Kelsey Ortiz is an Associate Attorney in the firm’s Orlando office. She focuses her practice primarily on employment law representing employers in employment related matters such as discrimination, retaliation, unpaid wages, and other employment law claims under various state and federal laws. Ms. Ortiz assists employers in defending matters in court and before administrative agencies such as the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission and Florida Commission on Human Relations, and helps employers with policy development and training, with an emphasis on preventive practices.

Ms. Ortiz attended the University of Central Florida where she graduated magna cum laude with a Bachelor’s Degree in Legal Studies. Ms. Ortiz then attended Barry University School of Law where she graduated cum laude. During law school, Ms. Ortiz worked as a Note and Comment Editor for Barry Law Review and served as the Chief Justice of the Moot Court Honors Board.

Prior to joining Cole, Scott & Kissane, Kelsey worked as in-house counsel for State Farm Mutual Automobile Insurance Company where she gained valuable experience defending first-party and third-party auto accident claims and first-party home insurance claims. Kelsey also worked as an Assistant State Attorney for the Ninth Judicial Circuit in Orange County, Florida. There, she gained valuable in-court experience handling a variety of criminal cases from arraignment to disposition, including multiple jury trials.