Professional Recognition:

• Board Certified in Construction Law by The Florida Bar (2006)
• AAA Construction Arbitrator
• AV Preeminent Peer Review Rating, Martindale-Hubbell
• Best Lawyers In America, Construction Law 2007-2016
• Florida Super Lawyers
• Rising Star, Construction Litigation 2010, 2011
• Super Lawyer, Construction Litigation 2012-2017
• Florida Trend Legal Elite (2009 - 2011, 2013, 2016, 2017)

Education:

• Florida State University College of Law (J.D., high honors, 1997)
  Legal Research & Writing Teaching Assistant, 1995-1996
  Book Award, 1996
• Florida State University (B.A., magna cum laude, 1993)

Admitted to Practice:

• Florida, 1997
• United States District Courts, Southern, Middle and Northern Districts of Florida

Practice Areas:

• Alex’s areas of practice include construction and commercial litigation matters primarily in the state courts.

Representative Matters:

• Successfully represented a subcontractor on a public wastewater treatment plant project in the Florida Keys in a three-day arbitration against the prime contractor and its surety, obtaining a judgment exceeding $500,000 and a finding of no liability on the prime contractor’s counterclaim exceeding $600,000; issues related to nonpayment and alleged defective work
• Successfully represented a prime contractor on a landfill stabilization project in a seven-day jury trial against the project owner, obtaining a jury verdict in prime contractor’s favor on its claims and on owner’s counterclaim of $1,500,000, and negotiating a $900,000 settlement prior to retrial on damages; issues related to delay, loss of efficiency, overinspection, design errors, unknown conditions and superior knowledge, wrongful termination and liquidated damages
• Successfully represented a prime contractor on a neighborhood improvement project in a six-week jury trial against the owner’s design engineer, obtaining a judgment exceeding $6,000,000 and a complete recovery for the prime contractor; issues related to design errors, delay, impact to means and methods, overinspection and differing site conditions
• Successfully represented a prime contractor on a stormwater retention project in a five-day jury trial against the project owner, obtaining a judgment exceeding $550,000 and a complete recovery for the prime contractor; issues related to delay, design errors, extreme weather and liquidated damages
• Successfully represented a sitework contractor on a large residential development project against the developer and owner, obtaining a jury verdict in prime contractor’s favor on its claims and on owner’s counterclaims exceeding $5,000,000, and negotiating a confidential settlement before retrial; issues related to wrongful termination, delay, extra work, construction means and methods, liquidated damages, alleged defective work and surety performance bond claims
• Successfully represented a dredging subcontractor on a university marine laboratory dredging project in an eight-day jury trial against the prime contractor and project owner, obtaining a judgment exceeding $1,100,000 and defeating the prime contractor’s counterclaim exceeding $1,000,000; issues related to differing site conditions and superior knowledge, delay and lost productivity, extra work and cardinal changes
• Successfully represented a highway contractor in a three-week jury trial against the project owner, obtaining several favorable court rulings and a jury verdict in favor of the highway contractor, leading to a multi-million dollar settlement; issues related to differing site conditions, delay and lost productivity, liquidated damages and alleged defective work
• Successfully defended an excavation contractor and its insurer from a developer’s defect claims
• Successfully represented a maintenance contractor in appeal of a trial court’s entry of summary judgment against it and in favor of the project owner, thereafter negotiating a settlement and obtaining complete relief for maintenance contractor; issues related to nonpayment and contract interpretation
• Successfully represented a condominium association in defense of a prime contractor’s claims for breach of contract valued in excess of $1,000,000
• Successfully represented a condominium association in the recovery of insurance proceeds related to a catastrophic fire
• Represented a prime contractor in negotiating and closing a gap financing credit facility agreement for a design-build-finance project in excess of $50,000,000
• Represented an international contractor based in Italy in claims related to an Army Corps of Engineers project in Amman, Jordan
• Successfully represented a subcontractor in the prosecution of a construction lien and claims against the foreclosing lender and subsequent purchaser, including recovery in garnishment proceedings against the original owner
• Successfully represented a bridge subcontractor in products liability and defective products claims against a manufacturer
• Successfully represented a sitework subcontractor in a three-day arbitration against the prime contractor on a public project, leading to a determination by the court that the subcontractor was the prevailing party and entitled to reimbursement of attorneys’ fees and costs; issues related to contract scope and additional work
• Successfully represented a landlord in litigation against its tenant concerning a landlord lien on a concrete block plant
• Successfully represented a prime contractor and electrical subcontractor in arbitration against a public owner on an equitable adjustment claim for increased costs
• Successfully represented a sitework subcontractor on a public park project against the prime contractor on claims for delays, inefficiencies and disruptions and in defense of a counterclaim exceeding $1,000,000.00
• Represented clients on a range of construction issues, including but not limited to construction defect claims, lost productivity claims, cardinal change claims, delay claims, contract interpretation claims, utility claims, differing site conditions (Type I and II), change order disputes, payment and performance bond claims, lien claims, overinspection claims, liquidated damages claims, suspension and termination claims, warranty claims, errors and omissions claims, and bid protests.

Publications:

• Faculty, Basic Construction law Seminar (Changes, Extras & Delays), Fall 2005

Professional and Civic Memberships:

• The Florida Bar: Real Property, Probate, Trust Law Section - Construction Law Committee
• The Florida Bar, Construction Certification Committee Member, 2014-2017 and 2017-2020 Terms; Chair, 2017-2018 Term
• American Bar Association
• Section on Litigation (Construction Litigation; Trial Practice)
• Forum on the Construction Industry (Dispute Avoidance & Resolution; Contract Documents; Contract Negotiations, Performance & Administration)
• Section of Public Contract Law (Construction Claims & Disputes Resolution)
• Engineering Contractors Association
• Florida Transportation Builders Association
• American Road & Transportation Builders Association

Background/Languages:

• Fluent in Spanish