Michelle Ortiz, Esq.

Michelle Ortiz, Esq.

I am a Florida based attorney with more than twenty years of litigation experience in complex civil, insurance, and family law matters. I was born in New York to Colombian parents and raised in Miami, which has shaped my professional perspective and my longstanding connection to Latin American legal and business communities. I currently serve as a Junior Partner at Luks and Santaniello in Miami, where my practice focuses on general liability litigation and we handle high exposure cases from inception through trial.

Throughout my career, I have held senior leadership and partnership roles where I have built and managed litigation departments and overseen day to day legal operations. My experience includes insurance defense, first party property claims, coverage analysis, bad faith matters, fraud investigations, and complex family and matrimonial litigation. I regularly work with insurers, special investigation units, and expert witnesses in both state and federal courts.

I earned my Juris Doctor, cum laude, from St. Thomas University School of Law, graduating in the top five percent of my class, and I hold a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology from Florida International University. I am admitted to practice in Florida and in the United States District Court for the Southern District of Florida. I remain committed to mentorship, professional development, and public service through continued involvement in legal organizations and community initiatives.

Practice Areas

General Liability
Insurance Defense
First Party Property Claims
Coverage and Bad Faith
Fraud and Special Investigations
Civil Litigation
Family and Matrimonial Law

Education

Bachelor of Arts in Psychology – Florida International University
Juris Doctor (cum laude) – St. Thomas University School of Law.

Admission to Practice

All Florida State Courts
U.S. District Court, Southern District of Florida

Languages

Fluent in English and Spanish