Construction

Mr. Kravitz is Board Certified in Construction Law by the Florida Bar. He has received an "AV Preeminent" rating by Martindale-Hubbell by achieving the highest level of professional excellence rating available. He has also received a "Superb" rating by Avvo.com, the highest rating Avvo awards. Mr. Kravitz received his Juris Doctorate Summa Cum Laude from Nova Southeastern University, where he was a member of the Law Review and Moot Court Honor Society. He received his Bachelor of Science degree in Biology from Florida State University in 1992, as well as his Master of Science Degree in Psychology from Nova Southeastern University in 1997. Mr. Kravitz has been a resident of the South Florida area since 1978, and currently resides in Parkland with his wife Dawn, and their children Madyson and Braeden. Mr. Kravitz is admitted to practice in all Florida state and federal courts, as well as the First and Eleventh Circuit Courts of Appeals and the District of Columbia Court of Appeals. He is a member of the Broward County Bar Association and its Construction Law Committee, the American Bar Association, and the Florida Bar Construction Law Committee. Mr. Kravitz concentrates his practice primarily in commercial and construction law including litigation, arbitration, mediation and negotiation of construction matters including construction lien claims and defense, payment and performance bond claims and defense, bid protests, construction contract preparation and negotiation and construction defect claims and defense. He also has a wide array of experience in contract, tort, corporate, and Americans with Disabilities Act issues. Mr. Kravitz is on the 2012 list of “Super Lawyers,” and can be found in the 2012 “Best Lawyers in America” publication and Martindale-Hubbell’s “Top Rated Lawyers” magazine for 2012.

Michael D. Sechrest is widely recognized by both his clients and the legal profession as a highly-skilled and successful expert litigator. Focused on complex, high-value, multi-party lawsuits, Mr. Sechrest has recovered tens of millions of dollars in damages for his clients. He has a solid record of excellence and applies his dedication, experience, and superior legal skills to every case he pursues. Mr. Sechrest graduated with honors from the University of Florida in 1995 with a difficult dual major in Pre-law and Criminology. He received a J.D. from the University of Florida, Frederic G. Levin College of Law in 1998. Since graduating, he has returned to the University of Florida as a guest lecturer on legal issues in construction. He also serves as an arbitrator on a multi-arbitrator panel for complex business disputes. Mr. Sechrest has represented clients in the areas of business/construction litigation, personal injury, products liability, wrongful death, and medical malpractice. His clients include injured plaintiffs, contractors, subcontractors, architects, business owners, engineers, suppliers, sureties, and lenders. He has litigated against various cities and counties within Florida, the State of Florida, and the U.S. Federal Government. In addition, he has battled against numerous insurance companies including Allstate, Nationwide, MetLife, Geico, Hartford Insurance, Berkshire Hathaway Insurance, State Farm, Liberty Mutual, Progressive, CNA Insurance, Cincinnati Insurance, Travelers, USAA Group, and Zurich Insurance. He has also taken on large corporations and institutions including Wal-Mart, BP Oil, Goldman Sachs, CVS, Publix Supermarkets, Target, Shands Hospitals, and the University of Florida. In addition, he handles OSHA proceedings, bid protests, and federal and bankruptcy claims involving construction. Mr. Sechrest clearly is not afraid to take on large and powerful defendants. His professional successes and commendations speak for themselves. Call Michael Sechrest and the firm of Warner, Sechrest, & Butts, P.A. today for a confidential consultation. We look forward to providing you with superior legal representation.

Michael R. Cramer’s practice includes extensive experience in business law, civil and commercial litigation, employment law, corporate law, construction law, real estate, civil defense and estate planning. Attorney Cramer has more than 20 years of practice, Michael developed a statewide practice focused on litigation. His cases range from breach of contract to construction delay claims against the State of Texas. He also works with Family Law and Divorce cases. His business litigation practice includes the representation of corporations of all sizes. Michael has considerable experience in assisting corporations to avoid litigation through consultancy and risk avoidance. He counsels business owners on the best type of entity for their corporate structure and then assists the business in every step of the process from formation to contracts, collections to dissolution, and everything in between. Michael’s business law clients include construction companies, contractors, sub-contractors, suppliers, franchisors, owners, architects, business partners and many other entities in litigation matters. His family law clients include parents, grandparents, couples, and conservators in all areas of family law.

I have over forty five years of business and legal experience. Prior to entering law, I owned and managed corporations involved in various fields of the construction industry and am a past president of Carolina's Associated General Contractors. I currently handle divorce, probate, estate planning, personal injury and construction claims. I have successfully settled a lawsuit against a city for sewer backup into a residence and a developer for faulty construction of a residence. My years of business and personal experience enable me to offer my clients professional advice and legal representation from a point of view that is not available from many other attorneys. I graduated from North Carolina State University in 1972 with a BS in Civil Engineering and Cum Laude in 2008 from the Charleston School of Law. While my office is in Greenville, I practice on a regular basis in all areas of the state, especially in the Charleston area including Berkeley and Dorchester Counties. I have extensive trial experience in common law marriages and military divorces. It doesn't cost you anything to give me a call to discuss your options. My number is 864-270-7973.

Brett C. Drouet, Esq., is a sixth generation Southern Californian, who has served Southern, Central and Northern California clients for over two decades as a member of the California State Bar. Mr. Drouet is recognized as a litigator’s litigator, who is uniquely experienced in catastrophic personal injury and death actions for trauma victims in auto accidents, truck accidents, motorcycle accidents, bus accidents, bicycle accidents, worksite accidents, DUI victim/plaintiff, construction defect, product liability and medical malpractice. Having represented Fortune 500 companies and major insurance companies’ insureds in thousands of catastrophic personal injury and death actions for over a decade, Mr. Drouet is a seasoned litigation veteran representing trauma victims, who have suffered life-changing injuries for over a decade. Traumatic, catastrophic personal injuries require an attorney with extensive, broad-based knowledge of evidence based medicine, treatment, and medical causation to best serve trauma victims, which is why Mr. Drouet is called upon to co-counsel and consult with other attorneys and law firms representing California trauma victims. Mr. Drouet has significant experience and expertise in product liability in catastrophic personal injury and death actions involving consumer products, chemical products, toxic substances, industrial products, industrial machinery, construction equipment, vehicles, tires, wheels, housing components, construction materials, and finished products. Mr. Drouet has substantial experience and practice in brain injury, loss of brain function, burn injury and Chronic Regional Pain Syndrome injuries.

Richard C. Gramlich focuses his practice on Business, Real Estate and Construction Litigation, Insurance Bad Faith, Personal Injury, Wrongful Death, and Product Liability. He routinely represents contractors and owners in construction defect, non-pay/stop-pay claims, delay claims, professional negligence, Registrar of Contractor’s hearings, and general breach of contract. Mr. Gramlich was the lead counsel for the Scottsdale “W” Hotel’s construction defect and delay claim. Mr. Gramlich achieved the largest per home verdicts in Arizona for damage caused by expansive soil.1 He has successfully tried Business Tort, Personal Injury, Product Liability, and Insurance Bad Faith actions resulting in significant recoveries, and has earned the nickname “Bulldog” by many of his clients. Mr. Gramlich graduated from the University of Arizona in Business Administration, Finance and Real Estate, cum laude, in 1989 and from the Arizona State University College of Law, in the top third of his class, in 1992. He has been practicing law for the last 25 years in both State and Federal Court.

I am recognized by the Illinois legal community as the “Best of the Best” in personal injury law. I have been designated by my peers as a top 100 “Illinois Super Lawyer” – an honor given to less than 1% of Illinois lawyers. I have an AV® Preeminent™ 5.0 out of 5 peer review rating – the highest rating possible in personal injury and medical malpractice – in the highly distinguished Martindale-Hubbell® legal directory. I have a 10/10 (Superb) Avvo Rating with the highest possible marks in all categories including experience, industry recognition and professional conduct. I am recognized as a “Leading Lawyer” in Personal Injury Law and Professional Malpractice – based on a survey of legal peers conducted by the Law Bulletin Publishing Company’s Leading Lawyer Network. In 2004, I was named one of the ’40 Attorneys Under 40 in Illinois to Watch’ by the Law Bulletin Publishing Company – an honor given to less than 1% of the lawyers in Illinois. I am a member of the Million Dollar Advocates Forum – where membership is limited to trial attorneys who have obtained million and multi-million dollar verdicts and settlements – where less than 1% of lawyers in the United States are members.

Jon Starr has tried more 120 cases to jury verdict in Oklahoma. He maintains a civil litigation practice, with a focus on claims involving auto negligence, personal injury defense, business disputes, construction, employment practices, bad faith, medical malpractice, product liability, and professional negligence. Mr. Starr has made oral argument before the the United States Court of Appeals for the Tenth Circuit and also works as a mediator and arbitrator with Dispute Resolution Institute (DRC). He is an accomplished writer and speaker on insurance defense topics, and has served as president of the Oklahoma Association of Defense Counsel.

Brett C. Drouet, Esq., is a sixth generation Southern Californian, who has served Southern, Central and Northern California clients for over two decades as a member of the California State Bar. Mr. Drouet is recognized as a litigator’s litigator, who is uniquely experienced in catastrophic personal injury and death actions for trauma victims in auto accidents, truck accidents, motorcycle accidents, bus accidents, bicycle accidents, worksite accidents, DUI victim/plaintiff, construction defect, product liability and medical malpractice. Having represented Fortune 500 companies and major insurance companies’ insureds in thousands of catastrophic personal injury and death actions for over a decade, Mr. Drouet is a seasoned litigation veteran representing trauma victims, who have suffered life-changing injuries for over a decade. Traumatic, catastrophic personal injuries require an attorney with extensive, broad-based knowledge of evidence based medicine, treatment, and medical causation to best serve trauma victims, which is why Mr. Drouet is called upon to co-counsel and consult with other attorneys and law firms representing California trauma victims. Mr. Drouet has significant experience and expertise in product liability in catastrophic personal injury and death actions involving consumer products, chemical products, toxic substances, industrial products, industrial machinery, construction equipment, vehicles, tires, wheels, housing components, construction materials, and finished products. Mr. Drouet has substantial experience and practice in brain injury, loss of brain function, burn injury and Chronic Regional Pain Syndrome injuries.

Ian Chaikin is the founding member of Chaikin Trial Group and a licensed attorney in New York, New Jersey, and Florida. He began his legal career at a prominent New York City personal injury firm, where he quickly distinguished himself as a formidable advocate. His rapid rise in the personal injury legal community reflects both his skill and his deep commitment to the clients he serves. As Ian often says: “You come in as a client, but you leave as a friend.” Dedicated to delivering exceptional results, Ian has secured numerous Million-Dollar and Multi-Million-Dollar recoveries for his clients. His relentless work ethic and unwavering dedication have earned him recognition as one of New York’s Super Lawyers in personal injury law. He is also a distinguished member of the Million-Dollar and Multi-Million Dollar Advocates Forum and has been featured in New York Magazine’s “Personal Injury Leaders.” Chaikin Trial Group has been praised as “one of New York’s preeminent boutique personal injury trial firms.” Ian’s success is built on a foundation of hard work, strategic thinking, and personal attention to every case. For over 20 years, he has fought tirelessly for the rights of innocent victims, ensuring they receive the justice and compensation they deserve. Ian earned his degree in Banking and Finance from Hofstra University in 2001 and his law degree from the Maurice A. Deane School of Law at Hofstra University in 2004, with a concentration in civil litigation. While in law school, he won the school’s oral argument competition and earned a place in Hofstra’s prestigious Labor Law Journal. A proud Long Island resident, Ian is deeply involved in his family life and enjoys traveling, snowboarding, and weightlifting. He is fluent in English, Hebrew, and Spanish, allowing him to effectively serve a diverse clientele, including the Hispanic community, by ensuring clear communication and a strong attorney-client relationship.