Over the course of her 22-year legal career, Angela Rodante has become a nationally recognized and highly sought-after civil litigator – winning countless awards for her groundbreaking legal work fighting for individuals who have been catastrophically injured and for taking on large and powerful corporations.
While her accolades speak volumes for the level of success she’s committed to achieving on behalf of clients, it is a humble, driven mindset that has furtively propelled her forward from her initial start with the firm as a clerk and runner in 1985 to present day legal warrior. Her accession in the field has come from a deeply held belief that helping people and fighting for justice is her innate duty, and that nothing worthwhile comes without sacrifice, selflessness, and courage.
Ms. Rodante is active in various community service organizations, including the Ybor City Chamber of Commerce, Centro Asturiano de Tampa and she served as one of the early Presidents of the TBTLA, a non-profit organization of lawyers dedicated to upholding justice. Ms. Rodante has received the Insurance Lawyer of the Year from Best Lawyers and is a top rated lawyer in Insurance Law by Martindale Hubbell. Other significant recognitions include receiving the Client Distinction Award from Martindale Hubbell as well receiving a Superb rating from AVVO for the past seven years consecutively.
In 2003, Ms. Rodante became a partner of Swope, Rodante P.A. She continues to have a focus on civil trial litigation, handling cases involving personal injury and insurance bad faith. Ms. Rodante is a member of The Florida Bar and is licensed to practice before the all state and federal courts in the State of Florida, and the Eleventh Circuit of the U.S. Court of Appeals.
Ms. Rodante’s level of commitment to her firm, clients, profession and community form a mosaic whose consistent theme is selfless service. When she’s not fighting for justice, she enjoys spending time on Redington Beach with family and traveling, with recent trips to Machu Picchu and Siracusa, Sicily.
Professional Distinctions
Litigation – Insurance Lawyer of the Year in Tampa, Best Lawyers®, 2021, 2024
America’s Most Honored Professionals Top 1%, 2016
Nation’s Top One Percent, National Association of Distinguished Counsel, 2015, 2017
The National Trial Lawyers Top 100, 2014-Present
Bar Register of Preeminent Women Lawyers, Martindale-Hubbell, 2014
Best Lawyers in America, Best Lawyers, 2013-Present
“Preeminent AV” Rating, Martindale-Hubbell, 2012-Present
Martindale-Hubbell does not make an independent evaluation of lawyers but relies exclusively on confidential opinions expressed by sampling selected members of the Bar and judiciary familiar with the lawyer.
Life Fellow, American Bar Foundation, 2011
Superb Rated Attorney, AVVO, 2011-Present
American College of Coverage Counsel, 2019-Present
Presidential Electoral College Member, Florida, 2008
Community Involvement
Federal Bar Association, 2012
Ybor City Chamber of Commerce
Immediate Past Chair, 2010-2011
Chair of the Board, 2009-2010
Chair Elect, 2008-2009
Treasurer, 2006-2008
Board of Director, 2005 – Present
Florida Justice Association
Fellow, 2010-Present
EAGLE, 2001-Present
Tampa Bay Trial Lawyers Association
President, 2005-2006
Treasurer, 2003-2004
Secretary, 2002-2003
Board of Directors, 2000- 2007
Centro Asturiano de Tampa, 2003-Present
L’UnioneItaliana, 2003-Present
Ferguson White American Inn of Court, 1999-2001
American Association for Justice, 1997-Present
Hillsborough County Bar Association, 1997-Present
American Bar Association, 1996-Present
Tampa Hispanic Bar Association, 2006-Present
Selected Published Decisions
Macola v. Government Employees Insurance Company, 953 So. 2d 451 (Fla. 2006): in response to the questions of law certified by the Eleventh Circuit, the Supreme Court of Florida held that an insurer did not extinguish its liability for bad faith under the common law of Florida by tendering its policy limits to its insured in response to the insured’s filing of a statutory civil remedy notice which alleged that the insurer had committed bad faith. A federal district court had ruled otherwise and granted summary judgment in favor of the insurer. After the Supreme Court’s decision, the Eleventh Circuit reversed the summary judgment and remanded the case back to the district court so that the plaintiffs could proceed with their suit against the insurer for bad faith.
Conklin vs. Carroll, 865 So. 2d 597 (Fla. 2d DCA 2004), rev. dism’d 871 So. 874 (Fla. 2004)] reversing summary judgment entered in favor of vehicle owner, holding that disputed issue remained regarding whether use of vehicle by owner’s brother amounted to a form of “conversion or theft” so as to relieve the owner from vicarious liability under the dangerous instrumentality doctrine.
Awards
Insurance Lawyer of the Year, Best Lawyers, 2018
Tampa Bay’s Legal Elite, Tampa Style Magazine, 2018
Finalist for Business Woman of the Year, 2013
Top Rated Lawyer in Insurance Law, Martindale Hubbell and American Lawyer Media, 2013
Client Distinction Award, Martindale-Hubbell, 2013-Present
Ybor City Chamber of Commerce, Chair’s Award, 2011
Adela Gonzmart Award, Ybor City Museum Society, 2010
Eagle Legend Award, Florida Justice Association, 2010
L’Unione Italiana Ladies Auxiliary Women of Excellence Award, 2008
HOMETOWN
Tampa, FL
EDUCATION
University of South Florida, B.A., 1989
Widener University School of Law, J.D., 1996
BAR MEMBERSHIPS
The Florida Bar
AREAS OF PRACTICE
Insurance Bad Faith
Personal Injury
Civil Litigation
Medical Malpractice
Legal Malpractice
Wrongful Death
