Zana Dupee

Zana Holley Dupee is a Florida Commercial Attorney.

Zana Holley Dupee was born in Tampa and grew up in rural Virginia and the small town of Avon Park, Florida, located 1 hour southeast of Lakeland. She graduated with a B.A. in Political Science from the University of Florida in 1990.

Zana earned top grades in Law School at the University of Florida. She graded onto the Florida Law Review and was inducted into the Honor Society of Phi Kappa Phi. She was also one of her law school class’s representatives in the John Marshall Bar Association and coordinated the Law School Block Seating for Gator Football tickets.

Upon graduating law school, Zana clerked for Magistrate Judge Bartunek at the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Ohio. There, she handled many different types of civil litigation, including class actions.

After her federal clerkship, Zana worked in-house for a small dot-com firm owned by her husband. She handled many matters of corporate and intellectual property law. She gained valuable negotiating skills by negotiating numerous in-bound and out-bound licensing agreements

After the dot-com bust, Zana went into private practice handling general civil litigation and real estate matters. During this time, Zana handled numerous foreclosures and short sales. Zana also assisted many clients with corporate and tax-related matters.

Zana left private practice to take a position as a Senior Claims Legal Counsel for Nationwide Insurance. While at Nationwide, she earned the Chartered Property and Casualty Underwriter (“CPCU”) designation. Zana made coverage determinations for many different kinds of policies, including both personal and commercial lines, automobile, residential, and commercial property, and workers compensation, and she managed lawsuits involving property damage or personal injury. Zana represented Nationwide in matters involving various types of property and casualty claims as well as allegations of bad faith. Zana managed Nationwide lawsuits from beginning to end, including all aspects of trial preparation, including: reviewing demand letters, performing legal research on Lexis; drafting legal memoranda, pleadings, and discovery documents; conducting and defending depositions; producing documents and examining documents the opposing side produces; and preparing and arguing dispositive motions. Zana worked with the Claims Managers and Adjusters to negotiate and settle cases at mediation or before trial. She also drafted releases and settlement documents.

While at Nationwide, Zana supported Claims Managers in bad faith avoidance and coverage questions on auto casualty, homeowners, commercial liability, and Worker’s Comp claims. Zana has been approved by the Department of Financial Services as a Continuing Education instructor for Claims Adjusters. While working in-house at Nationwide, Zana spent hundreds of hours teaching many different CE courses to the adjusters, including “Good Faith in Claims Handling,” “Reservation of Rights and Policy Conditions,” and “Material Misrepresentation.”

Zana has returned to private practice with the firm of Bogin, Munns & Munns, P.A., a firm with an excellent reputation for ethical, high quality legal work. Zana is a member of the Commercial team, handling real estate closings, estate planning, corporate, and litigation matters.

Zana has been a member of the Gainesville/Alachua County Board of Realtors, the Florida Association of Realtors, and the National Association of Realtors since 2000. Zana is also a member of the Attorney’s Title Insurance Fund (“The Fund”).

As an attorney, Zana has earned a reputation as a woman of integrity and conviction. Always one to "call things the way they are," her straight-forward approach and hard work on corporate & real estate transactions, wills & trusts, taxes, insurance claims, and class actions contributes to the satisfaction of her many legal clients.

When she is not working, Zana enjoys spending time with her family at their Gainesville home. A devoted family woman, Zana understands the needs of the clients she works with. That's why she does her best to help them reach their goals.
Putting clients first is more than a motto for Zana -- it's a way of doing business. "Helping my clients with their legal needs is a privilege that I take very seriously," she says. "That's why I work to earn their trust every day.”

Those who have worked with Zana, whether as an attorney or through her many other community involvements, know her as someone who does what it takes to get the job done.

But, more importantly, they know her as someone who truly cares about making a positive difference in the lives of those around her -- especially her family. "My husband and children are the most important people in my life," she says. "I strive to make sure that everything I do and every decision that I make is what's best for them as well."

It's an attitude that's also reflected in Zana's career. When she became an attorney, her commitment to putting her client’s needs first took her straight to the top. Her true love is the hands-on, personal work of helping her clients to achieve their goals, and today that's her only focus. As one of her satisfied clients puts it, "It's clear that

Zana loves what she does. That's what makes working with her such a pleasure. She treated us like we were her only clients."

Through the years, Zana has never lost sight of the fact that being an attorney is not about the law, it's about people. "I like to think of myself as not being in the law business," she says, "but of being in the business of helping clients achieve their goals." Her experience enables her to do exactly that. She makes sure each client has a rewarding and successful outcome. That's why so many of Zana's clients refer their family and friends. They know that working with Zana means working with someone who cares.

Zana and her husband, Mike, met in law school and have been married since 1992. They have three children, Zadia, Spencer, and Charles, who are actively involved in academic and sports activities at their schools.

The Dupees are members of Trinity United Methodist Church.

If you would like to consult with Ms. Dupee, call (352) 332-7688.