PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE

Jeff Paskert is Vice President, Secretary, and a founding shareholder of Mills Paskert Divers P.A., and co-chairs the firm's Litigation Department. He focuses his practice primarily on complex commercial litigation matters, including matters associated with general commercial and contractual disputes, sophisticated construction and construction defect disputes, corporate ownership and partnership relationships, corporate stock purchases, commercial surety and fidelity disputes, director and officer liability issues, and product defect issues. Jeff has handled jury and non-jury trials, as well as arbitrations and administrative proceedings, and has appeared before various administrative and governmental bodies. Jeff is AV rated by Martindale-Hubbell; that entity's highest ranking. This rating was bestowed upon Jeff in large part as a result of recommendations and comments from his peers, and establishes Jeff as among the most qualified and professional practitioners in the country. For many years Jeff has also been included among Florida's Super Lawyers; a distinction bestowed upon only 5% of the attorneys within the state. The Super Lawyers selection process includes a statewide nomination process, peer review by practice area, and independent research on nominated candidates.

Jeff attended the University of Florida, where he received a Bachelor of Science degree, with high honors, from the University's College of Business, and a Juris Doctor degree, with high honors, from the University's College of Law. He began his professional career with a large Tampa based law firm, where he practiced exclusively in the Business Litigation Department. Ultimately, Jeff chaired that firm's Tampa Construction Litigation Group, before co-founding Mills Paskert Divers P.A. Jeff regularly represents public and private entities, including Fortune 500 companies, counties, cities, joint ventures, partnerships, and individuals in areas ranging from construction, manufacturing, waste management and disposal, utility services, to consumer transactions. In the construction arena, Jeff has represented many public and private owners, contractors, sureties, and sub-contractors. Representation of these clients has Jeff regularly appearing in courts of law, arbitration, administrative, and mediation proceedings, and before public bodies. Jeff's varied and extensive experience also renders him a valuable and insightful speaker on topics ranging from technical issues of law and statutory interpretation, and construction related issues, to issues of professionalism.

Jeff has been extremely active in many bar associations throughout his professional career. As a younger lawyer, Jeff was elected to serve as secretary, chair-elect, and ultimately chair of the 170,000 member American Bar Association Young Lawyer's Division, chairing many committees along the way. He also served in the ABA's House of Delegates and on the Association's Section Officers' Conference. Jeff was on the ABA Litigation Section's Executive Council and its Trial Practice Task Force. In the Trial, Tort and Insurance Practice Section, Jeff was appointed to serve on its Long Range Planning Committee, and has served on the Commercial Tort Committee and in the Fidelity and Surety Law Committee. Jeff currently serves the ABA's Litigation Section, Trial, Tort and Insurance Practice Section, and Business Law Section in various capacities and served for four years as Editor in Chief of the latter's Newsletter. He is also a founding member of the Gulfcoast Fidelity and Surety Institute, and a member of the National Bond Claims Association, and the Fidelity and Surety Claims Institute. Jeff continues to serve the American Bar Association in many capacities in its Litigation Section, Trial, Tort and Insurance Practice Section, and Business Law Section. He is a Fellow of the Young Lawyers Division, where he serves on its Board of Directors, while continuing to serve on numerous Florida Bar and Hillsborough County Bar Association Committees.

In addition to his ABA activities, Jeff has served the Florida Bar and the Hillsborough County Bar Associations. He served as Vice-Chair of a Florida Bar Circuit Judicial Grievance Committee, on the Florida Bar's Special Statewide Grievance Committee, on numerous state and local committees. He also served as a Hillsborough County YLD officer, and Board of Directors member. During this time frame, Jeff's achievements were recognized through various awards, including being selected as Hillsborough County's Young Lawyer of the Year.

Outside the legal field, Jeff is active in many civic and charitable activities. As an Eagle Scout himself, he is an Assistant Scoutmaster, Patrol Advisor, and serves on many committees for the Boy Scouts of America Troop and Cub Scout Pack in which his sons are active. He also has served on the Boy Scouts of America District Committee in his area. His commitment has been often recognized, including his receipt of The Bronze Pelican Award, for commitment to Catholic Scouting. He also is active in his church, where he is a member of the Knights of Columbus, and his younger children's elementary school, where he served on the school's Strategic Planning Committee. He also has served for many years on the Jesuit High School Foundation.

Jeff enjoys spending time with his wife, Kathy, and their four children. The family shares time boating, fishing, snow skiing and boarding, water skiing and wake-boarding, camping, attending college and professional football games, and running around between their kids' boy and girl scout activities, boy's football games, gymnastics matches, and Tae Kwon Do classes.

MEMBERSHIPS AND CERTIFICATIONS

Admitted to practice in all state courts in Florida, the Eleventh Circuit Court of Appeal, and the United States District Court for the Middle District of Florida.

AV rated by Martindale-Hubbell

Frequent speaker on topics in the construction, fidelity and bond claims industries

American Bar Association
ABA Young Lawyers Division
Past Chair, Chair Elect and Secretary
National Conferences Team-Chair
Fellow of the Young Lawyers Division
Board of Directors
Business Law Section
Member
Tort and Insurance Practice Section
Long Range Planning Committee
Fidelity and Surety Law Committee
Editor, Fidelity and Surety Law Committee Newsletter
ABA House of Delegates
Member
ABA Section Officers' Conference
ABA Litigation Section
Executive Council
Trial Practice Task Force

The Florida Bar
Trial Lawyers Section
Member
Eleventh Judicial Circuit Grievance Committee
Vice-Chair
Special Statewide Grievance Committee
Member

Hillsborough County Bar Association
Young Lawyer Division Secretary
Young Lawyer Division Board of Directors
Young Lawyer of the Year Award Recipient

National Bond Claims Association
Member

Gulfcoast Fidelity and Surety Institute
Founding Member
Conference Chair
Program Chair

SPEECHES AND PUBLICATIONS

"Contaminated Drywall Update" CLE presentation for Hillsborough County Bar Association, January 2010

"Reactive Drywall Claims: An Overview of Causes of Action and Defenses Relevant to Reactive Chinese Drywall Structures," January, 2010

"Chinese Drywall: What You Need to Know," Insights, Winter 2010

"The Loan Loss Exclusion: Assuring That Credit and Business Risks Remain with the Financial Bond," Financial Institution Bonds, Third Edition, ABA 2008

"Managing the Insurer's Response to the Claim," Financial Institution Bonds, Third Edition, ABA 2008

"Financial Institution Bonds: From the Masters," program American Bar Association, Tort Trial & Insurance Practice Section, November 2008

"Florida's Statute of Repose Significantly Shortened!" Insights, Fall, 2006.

Case Summary: Professional Plastering, Inc. v. Bridgeport-Strasberg Joint Venture, et al., Insights, Spring 2005.

"I Didn't Mean Any Harm: Manifest Intent Under Fidelity Bonds," Insights, Spring 2004.

No Ticket, No Laundry: Statutory Licensure Requirements for Contractors, and Recent Legislative Changes, Insights, Summer 2003.

No Ticket, No Laundry: Statutory Licensure Requirements for Contractors, and the Consequential Impact on Contract Sureties' Liabilities (or, Are Sureties Getting Taken to the Laundry?), Gulfcoast Fidelity and Surety Conference, June 2003.

Deja Vous All Over Again: Issue Preclusion and the Surety, Gulfcoast Fidelity and Surety Conference, June 2002.

No Ticket, No Laundry: Proper Licensure as a Prerequisite to Recovery Under a Construction Project in Florida, and the Consequential Impact on Surety Companies' Responsibilities and Liabilities, Gulfcoast Fidelity and Surety Conference, June 1999 and June 2000.

What Lies Behind the Doehr? A Review of the Constitutionality of Mechanics' Lien Laws, The Construction Lawyer, October 1994.

Professionalism, Ethics, and the Profession: The Role of Bar Activities, Stetson University College of Law, St. Petersburg, Florida, January 1996.

The ABA/YLD: Professional and Public Service Perspectives, North Carolina Bar Association Annual Meeting, Ashville, NC, June 1995.

How to Become Involved in the ABA/YLD, Alabama Young Lawyers Section Seminar, Destin, FL, May 1995.

Importance of and Technique in Long Range Planning, ABA/YLD Southeastern Regional AOP, Atlanta, GA, May 1995.

ABA/YLD: Activities and Opportunities, Texas Young Lawyers Association Board Meeting, Kerrville TX, April 1995.

Leadership Issues Facing Young Lawyer Leaders: Problems and Solutions, Oklahoma Bar Association Young Lawyers Division Planning Retreat, Oklahoma City, OK, January 1995.

Recruiting and Developing Committee Members, Panel/Group Discussion, Oklahoma Bar Association Young Lawyers Division Planning Retreat, Oklahoma City, OK, January 1995.

Achieving Diversity in Bar Organizations, Florida Bar Young Lawyers Division Statewide AOP Conference, Ponte Vedra, FL, January 1994.

Disaster Preparedness and Response - What Lawyers Can Do," Symposium/Panel, American Bar Association, Young Lawyers Division, Cleveland, OH, 1992.

Interaction Between American Bar Association and The Florida Bar, Conference, The Florida Bar, Young Lawyers Division, Sand Key, FL, 1992.