Stephen H Reisman

Practice Areas

Construction & Infrastructure

Construction Dispute Resolution

Contracts, Project Documentation and Risk Management

Commercial Litigation & Dispute Resolution

Public-Private Partnerships

Government Contracts

Career

Stephen Reisman is Vice Chair and general counsel of Peckar & Abramson and serves on the firm’s Executive Committee. Steve’s primary area of practice is Construction Law and he is certified by the Florida Bar as a Construction Law Specialist. His practice includes the representation of general contractors, construction managers, and other construction professionals in the negotiation and preparation of construction documents, as well as in the negotiation, mediation, arbitration, and litigation of claims involving construction contracts, construction and design defects, insurance, surety bonds, and related matters. Steve also assists with project administration on construction projects to identify and achieve early resolution of potential conflicts and disputes.

Steve has represented clients in all aspects of the procurement process for both public and private construction projects, including airports, seaports, state and federal courthouses, prisons, roads, bridges, hotels, retail centers, mixed-use facilities, hospitals, condominiums and high-rise residential rental projects. He has litigated and arbitrated cases involving building cladding systems, roofing, foundations, concrete construction (reinforced, pre-stressed, post-tensioned), drywall assemblies, masonry construction, stucco systems, EIFS systems, piping (metal, PVC, CPVC), fire protection and many other building systems and components. He has also litigated and arbitrated delay and impact claims, and presented requests for equitable adjustment on public works.

As an active member of the American Arbitration Association Panel of Construction Arbitrators, Steve has served as Arbitrator in many domestic and international construction disputes, and has also facilitated the resolution of numerous construction and commercial disputes in the role of Mediator.

Steve is admitted to practice before the United States Supreme Court, the United States Court of Appeals for the Fifth and Eleventh Circuits, the United States District Courts for the Southern and Middle Districts of Florida, the United States Bankruptcy Court for the Southern District of Florida, and all courts of the State of Florida.

Steve is AV Preeminent Peer Review Rated by Martindale-Hubbell and since 2003 has been recognized by Chambers USA among the highest ranked construction lawyers in Florida. He was recently named to City & State Florida’s Construction Power 100 list. Steve was also selected for inclusion in publications such as Best Lawyers (chosen as “Lawyer of the Year” in Miami for Construction Law in 2012, 2016, and 2018, and for Litigation-Construction in 2014, 2017, and 2019), The International Who’s Who of Construction Lawyers, The Legal 500: United States, and Florida Super Lawyers. He previously served on the Construction Advisory Council of the American Arbitration Association.

Steve is a fellow in the American College of Construction Lawyers and is a member of the American Bar Association (Forum on Construction Law, Litigation Section and Law Practice Division), the Florida Bar (Litigation, Business Law and Real Property Sections), the Construction Association of South Florida, the Associated General Contractors of America and the University of Miami School of Architecture – Masters of Construction Management Program Advisory Board.

Steve serves on the faculty of the University of Miami as an Adjunct Professor in the Masters of Construction Management program for post-graduate and executive Masters students in the School of Architecture. He was an author and speaker for the program presented at the 2014 Fall Meeting of the American Bar Association Forum on Construction Law “Bulldozers, Cranes and Claims – Challenges of Rebuilding the Construction Industry” and is the Co-Editor of “Construction Defects” published in April 2012 by the American Bar Association Forum on Construction Law. He was an instructor for the Florida Bar’s Construction Law Certification Course and has also authored numerous articles and conducted seminars on various Construction law topics for the Florida Bar, National Business Institute, Construction Specifications Institute, Construction Association of South Florida, Southeast Construction, and Lorman Education Services. Steve is a graduate of Emory University and the University of Miami School of Law.

Professional Memberships

American Bar Association (Forum on Construction Law and Litigation Section)

American College of Construction Lawyers

Florida Bar (Litigation, Business Law and Real Property Sections)

American Arbitration Association Panel of Arbitrators

Construction Association of South Florida

Associated General Contractors

University of Miami School of Architecture (Construction Management Program Advisory Board)

Publications

“Decision Further Erodes Florida’s Statute of Repose for Latent Construction Defects,” Daily Business Review, January 2019 (co-author)

“Teaming Arrangements on Infrastructure Projects”, Journal of the American College of Construction Lawyers – Summer 2015 (co-author).

"The Perfect Pair or the Odd Couple – Challenges of Teaming Arrangements", American Bar Association Forum on Construction Law, 2014 (co-author and speaker)

"Construction Liens", Florida Real Property Litigation, Florida Bar Publications, 1993, 2001, 2011, 2013 (co-author).

“Completion and Turnover of the Condominium-Exit Strategy” and “Managing Risk in Condominium Construction” Condominium Construction Issues in Florida, Lorman Educational Services, 2006 (author and lecturer).

“Construction Mediation,” Conflict Management in Construction, American Arbitration Association, 2004 (author and panelist).

“The Problem Owner: Contractor’s Perspective on Termination and Other Alternatives,” Florida Construction Law – Creative Strategies for Project Completion & Litigation Avoidance, Lorman Educational Services, 1999 (author and lecturer).

“Contractor’s Responsibility for Design Failures,” Construction Ink!, 1999 (co-author).

“Florida Construction Law,” National Business Institute, 1993 and 1997 (author and lecturer).

“Legal Consequences of Construction and Design Failures,” Construction Specifications Institute, 1995 (author and lecturer).

“Construction Qualifiers Liability,” Construction Financial Management Association, 1992 (author).

"Rights and Liabilities of the General Contractor, Subcontractors, Suppliers and Materialmen", Construction Litigation in Florida, Florida Bar Publications, 1983 (co-author).

Education

Awards