akovalcik@moopd.com

Professional Summary:

Mr. Kovalcik's practice involves the representation of general contractors, construction managers, engineering firms, and other construction-related participants on a wide variety of public and private projects including highways, airports, bridges, reservoirs, tunnels, high speed and light rail, performing arts centers, parking garages, office buildings, theme parks, condominiums and apartments. His practice involves a broad range of issues, including contract preparation, review and negotiation, project support, contract disputes, payment and performance bond issues, construction defects, construction liens, bid protests, DBE and SBE certification, and design professional liability, on both private and public construction projects. Mr. Kovalcik has actively litigated cases in the state and federal courts of Florida as well as a number of other states, including at the appellate level, and in a variety of arbitrations, mediations and administrative proceedings.

Mr. Kovalcik's most recent work includes representation of a general contractor in the successful mediation of $10M in claims against a supplier on a $140M highway project in Louisiana; representation of a general contractor on $5M in claims on a state highway project in Florida; and representation of a newly formed general contractor in connection with its successful appeal of a Florida DBE certification denial. Mr. Kovalcik's past legal work has involved the representation of a construction manager against a $150M construction defects claim on a reservoir project in the Tampa, Florida area; successful defense of a general contractor in a bid protest lawsuit on a $86M road and bridge project in Miami-Dade County, Florida; successful affirmance on appeal of dismissal of bid protest lawsuit against general contractor on a $140M dollar road and bridge project in Miami-Dade County, Florida; representation of a general contractor on claims relating to seismic retrofit work on the Golden Gate Bridge; and representation of a general contractor in bid protest, bid bond and subcontractor substitution matters on $20M wetland project in Polk County, Florida.

Practice Areas:

• Construction Law; Commercial Litigation

Admitted:

• 1996, Florida 
• U.S. District Court, Northern, Middle and Southern Districts of Florida
• U.S. Court of Appeals, First, Ninth and Eleventh Circuits
• U.S. Court of Federal Claims
• The Supreme Court of the United States

Education:

• St. Thomas University, J.D., with honors, 1996
• Editor-in-Chief, St. Thomas Law Review, 1995-96
• University of Florida, M.A., 1985
• College of William and Mary, B.A., 1983

Recognitions:

• Board Certified in Construction Law by The Florida Bar
• AV Peer Review Rated by Martindale-Hubbell

Professional Associations and Speaking Engagements:

• The Florida Bar
• Real Property, Probate and Trust Law Section, Construction Law Committee
• American Bar Association
• Forum on Construction Law