For more than 45 years—including 40 years of being Florida Bar Board Certified in civil trial law—Steven has devoted his practice primarily to business and construction litigation and dispute resolution. He has extensive experience in trial work, arbitration and civil mediation, and administrative and appellate proceedings, and he is currently a Florida Supreme Court Certified Circuit Court Civil Mediator in both Florida state courts and federal courts. Steven is qualified to accept Florida Circuit Court appointments as a binding arbitrator or trial resolution judge and has served in complex non-jury litigation matters.
Steven has vast experience in various substantive areas, including:
- Business/commercial disputes, including those in real estate and construction
- Probate and trust disputes
- Products liability and medical malpractice
- Representing national corporations, institutional lenders, governmental bodies, commercial developers, municipalities, insurance companies, and sureties among various business entities and individuals
- Authoring "Attorneys' Fees in Real Property Litigation," Florida Real Property Litigation for The Florida Bar Continuing Legal Education
- Serving as a mentor to younger lawyers and as an adjunct lecturer at the University of South Florida, where he taught business law and lectured at various seminars
Steven enjoys spending time with his wife of 45 years and his grandchildren, playing golf, traveling, and reading.
Education
J.D., Emory University, 1975
B.A., summa cum laude, State University of New York at Albany, 1973
Professional Associations
- Sarasota County Bar Association
- Judge John M. Scheb American Inn of Court, Honorary Member
Honors
- AV® Peer Review Rated by Martindale-Hubbell
- Best Lawyers in America, 2019-2024
- Florida Super Lawyer by Super Lawyers magazine, 2008-2024
- SRQ Magazine: Elite Top Attorneys Legacy Honoree, Commercial Litigation, 2022; Arbitration and Mediation, 2020-2021
- Florida Legal Elite by Florida Trend magazine, 2012-2013, 2016
Representative Matters
- Represented a multi-national corporation as lead counsel in the State of Florida in Federal Court Multi-District-Class Action Products Liability Litigation.
- Obtained several multimillion dollar verdicts on behalf of developers and contractors in construction litigation and arbitration.
- Served as lead counsel in more than 50 jury trials.
- Represented title insurance companies in more than 300 title claim disputes.
- Appointed trial resolution judge in complex business dissolution dispute.