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.

Amanda Baggett is a leading female personal injury attorney in Northeast Florida. She has specialized expertise in cases involving construction law, such as roadway design and construction issues. Before becoming a partner at Baggett Law Personal Injury Lawyers in 2015, Amanda spent many years working as a defense counsel for contractors and engineers in personal injury and wrongful death cases. Ms. Baggett has been recognized and awarded several times for being a true advocate. She received the "Women of Influence" award by Jacksonville Business Journal in 2014, she also received an AV Preeminent rating by Martindale-Hubbell, an honor given only to 10% of all attorneys in the U.S. She's also been named repeatedly by the Super Lawyers List every year since 2009.

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.

Carmel J. Decker is a Partner with Harwood Lloyd, practicing in its Insurance Defense Litigation and Commercial Litigation Departments. Ms. Decker concentrates her practice in employment law, civil rights violations, construction law, corporate and contract law and insurance law. Ms. Decker’s employment law practice includes complex litigation in state and federal courts involving wrongful termination, sexual harassment/hostile work environment, discrimination, retaliation, breach of contract, corporate and business law, common-law claims, ERISA, CEPA, the New Jersey Law against Discrimination, the Americans with Disabilities Act, the Age Discrimination in Employment Act, hiring practices, restrictive covenants, employee handbooks and workplace torts. Ms. Decker represents companies, public entities and public employees in matters involving civil rights violations, negligence and police conduct. Ms. Decker also handles matters involving directors’ and officers’ liability, particularly employment and civil rights disputes. Ms. Decker lectures on employment matters including sexual harassment/hostile work environment discrimination, hiring practices and litigation of employment issues. Ms. Decker drafts employee handbooks, counsels clients on risk management and regulatory compliance and provides preventive counseling to employers on employment issues. Ms. Decker also appears in matters before the New Jersey Division on Civil Rights and the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission. Ms. Decker’s construction law practice includes complex multi-party litigation involving claims of construction defect, professional liability of architects and engineers and construction site accidents. As part of her construction defect practice, Ms. Decker handles matters involving claims of deficiencies in construction and design, latent construction defects, building code violations, breach of contract and insurance. Ms. Decker’s construction law practice encompasses matters arising on public, private, commercial and residential projects. Ms. Decker received her B.S., cum laude, in Business Administration from Montclair State College in 1978 and her J.D. from Seton Hall University School of Law in 1981. Ms. Decker is admitted to practice before the courts of the State of New Jersey (1982), the United States District Court for the District of New Jersey (1982) and the courts of the State of New York (1989). Ms. Decker is a member of the Federal Bar Association, the Bergen County Bar Association and the Professional Liability Underwriting Society.

Eric Dobberstein is a talented mediator, arbitrator and litigator with 36 years of experience. Eric Dobberstein has served as arbitrator and/or mediator in over 400 cases involving construction, personal injury, commercial and real property disputes. He started practicing law in 1989 and has received numerous accolades for his outstanding work as a trial lawyer. In fact, Eric’s general trial practice has been quite impressive. Eric has appeared in over 850 lawsuits consisting of construction, personal injury, commercial business issues, and domestic relations matters; he has served as legal counsel on construction projects ranging from $5,000 to $9.2 billion dollars. Some of these projects have included the construction for the Clark County School District, City of Henderson recreational center, MGM City Center, Station Casinos, Fontainebleau, Planet Hollywood, and numerous commercial private business centers, including auto malls, pools and residential, commercial, and industrial construction disputes. He has represented and litigated cases with juries as well as judges before Municipal, Justice, District and Supreme Courts of the State of Nevada as well as Nevada Federal District Court, United States Bankruptcy Court, United States Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals, and the United States Supreme Court. As a mediator, Eric utilizes this vast experience to assist parties on complex multi-party matters assess the strengths and weaknesses of their case in an effort to effectively and productively resolve disputes. His respectful approach and strong people skills make him uniquely qualified to resolve even the most complex claims.

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.

Keith Pollette focuses his practice on criminal law, business litigation, construction, transportation and real estate matters. He also protects the rights of clients in general liability, governmental liability, and premises liability matters. Keith has been a licensed Mediator and Arbitrator since 2016 and has assisted dozens of clients in resolving disputes outside of court. He has defended the rights of construction contractors and property in liens, alleged construction defects, and billing and service disputes. Keith has served as a title insurance agent for two nationally recognized title insurance companies and has handled closings for dozens of commercial and residential transactions as well as has represented clients in land line disputes and with real estate ownership issues. Keith also represents trucking companies and drivers accused of causing negligent injuries related to automobile accidents, and he has also represented individuals who were carelessly injured by other drivers. As a former city attorney, assistant county attorney, municipal court judge, and county solicitor, Keith has handled numerous governmental liability matters for government officials and government entities. Keith earned a Juris Doctor from Samford University’s Cumberland School of Law, and he completed a Bachelor of Arts at the University of Georgia and an Associate of Science at Middle Georgia College. Experience Keith has nearly two decades of legal experience and has handled a wide range of business litigation, liability, and other complex matters. He is also a licensed Mediator and Arbitrator and has helped clients successfully resolve dozens of matters outside the courtroom. Arbitration & Mediation Keith has been a licensed Mediator and Arbitrator since 2016, and he has helped dozens of clients reach agreement in alternative dispute resolution forums outside of the court system. Business Litigation Keith has handled numerous lawsuits that affect small, medium, and large business, including liability claims, contract disputes, real estate, and construction matters. Construction Keith has represented contractors in business disputes such as liens, alleged construction defects, and billing and service disputes. General Liability Keith has vast experience and insight in representing clients on behalf of their liability insurance carrier as well as premises liability and general liability disputes. Governmental Liability Keith was formerly a city attorney, an assistant county attorney, a municipal court judge, and a county solicitor, and in those roles he has handled numerous governmental liability matters. He also represented state employees as Special Assistant Attorney General for the State of Georgia and brings that experience to bear in working alongside government and municipal clients. Premises Liability Keith protects the rights of clients of all sizes on premises liability litigation including convenience stores, restaurants, and hotels. Real Estate With extensive experience in title insurance as a former agent for two nationally recognized title insurance companies, Keith has closed dozens of real estate transactions in the commercial and residential sectors. He has also protected the rights of real property owners in land line disputes, ownership disputes, and other real estate matters. Transportation Keith has represented trucking companies, commercial drivers, and non-commercial drivers in negligent injury and liability lawsuits arising out of automobile accidents. He has also represented individuals who have been injured by other drivers.

William H. Grae joined Harwood Lloyd LLP in 2024 as Counsel with potential responsibility for litigation and trial work in New York and New Jersey. He received his B.A. in Anthropology Crom Cornell in 1991 and a J.D. from Pace Law School in 1994, graduating from both school with academic honors. He has more than thirty (30) years of experience as a creative and innovative litigator, trial attorney, and appellate advocate, whose work in the area of personal-injury defense with a particular emphasis on NY Labor Law/construction accidents, tractor trailer/common carrier claims, general-liability hospitality industry and Dram Shop claims, product liability claims, and litigation of related coverage disputes in NY and NJ. He has both prosecuted and defended professional liability claims involving the medical, dental, podiatric, veterinary, and engineering fields. With respect to construction-related litigation in NY, Grae has particular experience providing risk-management, emergency site-response coordination, and cost-effective legal counsel to defend large-loss claims asserted against construction project participants including owners, general contractors, and construction managers, along with litigation of related coverage disputes. In addition to the specialty, Grae has also extensive litigation and trial experience involving general-liability claims, catastrophic motor carrier and aviation events, mass torts (pharmaceutical, motor-vehicle product liability, lead, and asbestos exposure) in New York and New Jersey State and federal courts. Grae has served as local trial counsel for multiple nationwide defense programs and has experience trying cases before juries throughout the City and State of New York and several NJ counties as well as federal court. Outside the field of personal-injury, Grae also has substantial experience representing clients including financial services providers, real-estate developers, and other business entities confronted by commercial, regulatory claims, and employment-discrimination claims. This includes TILA and CFPB compliance work and defense of consumer credit, NY and NJ Consumer Fraud, usury and related liability claims in NY, NJ and federal courts. In NY, he has also assisted property developers and owners negotiate and litigation issues related to large-scale commercial development projects, land use, and access agreements. Grae has also represented clients and helped resolve based on alleged architectural barriers claims under ADA, wage-and-hour claims under FLSA and related NY State and City/local law, and employment-discrimination claims based on federal, NY, and local law. Grae’s appellate experience includes multiple appearances before each department of the New York State Appellate Division, the New York State Court of Appeals, the NJ Appellate Division, and the Second Circuit Court of Appeals. His active practice involving alternate dispute resolution not involves frequent mediations and arbitrations. Grae has also served as a volunteer arbitrator in the City of New York Small Claims Court (Kings and Bronx Counties). Grae’s prior pro bono work includes representing the survivors of the Golden Venture disaster and Haitian civil war in US Asylum proceedings as well as serving as a (volunteer) Special Assistant District Attorney with the Appeals Bureau of the Office of the Kings County District Attorney (Brooklyn, NY). In 2004, he was certified as a NJ Animal Cruelty Investigation and later was commissioned as a Human Enforcement Officer (volunteer) with the Bergen County Prosecutor’s Animal Cruelty Task Force/Bergen County Chapter of the NJ SPCA (Law Enforcement Division), volunteer work he continued from 2005 to 2010. Grae has lectured on construction-accident liability arising under New York’s Labor Law, medical malpractice risk management, and other litigation-related subjects.

Anastas Shkurti brings two decades of experience negotiating and closing complex transactions, including commercial loan documentation, loan modifications, forbearance agreements, asset-based lending, intercreditor agreements, workouts, corporate mergers and acquisitions, asset and stock buys and sales, factoring, equipment leases and sales, franchise agreements, IT service agreements, master agreements, employment agreements, and organizing new businesses. Anastas also possesses unique insight in all aspects of commercial real estate construction, bidding, development, land use, leasing, management, rezoning, and municipal law. His litigation experience focuses on complex data analysis, damage calculations, forecasts, modeling, projections, and expert witness preparation. By offering in-house services to several national companies, Anastas has developed a broad perspective for evaluating legal consequences of all aspects of business operations. Anastas also leverages his research and technological background to offer clients cost efficient legal services of uncompromising quality.

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.