PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE

Ali Adams has over fifteen years of commercial litigation experience, handling matters in state and federal court, and in arbitration. Her primary areas of practice are in surety, construction defect, bankruptcy, employment liability, and general commercial litigation. She possesses Martindale-Hubbell's AV rating, its highest rating for professional competence and ethics.

Ali graduated from Florida State University in 1990 with a bachelor's degree in Political Science. She then attended Tulane Law School, where she graduated magna cum laude and Order of the Coif in 1993. While at Tulane, Ali served on the Moot Court Board.

Ali has handled all aspects of construction defect and surety claims. Her experience includes the negotiation of tender and takeover agreements; negotiations with completion contractors; default, contract balance and recovery issues in the context of contractor bankruptcies; litigation with owners; indemnity and third party recovery actions, including actions against design professionals; and defense of payment bond claims. Ali has handled defaults on public and private projects ranging in size from $100,000.00 to $25 million. She further has significant experience in dealing with public bodies such as the United States Army Corps of Engineers, departments of transportation and development, housing authorities, dock boards and port authorities, school boards, and state universities. Ali is admitted to the United States Court of Federal Claims.

Ali's practice also includes significant bankruptcy experience representing creditors in pursuing secured claims, securing DIP financing, representing competing plan proponents, litigating plan issues, defending preference actions, lifting the automatic stay and protecting cash collateral, and litigating adversary proceedings, including successful objections to dischargeability. She has successfully secured the surety's right to contract balances and affirmative claims in various bankruptcy courts.

Ali's employment practices experience includes the defense of age and gender discrimination and wrongful termination claims, and enforcement of employee non-competition agreements.

Ali has also handled a wide-range of commercial disputes including lease disputes, partnership dissolution, and agent misrepresentation claims.

In addition to her commercial litigation practice, Ali has provided pro bono legal service to children in abuse and neglect cases for over ten years. She is dedicated to insuring that the smallest members of society are heard and protected.

In 2006, Ali joined Mills Paskert Divers Her practice includes construction, fidelity, and surety, employment practices and general commercial litigation, and bankruptcy.

In 2008, Ms. Adams was selected to be one of only 25 attorneys admitted to the ABA Tort & Insurance Practice’s Leadership Academy.

MEMBERSHIPS / CERTIFICATIONS

Admitted to Practice in Florida, Louisiana, Mississippi, United States Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals, United States Court of Federal Claims and the United States Supreme Court

The American Bar Association

• Tort and Insurance Practice Section
  1. Fidelity and Surety Law Committee
  2. Co-Chair of the Young Professionals Subcommittee, 2006 - 2008
  3. Membership Chair of the Young Professionals Subcommittee, 2005 - 2006

Surety Claims Institute

Gulfcoast Fidelity and Surety Institute

ILLUSTRATIVE / REPORTED DECISIONS

United Rentals Highway Technologies v. The St. Paul Surety, 852 So.2d 1200 (La.App. 2nd Cir. 2003).

Noble v. Federal Ins. Co., 322 B.R. 610 (E.D. La. 2005).

SPEECHES / PUBLICATIONS

Elimination of Loss of Society Damages in General Maritime Law, Tulane Maritime Law Journal, Vol. 16, No. 2, Spring 1992, winner of the Robert B. Acomb case note award.

Pursuing the Third Party Pocket -- Recovery by the Surety Against Design Professionals, Agents, CPAs and Others, Southern Surety and Fidelity Claims Conference, 2000.

The Uncooperative Owner: the Surety's Defenses When the Owner Unilaterally Completes, Overpays, or Otherwise Misbehaves, with Ms. Courtney Wolffe of Zurich, NA, Southern Surety and Fidelity Claims Conference, 2001.

Speaker at a National Business Institute Seminar on Bankruptcy Law, 2001.

Strategies for Direct and Cross-examination, International Association of Defense Counsel at the ABA Mid-Winter Meeting, January, 2004.

When the Principal gives you Lemons, Make Lemonade – Turning the Principal's Chapter 11 filing to the Surety's Advantage, Southern Surety and Fidelity Claims Conference, 2004.

Third Party Recovery, Gulf Coast Fidelity & Surety Conference, 2004.

Bonding Shipyard Construction, or How to Tell the Home Office the Project has been Towed to Mexico, with Mr. David Krebs, Southern Surety and Fidelity Claims Conference, 2005.

Beyond the Bounds of the Bond – A Surety's Exposure to Extra-Contractual Damages, Gulf Coast Fidelity & Surety Conference, 2005.

Workshop on Complex Payment Bond Claim Issues, Fidelity and Surety Law Committee of the American Bar Association, Spring, 2006.

Force Majeure Clause in Relation to Recent Hurricanes, at the Southern Surety and Fidelity Claims Conference, 2006.

Selling the Surety Case – Effective Use of Expert Witnesses, Fidelity and Surety Law Committee of the American Bar Association Mid-Winter Meeting, January 2007.

Co-Author, Recent Developments in Fidelity and Surety Law, Tort Trial & Insurance Practice Law Journal, Winter 2007, Volume 42, Number 2.

Moderator, The Butterfly Effect: How Surety and Fidelity Claims Handler's Responses Shape Perceptions, Fidelity and Surety Law Committee of the American Bar Association Mid-Winter Meeting, January 2008.

"THE COURTHOUSE TWO-STEP –FORUM SHOPPING, REPETITIVE AND REACTIVE LITIGATION" Surety Claims Institute, 2008

PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE

Seth Mills is President and Chairman of the firm. Seth's practice is primarily focused in the areas of complex commercial litigation, including professional liability, administrative disputes, construction, financial fraud, director and officer liability, fidelity and surety matters. He received his B.A., with high honors from The Citadel in 1979, and his J.D., with honors, from the University of Florida in 1981. Seth graduated from the U.S. Army's Judge Advocate General School, with honors, in 1982. Thereafter he served as the Chief Trial Counsel at Fort Carson, Colorado, gaining substantial trial experience during his tenure with the military. Seth is AV Rated by Martindale-Hubbell. He is also Board Certified as a Business Litigation Attorney by the Florida Bar. Seth has been repeatedly named to Florida Trend Magazine’s prestigious listing of “Florida’s Legal Elite” and to Law & Politics’ “Super Lawyer" listings for the State of Florida. He has also been named in Law Politics' National Corporate Counsel "Super Lawyer" listing. These distinctions are the result of extensive attorney peer review and voting processes. Finally, Seth is also a Fellow of the American Bar Foundation, an organization dedicated to advancing justice through rigorous research of the law, legal practices and the law's impact on our society. The American Bar Foundation is an honorary organization of lawyers, judges and legal scholars whose public and private careers have demonstrated outstanding dedication to the welfare of their communities and to the highest principles of the legal profession. Fellow membership is highly restricted.

Seth is also a former member of the Governing Committee of the American Bar Association’s Forum on the Construction Industry. He is a Fellow of the Young Lawyers Division of the American Bar Association and was formerly Florida’s Young Lawyer Representative to the ABA’s Young Lawyers Division. He currently serves as the Immediate Past Chair of the American Bar Association’s Fidelity and Surety Law Committee and has held various leadership positions within its Torts, Trial and Insurance Practice Section. Seth is also a former Vice-chair of the Litigation Committee of the General Practice Section of the American Bar Association and he is a current member of the ABA’s Litigation Section. Finally, Seth is a founder of the Gulfcoast Fidelity and Surety Institute and a member of both the National Bond Claims Association and the Surety Claims Institute.

Seth’s litigation practice involves representation of private clients’, sureties, insurers and local governments. He assists clients in the resolution of all types of major contract, administrative and professional liability claims. He has been involved in some of the most complex construction, fidelity and surety claims presented in Florida. He is engaged by public and private clients to represent their interests in complex bid protests and other commercial litigation matters. Seth’s construction practice has involved high-rise buildings, schools, roads, deep underground injection wells, hotels, rail stations, airports, power plants and virtually all other forms of construction. His cases range in size from disputes involving a few hundred thousand dollars to hundreds of millions of dollars. He has also represented clients in international commercial disputes. Finally, Seth is a noted author and speaker.

MEMBERSHIPS / CERTIFICATIONS

Admitted to practice in all state and federal courts in Florida, all Georgia courts, the U.S. District Courts for the Northern and Middle Districts of Georgia, the U.S. Eleventh Circuit Court of Appeals, the United States Court of Military Review, the United States Court of Military Appeals and the United States Supreme Court

Fellow of the American Bar Foundation

Board Certified by the Florida Bar in Business Litigation

Repeatedly listed as one of Florida Trend Magazine's "Florida Legal Elite"

Repeatedly listed as a “Super Lawyer” by Law & Politics Magazine (both in Florida and its National Corporate Counsel Edition)

Nominated to receive the Ronald Reagan Republican Gold Medal by the National Republican Business Advisory Council

American Bar Association
Past Chair of ABA/Tips Fidelity and Surety Law Committee
Member Governing Committee of the Forum on Construction Industry
Litigation Section
Vice Chair, Litigation Committee, General Practice Section
Florida District Representative to Executive Council of Young Lawyer's Division

National Bond Claims Association

Surety Claims Institute

Gulfcoast Fidelity and Surety Institute

Defense Research Institute

The Florida Bar

The Georgia Bar

Hillsborough County Bar Association
Trial Lawyer's Section
Pro Bono Children's Adoption Committee
Construction Law Committee

SPEECHES / PUBLICATIONS

"Fiduciary Obligations and Bad Faith: An Analysis of Georgia Jurisprudence," Gulfcoast Fidelity and Surety Institute, June 2009.

"The Lucky Thirteen: Top Tips for Presenting the Insurer/Surety for Deposition," Gulfcoast Fidelity and Surety Institute, June 2008.

"Georgia and Alabama Construction Lien and Bond Law Update," Philadelphia, PA., Jan. 2008.

"Florida Construction Lien and Bond Law Update," Hunt Valley, MD, Jan. 2008.

"Bad Faith Claims Against Sureties, A Quick Glimpse at a Moving Target," Gulfcoast Fidelity and Surety Institute, June 2007.

"Preparing for Trial of the Complex Fidelity and Surety Case," Program Chair, American Bar Association, Jan. 2007.

"Florida Construction Lien and Bond Law Update," Philadelphia, PA., Fall 2006.

"Early Termination of Coverage Under the Financial Institution Bond and Commercial Crime Policy," Gulfcoast Fidelity and Surety Institute, June 2006.

"The Attorney-Client Privilege and Work Product Doctrines: The Boundaries of Protected Communications Between Insured and Insurers," Gulfcoast Fidelity and Surety Institute, June 2005.

"Tender By The Surety," Bond Default Manual, Third Edition, May, 2005.

"Florida Construction Lien and Bond Law Update," Hartford, CT., Spring 2005.

"Thanksgiving Turkey for the Surety Industry," Insights, Winter 2005.

"Critical Contract Clauses in Public Construction Contracts," Construction Management Association of America, June 2004.

"The Surety's Analysis of Time Related Construction Claims," Gulfcoast Fidelity and Surety Institute, June 2004.

"Spearin and the Subcontractor," Insights, Spring 2004.

"Preparing Witnesses: Part Art, Part Science and Part Mystery," Florida Department of Environmental Protection, September 2003.

"Dishonest Employees and Their Wreckage: Termination of Coverage under the Financial Institution Bond and Commercial Crime Policy," Gulfcoast Fidelity and Surety Institute, June 2003.

"Takeover by the Surety," National Program Co-Chair, American Bar Association's TIPS Fidelity and Surety Law Committee, May 2002.

"Restrictions on Allocation of Risks of Delays or Accelerated Performance," American Bar Association's Forum on the Construction Industry and TIPS Fidelity and Surety Law Committee, January 2002.

"Claim Notice Requirements - Sound Policy or Economic Duress," American Bar Association's Forum Committee on the Construction Industry and TIPS Fidelity and Surety Law Committee, January 2002.

"State & Federal Prompt Payment Laws," Hillsborough County Bar Association, April 2000.

"Sick Building Contract Claims & Defenses," Mealey's National Sick Building Symposium; Co-Chair, November 1999.

"Dual Obligees: Dependent or Independent Rights?" Gulfcoast Surety Institute, June 1999.

"When to Hold and When to Fold: Practical Advice on Recurring Construction Issues," National Program Co-Chair, American Bar Association's Forum on Construction Industry, April 1999.

"Sovereign Immunity and Implied Contracts Revisited", The Florida Bar Agenda, April 1998.

"Bond Defaults," American Bar Association's Fidelity and Surety Law Committee, October 1997.

"Res Judicata, Collateral Estoppel and the Surety," Surety Claims Institute, June 1996.

"Softening the Blow of Construction Contract Clauses," ASA, March 1996.

"I Got Ya' Covered: Insurance and Surety Bonds in the 90's," American Bar Association's Forum on Construction Industry and TIPS Fidelity and Surety Law Committee, January 1995.

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

"The U.S. Constitution: Its Impact on Mechanic's Lien Rights and the Construction Industry," Comments on Construction, Summer 1993.

"Construction Lien Rights - Out the Doehr?" The Florida Bar Journal, June 1992.

"Negotiation Tactics and Strategy, ABA/YLD, Washington, D.C., 1989.

"Minority Business Enterprises and Public Bidding Requirements," Associated Builders and Contractors, Inc., Tampa, Florida, 1988.

PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE

Jeff Paskert is Vice President, Secretary, and a founding shareholder of Mills Paskert Divers , 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 disputes, corporate ownership and partnership relationships, corporate stock purchases, commercial surety and fidelity disputes, director and officer liability issues, employment disputes, 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.

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 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 represents 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, as well as 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 and constitutional interpretation, 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 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. He is also a founding member of the Gulfcoast Fidelity and Surety Institute, and a member of the National Bond Claims Association.

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, and 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. Jeff continues to serve the American Bar Association in various 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 serve on numerous Florida Bar and Hillsborough County Bar Association Committees.

Outside the legal field, Jeff is active in many civic and charitable activities. As an Eagle Scout himself, he devotes many hours to, and serves on committees for, the Boy Scouts of America Troop and Cub Scout Pack in which his two oldest sons are active. He has also served on the Boy Scouts of America District Committee in his area. He is active in his church, where he is a member of the Knights of Columbus, and his children's school, where he serves on the school's Strategic Planning Committee.

Jeff enjoys spending time with his wife, Kathy, and their four children. The family shares time boating, fishing, water skiing and wake-boarding, camping, attending football games and running around between soccer matches, gymnastics, and Tae Kwon Do classes.

MEMBERSHIPS / 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

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.

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 / PUBLICATIONS

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.

PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE

Brett Divers is one of the founding shareholders of the Firm. His practice is primarily devoted to complex commercial litigation, which includes business disputes, construction, fidelity and surety matters, professional liability, and appellate law. In addition to an active trial practice, Brett is also the Chair of the Firm's Appellate Practice Group.

Brett graduated from Dartmouth College in 1989 with a bachelor's degree in English. He graduated with honors from the University of Florida College of Law in 1992. Brett is a lifelong resident of Tampa and graduated from the Berkeley Preparatory School.

Brett's litigation experience has involved a variety of business-related disputes. These disputes have dealt with corporate fraud or theft, tortious interference with contracts, violation` of restrictive covenants and non-compete clauses, and the dissolution of corporations and partnerships. In his construction and surety practice, Brett has handled garden-variety construction claims as well as contract and commercial surety claims. These claims have dealt with disputes on public and private projects of varying types including apartment and condominium complexes, office buildings, electric power plants (both domestically and in the Republic of Panama), wastewater treatment plants, subaqueous sewer pipelines, movie theatres, hospitals, public roadwork and schools. He has also handled claims involving allegations of insurer bad faith and unfair claims settlement practices. The construction disputes Brett handles include technical constructability, scheduling, and payment disputes, and have ranged in size from thousands of dollars to several million dollars. Additionally, Brett handled claims against indemnitors to recover losses suffered by the surety. Brett has handled a variety of fidelity matters as well, ranging from employee dishonesty and forgery to commercial crime claims.

In his appellate practice, Brett has advocated not only on behalf of the parties to the particular dispute, but has also written amicus curiae briefs to the Florida Supreme Court on behalf of the Surety Association of America (SAA). Brett also serves as a mediator in select business and construction-related litigation cases.

Brett is a Vice-Chair of the Fidelity & Surety Law Committee of the ABA's Tort and Insurance Practice Section. He is a member of the Litigation Section of the ABA and the ABA's Forum on the Construction Industry. He is a member of the Trial Lawyers Section and Construction Law Section of the Hillsborough County Bar Association. He is a founding member of the Gulfcoast Fidelity and Surety Institute and belongs to the National Bond Claims Association.

In 2009, for the sixth consecutive year, Brett was named to the Florida Trend Magazine's prestigious listing of Florida's Legal Elite. This distinction is reserved for the top 1.8% of all attorneys practicing within Florida and is the result of an extensive attorney peer voting and review process. Brett was one of only 24 lawyers in Florida designated as Elite in the Construction specialty. In 2009, Brett was again named in Law & Politics' publication of Florida's SuperLawyers.

A lifelong resident of Tampa, Brett is active in several civic, charitable, and social organizations. He is a member of the Board of Trustees of the Berkeley Preparatory School and is currently the Vice Chairman of that Board. He also currently serves on the Board of Directors of the University Club of Tampa.

MEMBERSHIPS / CERTIFICATIONS

Admitted to Practice in all state courts in Florida, U.S. District Court for the Middle, Southern, and Northern Districts of Florida, and the U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit.

American Bar Association

• Tort and Insurance Practice Section
• Fidelity and Surety Law Committee
  Vice-Chair Co-Chair,
  Membership Involvement Division (August, 2002 to Present)
• Litigation Section
• Forum on the Construction Industry

The Florida Bar

• Trial Lawyers Section

The Hillsborough County Bar Association

• Trial Lawyers Section
• Construction Law Section

National Bond Claims Association

Gulfcoast Fidelity and Surety Institute

Dartmouth Lawyers Association

Florida Trend's Florida Legal Elite (2004-2009).

Law & Politics - SuperLawyers (2006-2009)

Berkeley Preparatory School

• Board of Trustees (1999 to present)
  Chairman (2009 to 2011)
  Vice Chairman (2007-present)
  Treasurer (2005 to 2007)
  Secretary (2003-2005)
  Alumni Association President (1999-2001)

The University Club of Tampa

• Board of Directors (2002 – present)
  Membership Chairman (2005 - 2006)
  Secretary (2008 - 2009)
  Vice President (2009 - 2010)

SPEECHES / PUBLICATIONS

Frequent author and/or speaker regarding current topics affecting the construction and surety industries.

The Surety's Rights to Reimbursement and Recovery, Fidelity and Surety Law Committee, Spring Meeting (May, 2009, La Jolla, CA).

Co-Author, Chapter V, THE LAW OF PERFORMANCE BONDS (2d Ed. 2008)

The Surety's Right to Settle, Fidelity and Surety Law Committee, Spring Meeting (May, 2008, Kansas City, MO).

Co-Author, Chapter VII, The Indemnity Agreement and the Handling of Surety Claims, in THE SURETY'S INDEMNITY AGREEMENT (2d Ed. 2008).

Snatching Victory from the Jaws of Defeat: Salvage against the CGL Carrier, Gulfcoast Fidelity and Surety Conference, June, 2006.

Expanded CGL Coverage For Defective Construction, Insights, Fall, 2005.

Common Law Public Payment Bonds: The Last Chapter, Insights, Summer, 2005.

Stormy Seas Ahead? Bad Faith Claims against Sureties after Dadelend Depot, Inc. v. St. Paul Fire and Marine Insurance Company," Gulfcoast Fidelity and Surety Conference, June, 2005.

Court Rejects Effort to Convert Statutory Payment Bond into a Lien Transfer Bond, Insights, Fall, 2004.

Cardinal Change and the Surety, Gulfcoast Fidelity and Surety Conference, June, 2004.

Check the Rear View Mirror: The Retroactive Application of the Contractor Licensing Statute, Insights, 1st Quarter, 2004.

Court Gives Strict Meaning to Statutory Notice and Limitations Requirements, Insights, Fall, 2003.

Court Refuses to Find Contractor's Lien Fraudulent, Insights, Fall, 2003.

Common Law – Uncommon Results: Payment Bond Claims on Public Projects in Florida, Gulfcoast Fidelity and Surety Conference, June, 2003.

Equal Credit Opportunity Act Does Not Preclude the Enforcement of the General Agreement of Indemnity, Insights, Spring, 2003.

Florida Court Rules Subcontractor Entitled to Foreclose on a Lien Based on an Oral Contract, Insights, Spring, 2003.

Till Death Do Us Part: Enforcing the Collateral Security Clause Against the Principal's Spouse, Gulfcoast Fidelity and Surety Conference, June, 2002.

Getting Your Money: Enforcement of the Collateral Security Clause, Gulfcoast Fidelity and Surety Conference, June, 2000.

PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE

Jim Black has over 39 years of legal experience in the fidelity, surety and related fields of law. Jim's practice is primarily focused in the areas of complex commercial litigation, including fidelity, surety, directors' and officers' liability, financial fraud and construction matters. He received his B.A. in political science from the McMicken College of Arts & Sciences of the University of Cincinnati in 1964 and his Juris Doctor degree from the University of Cincinnati College of Law in 1967.

Jim is a past Chair of the Fidelity & Surety Law Committee of the Tort Trial & Insurance Practice Section and currently serves as Co-Chair of its Past Chairs Advisory Council and its Diversity Committee. Further, he served on the Council of Section and numerous committees of the Section including the Long Range Planning Committee, Diversity Committee, Ethics and Professionalism Committee, Guidebook and Bylaws Committee – Co-Chair, and the Scope & Correlation Committee of which he was Chair. .Jim was a Vice-Chair of the Workers Compensation and Employers Liability Committee and Chaired the TIPS Task Force on Workers Compensation Reform and the Workers Compensation Task Force on the Second Injury Fund.

Jim served as an adviser for Restatement of the Law Third of Suretyship and Guaranty which is published by the American Law Institute.

He is also a member of the American Bar Association's Public Contract Section and The Forum on the Construction Industry. He is a member of the International Association of Defense Counsel, The Defense Research Institute, the Fidelity Law Association, the National Bond Claims Association and the Surety Claims Institute.

Jim served in the United States Army as a Captain in its Military Intelligence Branch and his service included a tour of duty in the Republic of Vietnam where he was awarded the Bronze Star for his service.

Following his tour of duty in the armed services, Jim joined a leading national fidelity, surety and insurance company where he practiced for over thirty-seven years in positions ranging from Assistant Claims Attorney to Vice President and Head of Claims operations.

During this service, Jim handled, negotiated, supervised and oversaw complex claims and litigation involving hundreds of millions of dollars. While he specializes in fidelity, surety, directors' and officers' liability and construction claims, he has extensive experience in a wide spectrum of insurance coverage matters ranging from auto, workers compensation, property, casualty and excess insurance coverage and reinsurance.

MEMBERSHIPS / CERTIFICATIONS

Admitted to practice in all courts in Ohio and Florida and is a member of the Sate Bar of Georgia.

Recipient of Martin J. Andrew Award forLlifetime Achievement in Fidelity & Surety Law, presented at the Mid-Winter meeting of the American Bar Association, TIPS Fidelity & Surety Committee, San Francisco, California, January 2004.

The American Bar Association (Past and Present)

• Business Law Section
• Public Contract Section, Bonds & Sureties Steering Committee
• Forum Committee on the Construction Committee, Division 7 Steering Committee
• Law Practice Management section
• Tort Trial & Insurance Practice Section
  1. Member of Council
  2. Long Range Planning Committee
  3. Scope & Correlation Committee, Committee Chair, Chair-elect, Secretary
  4. Diversity In The Profession Committee
  5. Bylaws & Guidebook Committee, Co-Chair
  6. Ethics & Professionalism Committee
  7. TIPS Task Force on Workers' Compensation Reform, Chair
  8. TIPS Workers' Compensation Task Force – Second Injury Fund, Chair
• TIPS Advisory Committee to the Drafting Committee for the
• Restatement 3rd, The Law of Suretyship & Guaranty
• Fidelity & Surety Law Committee
  1. Committee Chair
  2. Chair-Elect
  3. Senior Vice Chair
  4. Vice Chair
  5. Past Chairs Advisory Committee, Co-Chair
  6. Long Range Planning Committee
  7. Annual Meeting Program Chair
  8. Annual Meeting Fidelity Program Chair
  9. Executive Committee
  10. Liaison to Forum Committee on the Construction Industry
  11. Lobbying Sub-Committee, Chair
  12. Legislative and Regulation Committee
  13. Diversity Committee, Co-Chair
• Professionals', Officers' & Directors' Liability Committee
• Property Law Committee
• Workers' Compensation and Employers' Liability Law Committee - Vice Chair

Surety Claims Institute

Gulfcoast Fidelity and Surety Institute

American Law Institute – Restatement 3rd, The Law of Suretyship & Guaranty Board of Advisors

Claims Advisory Committee – Surety Association of America, Chair

Claims Advisory Committee – Excess Bond Reassurance Association

Defense Research Institute

• Fidelity & Surety Committee

Fidelity Law Association

International Association of Defense counsel

• Fidelity & Surety Committee
• Surety Trial Practice Program Sub-Committee
• Insurance Executive Committee
• Professional Errors & Omissions Committee

National Bond Claims Association

• Member

Surety Claims Institute

• Member

SPEECHES / PUBLICATIONS

Induction speaker on behalf of Admittees to Florida Bar, November 10, 1972.

Fidelity Program, Midyear Meeting of Tort Insurance Practice Section of the American Bar Association; Fidelity & Surety Law Committee, New York, New York, 1978 Bankruptcy Act & Fidelity and Non-Contract Surety, January 1983.

1983 - First Supplement Annotated Bankers Blanket Bond Section II Exclusions;

1986 - Midyear Meeting of International Association of Defense Counsel - Fidelity & Surety Program, Hamilton, Bermuda, The 1986 Financial Institution of Bond;

1986 - American Bar Association Annual Meeting - TIPS Fidelity & Surety Law Committee, Fidelity Program Chair;

1987 - Midyear Meeting of TIPS Fidelity & Surety Law Committee, New York, New York, Surety Bond Default Program Tender of Contractor to the Owner - Speaker and Panelist;

1987 - Joint Meeting of Surety Association of America - American Subcontractors Association and National Association of Surety Bond Producers, Washington, DC Claim Handling Procedures;

1987 - Southeastern Regional Meeting - National Association of Credit Managers, Charleston, South Carolina Handling Payment Bond Claims;

1987 - American Bar Association Annual Meeting, San Francisco, California - TIPS Fidelity & Surety Law Committee, Fidelity Program Co-Chair;

1987 - Westfield Bond Claims Seminar, Westfield Center, Ohio Confidentiality Agreements - A Gag But Not A Joke;

1987 - Annual Meeting of National Association of Surety Bond Producers, San Francisco, California, Surety Program Panelist;

1987 - Surety Association of America, Basic Two-Day Contract Bond Seminar, Atlanta, Georgia, Faculty;

1988 - Mid-Winter Meeting, International Association of Defense Counsel, Fidelity & Surety Committee, New York, New York, Surety Trial Practice Program, The Company Perspective;

1988 - Second Supplement, Annotated Financial Institution Bond Section II - Exclusions;

TIPS Fidelity & Surety Committee, National Institute of Financial Institution and Other Blanket Bonds, Fidelity Coverage - Who Is Covered?; April 1988, Washington, DC; November 1988, San Francisco, California;

Mid-Winter Meeting, International Association of Defense Counsel, Fidelity & Surety Committee, New York, New York, Surety Trial Practice Program The Company Perspective, January 1989;

1990 – Eagle Lodge Bond Claim Seminar, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania Fidelity Bonds - Successive and Co-Sureties;

1991 - National Association of Surety Bond Producers, Advanced Contract Seminar, San Diego, California Evolution of a Contractor Default;

1992 - American Bar Association, National Institute on Financial Institution Bonds, London, England Financial Institution Bonds; Investigating the Regulators Claim;

1992 - Maryland Association of CPAs Continuing Education Seminar, May 4, 1992, Baltimore, Maryland, Surety Retrospective of a Defaulted Contractor;

1992 - Surety Claims Institute 17th Annual Meeting and Seminar, Absecon, New Jersey Primary/Reinsure Relationships, Mock Mediation, Mediator;

1992 - Financial Institute, Shaping the Future of Public Construction Presented by the Section of Contract Law, the Section of Tort & Insurance Practice and the Division for Professional Education, October 29-30, The Ritz Carlton (Pentagon City), Arlington, Virginia Statutory Mandated Bonds and the Roles of Participants;

1992 - First Round Table for Sureties, Contractors, Bankers, Brokers and Owners, December 8, Vienna, Virginia - Presenter;

1993 - Miscellaneous Bond and the Restatement, William & Mary Law Review, July Issue;

1993 - Section VII Assignment, Subrogation, Recovery, Cooperation, Third Supplement Annotated Financial Institution Bond;

Moderator Law of Suretyship, ABA TIPS Fidelity & Surety Law Committee Program, October 28, 1993, Woodland Hills, California;

When the Feds Come Marching In, Mediator - C. Al Sydes, Fidelity Program Mid-Winter Meeting Fidelity & Surety Law Committee, Waldorf-Astoria, January 28, 1994;

1994 Panelist Contract Bond Claims, March Meeting of Suncoast Utility Contractors Association, Holiday Inn Crowne Plaza, Tampa, Florida;

Commercial Crime Policy Revisited - The Jabberwock Strikes Back!, Fidelity & Surety Law Committee, Fidelity Program ABA Annual Meeting, New Orleans, Louisiana, August 7, 1995;

Miscellaneous Bonds and The Restatement, Fidelity & Surety Law Committee, Surety Program, American Bar Association Annual Meeting, New Orleans, Louisiana, August 9, 1994;

Special Contributing Editor, The Construction Lawyer, Volume 15, Number 1, January 1995, Publication of the Forum on the Construction Industry;

1995 - Program - Moderator Annual Meeting - Surety Claims Institute, June 22-23, Williamsburg, Virginia;

Managing the Insurers Response - Financial Institution Bonds, Fidelity & Surety Law Committee of the American Bar Association, Tort & Insurance Practice Section, Waldorf-Astoria, New York, New York, November 2-3, 1995;

Releases, Extensions and Modification Rules, The Implications of the New Restatement of the Law Third ,Suretyship & Guaranty on the Surety Bonds and Indemnity Agreements, Fidelity & Surety Law Committee of the Tort & Insurance Practice Section of the American Bar Association, O'Hare Westin, Chicago, Illinois, April 18, 1996;

Releases, Extensions and Modification Rules, The Implications of the New Restatement of the Law Third , Suretyship & Guaranty on the Surety Bonds and Indemnity Agreements, Fidelity & Surety Claim Department Seminar, Tides Hotel, Easton, Maryland, September 1996;

Managing the Insurers' Response, Financial Institution Bonds of the Fidelity & Surety Law Committee, American Bar Association, Tort & Insurance Practice Section, Four Seasons Hotel, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, September 24-25, 1998;

Program Co-Chair, Preventing and Recovering Losses: Litigation and Financing Strategies for the Contract Surety, ABA TIPS Fidelity & Surety Law Committee Spring Meeting, May 8-9, 2003, Chicago, Illinois.

The Restatement of Suretyship and Guaranty: A Translation for the Practitioner, ABA Publishing, 2005. Co-Author Chapter IV, Suretyship Defenses; and Co-Author Chapter VI, Finding The Duties Of The Obligee In The Restatement

Presenter of the Martin J. Andrew Award to Paul Devin, ABA TIPS Fidelity & Surety Committee Mid-Winter Meeting, Waldorf Astoria Hotel, New York, New York, January 2005.

Southern Surety & Fidelity Claims Conference, Fidelity Workshop, Facilitator, Don CeSar Hotel, St. Pete Beach, Florida, May 5, 2006

Preparing the Witness for Deposition and Trial, Mid-Winter Meeting, Fidelity & Surety Law Committee of the Tort Trial Insurance Practice Section, American Bar Association, St. Francis Westin Hotel, San Francisco, California, January 26, 2007, Panelist.

Presenter of the Martin J. Andrew Award to Robert D. Carnaghan, Mid-Winter meeting of the Fidelity & surety Law committee, St. Francis Westin Hotel, San Francisco, California, January 26, 2007.

“Libel, Slander and Other Retaliatory Litigation”, Gulfcoast Fidelity and Surety Institute, May 31, 2008, Boca Grande Club, Boca Grande, Florida.

“Another Danger Lurking in the Swamp”, Gulfcoast Fidelity & Surety Institute, May 31, 2008, Boca Grande Club, Boca Grande, Florida.

“Libel Slander and Other Retaliatory Litigation in the Context of Fidelity Claims”, Monthly Field Claims conference, August 13, 2008 Travelers Bond & Financial Products Claim.

Chapter 8, “The Loan Loss Exclusion: Assuring That Credit and Business Risks Remain with the Financial Institution”, Financial Institution Bonds, Duncan L. Clore [editor], - 3rd ed., 2008 American Bar Association.

Chapter 16, “Managing The Insurer’s Response to The Claim”, Financial Institution Bonds, Duncan L. Clore [editor], - 3rd ed.,2008 American Bar Association.

75 Years of the Fidelity & Surety Law Committee, [co-editor], FSLC Spring Meeting, Tort Trial and Insurance Practice Section, American Bar Association, LaJolla, CA., May 22, 2009,

PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE

Ty Thompson joined Mills Paskert Divers in 2002. His practice is primarily devoted to complex commercial litigation, including construction, fidelity and suretyship, and collection matters.

Ty graduated from the University of Florida in 1996 with a bachelor's degree in building construction. Before enrolling in law school, Ty worked for a national construction company, where he served as a project coordinator and participated in the overall management of multi-million dollar construction projects throughout the country. Ty's primary responsibilities included project schedule implementation and maintenance, reviewing subcontractor pay requisitions, value engineering, shop drawing review, project closeout procedures and served as the liaison between the subcontractors, architects and engineers. As a result, he has considerable technical knowledge that is helpful in his construction litigation practice. Ty earned his juris doctorate from Stetson University's College of Law in 2002. While in law school, Ty also earned his masters in business administration from Stetson University.

Ty's litigation practice involves a variety of business-related disputes. These disputes deal with corporate fraud or theft, negotiable instruments, relationships between a bank and its customer, and copyright infringement. In his construction and surety practice, Ty handles construction claims as well as contract and commercial surety claims on both public and private projects, including apartment complexes, assisted living facilities, condominium complexes, homes, schools, and public road work. In connection with payment disputes, Ty has resolved numerous payment and performance bond claims. He has also handled claims against indemnitors to recover losses suffered by sureties. Ty's practice also includes a variety of fidelity matters ranging from employee dishonesty to forgery.

Ty is an active member of the Hillsborough County Bar Association's Committee on the Construction Industry and Young Lawyers Division. Ty is also an active member of the Pinellas and Hillsborough County Gator Clubs, and enjoys spending his leisure time with his family and friends, and watching football.

MEMBERSHIPS / CERTIFICATIONS

Admitted to Practice in all state courts in Florida and the U.S. District Court for the Northern, Middle and Southern Districts of Florida, and the U.S. Court of Appeals, Eleventh Circuit.

The American Bar Association

• Forum on the Construction Industry
• Fidelity and Surety Law Committee

American Business Institute

• Business Law Section

The Florida Bar

• Trial Lawyers Section

Gulfcoast Fidelity and Surety Institute

Stetson Lawyers Association

University of Florida Alumni Association

• Hillsborough County Building Construction Alumni Association

Florida Trend's Florida Legal Elite (2007).

SPEECHES / PUBLICATIONS

"Construction Delay Claims: A Surety and its Principal's Perspective," Lorman Education Centers, April 2006.

"Including Amounts Not Due Under Contract In Claim Of Lien May Render Lien Fraudulent And Unenforceable," Insights, Winter 2005.

"Claims and Defenses Involving the Surety," Hillsborough County Bar Association, Construction Law Committee, October, 2004.

"Critical Contract Clauses in Public Construction Contracts," Construction Management Association of America, June 2004.

Material Distinction Between Warranty Obligation and Indemnity Obligation? Insights, Summer, 2003.

PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE

Keith joined Mills Paskert Divers in 2004. His practice is exclusively devoted to business, construction, and surety litigation.

Keith's practice involves a variety of business-related disputes. In his construction and surety practice, Keith has handled a variety claims on public and private projects in Alabama, Florida, and Georgia. He has also lectured and written on construction-related and other litigation issues.

Keith graduated from the University of Alabama in 1998 with a Bachelor's Degree in History and Political Science. As an undergraduate, he held internships in Washington D.C. with the U.S. Department of State and U.S. Senator Richard Shelby.

During law school, Keith served as an extern with the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Southern District of Alabama, and participated in a clinic with the Tuscaloosa County Public Defender's Office. After graduation in 2001, Keith served as Judicial Law Clerk to Hon. Gregory Shaw, of Alabama's Court of Criminal Appeals, and then practiced privately in Alabama before relocating to Florida. He worked for the Firm in Tampa for four years, prior to moving to Atlanta in 2008 to help open its new office there.

Keith enjoys spending his leisure time traveling, listening to jazz, and spending time with family and friends.

MEMBERSHIPS / CERTIFICATIONS

The Alabama State Bar

The Florida Bar

The Georgia Bar

Gulfcoast Fidelity and Surety Institute

American Bar Association

• Fidelity and Surety Law Committee/TIPS

SPEECHES / PUBLICATIONS

Georgia on My Mind: The Surety's Limitations Defenses on Public Projects, Insights, Winter, 2008.

Time Matters: Strict Interpretation of Statutory Notice Requirements, Insights, Summer 2007.

The Surety's Back Yard: Tips for Venue Selection in Indemnity Actions, Insights, Fall, 2006.

'Walking the Line,' Under 713.23, Florida Statutes, The Hillsborough County Bar Association LAWYER, June, 2006.

Expanded CGL Coverage for Defective Construction, Insights, Fall, 2005.

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

Raise High the Roofbeams: Asserting the Limitations Defense in Construction Defect Cases," Insights, Spring, 2005.

"Spearin and the Subcontractor," Insights, Spring, 2004.

PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE

Adam previously worked for the Orlando law firm of DeCubellis & Meeks, , and the Tampa law firm of Jennis & Bowen, P.L., where he handled complex commercial litigation and creditors' rights cases. In 2006, Adam joined Mills Paskert Divers His practice is devoted to construction, surety, and commercial litigation. Adam has tried complex litigation cases in state, federal, and bankruptcy courts.

MEMBERSHIPS / CERTIFICATIONS

Admitted to Practice in all state courts in Florida and the U.S. District Court for the Northern, Middle and Southern Districts of Florida.

The Florida Bar

American Bar Association

• Fidelity and Surety Law Committee
• Tort Trial and Insurance Practice Section

Gulfcoast Fidelity and Surety Institute

American Bar Association

• Fidelity and Surety Law Committee
• Tort Trial and Insurance Practice Section

Gulfcoast Fidelity and Surety Institute

EDUCATION

Adam studied finance and economics at Florida State University. He graduated from Florida State with honors in 1995. He continued his education at The Wake Forest University School of Law, and obtained his juris doctorate degree in 1998. While at Wake Forest, Adam worked for the corporate legal department of R. J. Reynolds Tobacco Company and for a general litigation firm in Greensboro, North Carolina.

PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE

Ryan M. Scully joined Mills Paskert Divers in 2006. His practice is exclusively devoted to business, construction, and surety litigation.

Ryan graduated from Florida State University in May, 2003 with a Bachelor of Science Degree in Management and Human Resource Management. He earned his Juris Doctorate from the Florida State University College of Law in May, 2006.

Ryan's litigation practice involves a variety of business-related disputes. In his construction and surety practice, Ryan handles a variety of claims on public and private projects.

During law school, Ryan served as the Executive Editor of the Business Law Review (Business Journal), and was a Pre-Law Advisor, Peer Advisor, and Vice President of the Entertainment, Arts, & Sports Law Society. He received the Constitutional Law I Book Award, the Contracts II Book Award, the Ralph Bailey Scholarship, and the David & Cela Miller Scholarship. During law school, Ryan gained valuable work experience while clerking for a business litigation firm, a solo practitioner, and a legal aid society.

Ryan enjoys spending his leisure time playing tennis, running, water skiing, and watching college football.

MEMBERSHIPS / CERTIFICATIONS

Admitted to practice in all state courts in Florida and the United States District Court for the Middle and Southern Districts of Florida.

American Bar Association

• Fidelity and Surety Law Committee
• Tort Trial and Insurance Practice Section

Gulfcoast Fidelity and Surety Institute

The Hillsborough County Bar Association

PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE

Lila K. Ross joined Mills Paskert Divers in 2007. Her practice is exclusively devoted to business, construction, fidelity, and surety litigation. She is licensed to practice in all Florida state courts.

Lila earned her Bachelor of Arts in History and Government from the University of Notre Dame in 2001. She attended the University of Florida College of Law and obtained her Juris Doctor in 2007.

During law school, Lila was a member of the Florida Law Review and the Journal of Technology Law and Policy. She was a teaching assistant for legal research and writing, and appellate advocacy.

MEMBERSHIPS / CERTIFICATIONS

Admitted to Practice in all state courts in Florida and in the U.S. District Court for the Northern, Middle and Southern Districts of Florida.

The Hillsborough County Bar Association

• Construction Law Section

American Bar Association

• Tort and Insurance Practice Section
Fidelity and Surety Law Committee
Fidelity and Surety UPBEAT Committee

SPEECHES / PUBLICATIONS

Lila K. Ross, Case Comment, Closing the Door to Opportunity: The Florida Supreme Court’s Analysis of Uniformity in the Context of Article IX, Section 1, 58 Fla. L. Rev. 945 (2006).

Case Summary: Offers of Judgment: Not a Safe Harbor from Bad Faith Claims, Co-authored with Brandon Held, Insights, Winter 2008.

Case Summary: Clarification of the Statute of Limitations: BDI Construction Co. v. Hartford Insurance Co., Insights, Winter 2009.

From New York to Cabbage Key: How Concepts Like Forum Shopping, Venue Selection, Conflicting Laws, Abstention, and the Like can Impact Fidelity Claims, Co-authored with Alberta Adams and Jeffrey Paskert, Surety Claims Institute, 2008.

PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE

Brandon Held joined Mills Paskert Divers in 2007. His practice is primarily devoted to complex commercial litigation, which includes surety ship, construction litigation, and various other business related matters.

Brandon graduated from University of Florida in 2002 with his bachelor's degree in Business Administration and a concentration in Decision and Information Sciences (business consulting). Before attending law school, Brandon owned and operated a marketing company and later opened a restaurant in Gainesville while he attended graduate school. Aside from owning several businesses in the past, Brandon also received his M.B.A. degree while attending law school at Stetson University College of Law. As a result, Brandon has considerable practical knowledge in many aspects of business management that is helpful in his commercial litigation practice.

During law school, Brandon was a member of the top-ranked trial program in the nation. Brandon represented Stetson in both state-wide and National competitions, led Stetson to three mock-trial competition victories, and received a best advocate award in 2006. While in law school Brandon received numerous recognitions, including being recognized by Who's Who in American Colleges and Universities and being inducted into the Order of Barristers - a national honorary organization providing recognition to individuals who have excelled in advocacy. Brandon received the book award in Constitutional Law I and Criminal Law.

Brandon's litigation practice involves a variety of business-related disputes. These disputes include various actions for breach of contract, including breach of contract actions for failures to satisfy debts, breach of commercial lease agreements, and breach of personal guaranties

In his construction and surety practice, Brandon handles a variety of commercial surety claims on both public and private projects, including condominium complexes, parks, homes, schools, and public road work. Brandon has also resolved numerous payment and performance bond claims on the types of projects referenced above. After resolving the contract and commercial surety claims, Brandon has experience handling claims against indemnitors to recover losses suffered by sureties

Brandon’s contract and commercial surety practice is not limited to construction projects. Brandon has handled numerous claims involving Motor Vehicle Dealers Bonds, Administrator (Probate) bonds, Guardianship Bonds, and Notary Bonds.

Brandon enjoys spending his leisure time playing golf and tennis, and watching college football.

MEMBERSHIPS / CERTIFICATIONS

Admitted to Practice in all state courts in Florida and the U.S. District Court for the Northern, Middle and Southern Districts of Florida.

The Hillsborough County Bar Association

The American Bar Association

• Fidelity & Surety Law Committee

SPEECHES / PUBLICATIONS

"Offers of Judgment: Not a Safe Harbor From Bad Faith Claims," Insights, Winter 2008

"No Liability for Attorneys’ Fees Under Statutory Motor Vehicle Dealer Bond," Insights, Fall 2008

"Florida’s Statute of Repose Significantly Reduced!," Insights, Fall 2006