University of Miami School of Law in 2010. Justin helms the insurance law practice within Kandell, Kandell & Petrie, overseeing all first-party dispute litigation from filing to trial, including coverage disputes, denied or underpaid homeowners and commercial property insurance claims, and statutory bad faith claims. He also handles hurricane, windstorm, and water damage claims and public adjusting for property damage claims. Mr. Petrie began his career handling litigation related to denied and underpaid commercial and residential claims following Hurricane Wilma. His background in physics and knowledge of the construction field was then, and continues to be, particularly beneficial in establishing the scope and estimation of damages and in the evaluation and coordination of expert witnesses, which often requires a deft hand and prudent mind. From private homeowners to local businesses, Justin’s clients appreciate his attentive service and determined advocacy as he works efficiently and skillfully to deliver each claim’s true value. Over the past few years, Justin has quickly established himself as one of the top first-party insurance litigators in the state of Florida, and has recently expanded his practice area to Colorado. He is an AV Preeminent attorney, the peer-reviewed rating bestowed by industry standard-bearer Martindale-Hubbell to lawyers who have achieved the highest levels of professional excellence. The accomplishment earned him a spot in American Law Media’s 2015 ranking of “South Florida’s Top-Rated Lawyers,” as well as being named to Super Lawyers’ Rising Stars 2016 list. He was the only South Florida attorney dedicated exclusively to insurance claims and insurance litigation to make these lists. A baseball enthusiast, Justin spends his time outside his practice cheering on the Atlanta Braves, keeping physically active playing in the AUBL Miami league,, and enjoying the beautiful South Florida outdoors.
Magali Sanders
Partner
Maggie Sanders focuses her practice in the area of insurance coverage and bad faith law. She has resolved numerous residential and commercial insurance claims and has recovered thousands of dollars for insureds. Before joining the firm, Maggie was the senior attorney at a defense litigation firm in Miami, where she represented insurance companies against coverage claims involving homeowner’s property disputes. Maggie played a key role in structuring the first party insurance litigation team and implementing litigation plans for insurance carriers giving her the advantage of transferring that unique knowledge to homeowners and business owners in her current role. While she was still a law student, Maggie also gained invaluable experience through a number of internships, including the City of Miami, U.S. Department of Justice Office of the U.S. Trustee, and Office of the Public Defender Appellate Division. As a Certified Legal Intern for the Appellate Division of the Public Defender’s Office Maggie had the opportunity to present oral arguments before Florida’s Third District Court of Appeal. Maggie was the President of Moot Court Team, where she completed nationally and advanced to the semi-finals at the Duberstein Bankruptcy Moot Court Competition and served as student coach for several other moot court competitions. She was a quarter finalist in the Intramural Moot Court Competition. Maggie also served as President of the Cuban American Student Bar Association (CASBA), Vice President of the Hispanic American Law Student Association (HALSA), and editor of the law review. As a Miami native, Maggie earned a Bachelors of Arts in Political Science, magna cum laude, and a Master of International Business from Florida International University. She serves as Board of Directors for Voices for Children Foundation. Notable Cases As second chair, Maggie Sanders obtained a defense verdict in Miami-Dade Circuit Court in D. Maria Garcia vs. Anchor Property and Casualty Insurance Company. The case arose from an alleged plumbing backup in two bathrooms of Plaintiff’s home, in which the carrier denied the claim based on Plaintiff’s failure to comply with the homeowners policy’s conditions. Specifically, Plaintiff failed to preserve any evidence of the alleged backups and failed to allow the carrier to inspect the allegedly damaged cast-iron pipe prior to its removal and disposal. Plaintiff was seeking over $100,000 in repairs due to the alleged category 3 blackwater loss, including replacement of the entire cast-iron pipe system and the flooring throughout her home. After deliberating for 12 minutes, the jury returned the verdict in the Defendant’s favor on December 11, 2019.
David Acosta
Associate Attorney
Rachel Jokinen
Associate Attorney - Louisiana Branch
Rachel Jokinen moved to New Orleans in 2014 from her home state of Minnesota. She attended Tulane University where she earned her undergraduate degree in Psychology. While at Tulane, Rachel was a member of the Delta Chapter of Phi Mu. Rachel went on to attend Tulane University School of Law. While there, she participated in the Civil Rights and Federal Practice Clinic as a Student Attorney. This clinic afforded her the opportunity to give oral argument before the United States Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit. Ms. Jokinen began her career in legal services, providing free representation to traditionally underserved residents of the Greater New Orleans area. During that time, her practice consisted of Successions, Wills & Estates, and Community Outreach. Rachel joined Kandell Kandell & Petrie in 2023 as part of its Louisiana practice. She practices insurance coverage and bad faith law primarily for hurricanes, windstorms and water damage.
Tyler Miller
Associate Attorney
Adry Polo
Associate Attorney
After graduating with honors from Boston University in 2005 with a Bachelor’s of Arts degree in Political Science, Adry attended St. Thomas University School of Law where she graduated in December 2007. During her studies at St. Thomas, she was selected as a Clinical Legal Intern for the U.S Department of Homeland Security, Immigration and Customs Enforcement and served as a Judicial Law Clerk for the Honorable Frank A. Shepherd in the Third Circuit Court of Appeal. Adry has been a member of the Florida Bar since 2009 and is also a member of the United States District Court for the Southern and Middle Districts of Florida since 2010. In 2012, she was admitted to practice law in the District of Columbia, where she served as a Special Education Attorney and represented hundreds of parents of children with disabilities or suspected of having a disability to ensure all local education agencies were complying with Federal laws. She is also a member of the Cuban-American Bar Association and past President of the Miami Lakes Bar Association. Prior to practicing in the Nation’s Capital, Adry worked in a boutique civil litigation law firm that concentrated in personal injury, including automobile and motorcycle accidents, uninsured motorist claims, premises liability, wrongful death cases and general negligence actions resulting in injury, scarring, loss of earning capacity and pain and suffering. As a Partner at Gimenez & Carrillo, LLC for 8 years she handled all types of personal injury matters as well as first party insurance litigation from inception through trial. Now at Kandell, Kandell & Petrie she continues to represent homeowners against insurance companies resulting from denied or underpaid claims while helping them navigate through the recent changes in insurance law.