Stephen M. Bull

President since 1978

Location:

Orlando, Florida

Phone:

(407) 843-5291

Fax:

(407) 843-4920

E-mail:

E-mail Me

Our founding attorney, Stephen M. Bull, graduated from the University of Florida with a B.S. in Mechanical Engineering in 1968 and with a law degree in 1973. Prior to law school, he worked as a facilities engineer (mainly piping design) for Pratt and Whitney Aircraft Company in West Palm Beach, a project engineer for E.I. duPont deNemours in Richmond, Virginia, and a co-op engineer in the Mechanical Engineering Department of the Georgia Power Company in Atlanta, Georgia.

After law school, Mr. Bull served as in-house counsel for a consulting environmental and civil engineering firm, Black Crow and Eidsness, Inc. in Gainesville, Florida from 1974 to 1976. In 1976, he moved to Orlando to enter the private practice of law concentrating in the area of construction law, representing owners, architects, engineers, surveyors, sureties, insurers, contractors, subcontractors, and suppliers. Since entering private practice, Mr. Bull has been involved in legal disputes in over 1000 construction projects throughout Florida from Key West to Pensacola and in the southeast.

In the general insurance area, Mr. Bull has represented insurers and defendants on personal injury and property damage cases involving damages from high voltage switchgear and underground lines, ultralight aircraft, fire extinguishers, fire sprinkler systems, slip and falls, termiticide, termite damage, PCE contamination, premises liability, road construction accidents, auto accidents, train accidents, all terrain vehicles, industrial machinery, tie-down clamps, roof collapses, mold, mildew, indoor air quality contamination, and coverage disputes. In the personal injury and property damage cases, he has gravitated toward those cases involving complex technical issues, due to his mechanical engineering background.

He is active on various committees of The Florida Bar and American Bar Association dealing with construction and surety law. He is also an approved attorney for the Attorney's Title Insurance Fund for the real property title and conveyance matters. He has an AV rating (highest available) from Martindale-Hubbell. He is Board Certified in Construction Law by The Florida Bar.

Mr. Bull has served on the Board of the Central Florida Advisory Council, and his is presently serving on the National Panel of Construction Arbitrators of the American Arbitration Association. He has served as an arbitrator in over 80 arbitrations. In 1993, he was the recipient of the American Arbitration Association's Distinguished Service Award. He served as a Board Member on the City of Orlando Historic Preservation Commission from 1983-1985. Mr. Bull is active in several professional groups such as the Florida Defense Lawyers Association, Associated General Contractors of America, Associated Builders and Contractors, and the Florida Engineering Society, having served as Chairman of the Legislative and Governmental Affairs Committee of the Central Florida Chapter from 1993 to 1996. He is also a Certified Circuit Court and Appellate Mediator.

Areas of Practice

Business & Commercial Law
Commercial Mediation and Arbitration
Construction Law
Environmental Law
Fidelity & Surety
Government Contracts
Litigation
Personal Injury -- Defense
Premises and Product Liability
Products Liability Law

Bar Admissions

Florida, 1974
U.S. District Court Middle District of Florida, 1976
U.S. Court of Appeals 11th Circuit, 1981
U.S. Court of Appeals 5th Circuit, 1977
U.S. Supreme Court, 1988

Education

University of Florida College of Law, Gainesville, Florida
- J.D. - 1973
University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida
- B.S.M.E. - 1968

Published Works

Remedies, Exaggerated Liens, Misapplication of Funds, and Statutory Interpretation of Florida's Construction Lien Law, Lorman Education Services, April, 2004
Legal Aspects of the Practice of Engineering, American Society of Civil Engineers, Jan., 2002
Construction Contracting - Bonding on Public Works Projects, Lorman Education Services, July, 2000
Construction Lien Law and Strategies in Florida - Enforcement of Construction Liens, National Business Institute, March, 2000
Construction Contracting for Public Entities- Bonding on Public Works Projects, Lorman Education Services, July, 1999
Advanced Construction Law - Contract Clauses; Ethical Considerations for Construction Lawyers, National Business Institute, Sept., 1998
Advanced Construction Law, National Business Institute, Apr., 1997
Construction Law - From Contract to Chain of Liability - Owners and Sureties - Recent Case Developments, CLE International Construction Committee Conference, Feb., 1997
Construction Liens in Florida, Lorman Education Services, Jan., 1994
Statute of Limitation for Design Professionals - Review and Update, VOSC - Invited Attorney's Conference, May, 1988
Professional Liability - Recent Case Developments, Florida Engineering Society Journal, November, 1985
In Defense of the Design Professional, Florida Bar CLE - Construction Contract Litigation VIII, May, 1984
Florida's New Statutes of Limitations for Engineers: What Liability After 15 Years? Florida Engineering Journal, Vol. 34, January, 1981
Surety's Dilemma: Contest Over Stored Materials-Performance and Payment Bond Obligations v. Trustee's Right to Recover, 1978
Minimizing Professional Hazards, Journal of American Society of Agricultural Engineers
Voidable Preference: Surety's Dilemma Contest Over Stored Materials, Westfield 4th Annual Bond Claim Seminar

Representative Cases

Classes/Seminars

Legislation Relating to Transportation Engineers, Orlando, FL - ASCE, June 28, 2007
Law of Surveying, Orlando - Corporate Seminar, June 1, 2007
Legal Issues for Florida Professional Engineers, Orlando - Half Moon, LLC, November 10, 2005
Florida Construction Lien Law, Orlando - Lorman Education Services, April 30, 2004
Construction Liens, Sanford, FL - Corporate Seminar, November 5, 2003
Legal Aspects of the Practice of Engineering, Orlando - American Society of Civil Engineers, January 14, 2002
Construction Contracting - Bonding on Public Works Projects, Orlando - Lorman Education Services, July 19, 2000
Construction Lien Law and Strategies in Florida, Orlando - National Business Institute, March 17, 2000
Construction Lien Law and Strategies in Florida - Enforcement of Construction Liens, Orlando - National Business Institute, April 23, 1999
Construction Insurance, Orlando - University of North Florida Business Fraternity, February 27, 1999
Advanced Construction Law in Florida - Construction Management; Contract Clauses; and Ethical Considerations for Construction Lawyers, Orlando - National Business Institute, September 24, 1998
Construction Contracting for Public Entities - Resolving Construction Claims, Orlando - Lorman Education Services, October 15, 1997
Construction Law - Contract Documents, Orlando - AGC, June 2, 1997
Advanced Construction Law - Contract Clauses and Delay Claims, Orlando National Business Institute, April 17, 1997
Construction Law Conference, Orlando - CLE International, February 28, 1997
Construction Law for Business Attorneys, Orlando - Orange County Bar Association Committee on Business Law, January 9, 1997
Individual Liability of Contractors for Workplace Injuries, Orlando - AGC, September 11, 1996
Liability Concerns of Mechanical Engineers, Melbourne - Florida Institute of Technology Department of Mechanical Engineering, September 9, 1996
Use of Experts in Construction Cases, Gainesville - University of Florida Law School, March 20, 1996
Construction Claims, Orlando - American Society of Plumbing Engineers, February 28, 1996
Claims Against Surveyors, Orlando - Florida Society of Professional Land Surveyors, October 5, 1995
Liability from the Operator to the CEO, Las Vegas - Professional Development Conference, November 5, 1993
Claims Involving Land Surveyors, Orlando - Florida Society of Professional Land Surveyors, July 21, 1993
Engineering Aspects of Product Liability, Gainesville - University of Florida Law School, November 12, 1992
Advanced Arbitration Training, American Arbitration Association, December 12, 1991
Choices for Dispute Resolution, Orlando - Florida Institute of Consulting Engineers, February 1, 1991
Construction Claims, Orlando - American Society of Plumbing Engineers, September 26, 1989
Claims Avoidance, Tampa - Florida Engineering Society, May 18, 1989
Reducing Liability in Professional Practice, Miami - American Society of Landscape Architects, 1988
Design and Construction Claims against Landscape Architects, Miami - American Society of Landscape Architects, 1986
Statutes of Limitation for Design Professionals - Review and Update, Savannah - VOSC - Invited Attorneys' Conference, May 9, 1985
In Defense of the Design Professional, Tampa - Florida Bar CLE - Construction Contract Litigation VIII, May 25, 1984
Minimizing Professional Hazards, Orlando - American Society of Agricultural Engineers

Honors and Awards

American Arbitration Association's Distinguished Service Award, 1993
Selected by his peers to be included in the List of Orlando's Best Lawyers under Construction Law, Orlando Magazine, 2007, 2008, 2009, and 2010
Selected by his peers to be included in Florida Super Lawyers 2008, 2009, and 2010 under Construction Law

Professional Associations and Memberships

American Bar Association, Member, 1974 - Present
Florida Bar Association, Member, 1974 - Present
Orange County Bar Association, Member, 1976 - Present
Florida Engineering Society, Associate Member, 1974 - Present
National Society of Professional Engineers, Associate Member, 1974 - Present
American Arbitration Association Central Florida Advisory Council, Board Member, 1991 - 1993
American Arbitration Association, Member, National Panel of Construction Arbitrators
Associated Builders and Contractors, Associate Member, 1978 - Present
Associated General Contractors of America, Associate Member, 1976 - Present
City of Orlando Historic Preservation Commission, Board Member, 1983 - 1985
Attorney's Title Insurance Fund, Member, 1976 - Present

Past Employment Positions

Black Crow and Eidsness, Inc. (Civil and Environmental Engineering Firm), House Counsel, 1974 - 1976
Pratt & Whitney Aircraft Co., Facilities Engineer, 1969 - 1971
E.I. duPont deNemours, Project Engineer, 1968 - 1969
Georgia Power Company, Co-op Engineer, 1965 - 1967