Dave Milton Email and Phone Number

With one of the largest, dedicated teams of Board Certified Construction attorneys, Becker’s Construction Law Practice Group is well-known nationally for its knowledge of the construction industry and experience effectively protecting the interests of its clients. At the heart of everything we say and do is our relentless commitment to serving our clients in the best way possible.Becker. Fearlessly moving you forward.

I represented community associations in multi-party construction defect litigation. I met with association boards of directors and community association managers to walk through communities (accompanied by forensic engineers) and evaluated potential construction defect claims, discussed legal options and strategy. I conducted association meetings and responded to homeowner questions and concerns, which required solid understanding of an association's claim and on-your-feet thinking. Coordinated with engineering experts to evaluate potential claims (including site visits and follow-up conversations), coordinated with engineering experts to draft report, prepare for depositions, etc. Coordinated with statisticians and cost estimators to determine scope of association's claim. Coordinated with contractors to address association repairs and to help associations determine settlement targets and possibilities. I managed a caseload with an estimated value of $20 million, from pre-suit compliance with Florida law governing the filing of construction defect claims, preparing for and filing suit, drafting and finalizing discovery requests, depositions of fact witnesses, expert witnesses, and corporate representatives (more than sixty depositions in three months), motion practice (motions and responsive memoranda), hearings, and case management conferences. Drafted, negotiated, and finalized case management orders in cases involving an average of twenty-five parties, but occasionally involving eighty-plus parties. Strengthened ability to recognize when to work independently and when to lean on team, sharpened communication, patience. Reviewed, analyzed, and interpreted corporate documents, including articles of incorporation, association declarations, and association by-laws. Sifted through thousands of documents to find relevant information. Managed other employees' review of tens of thousands of documents.

When a lawyer represents a client, one of the lawyer's most important jobs is to persuade the decision-maker to decide in favor of that client. Despite what TV shows and movies portray, that persuasion most often occurs on paper. Ever since I started working with my firm, I've been a writer. I've drafted, edited, and finalized hundreds of motions and memos aimed at persuading judges, adjusters, and other lawyers. Most of those pleadings have been filed in state and federal trial courts, but recently, I wrote an appellate brief to file with the Eleventh Circuit Court of Appeals. The Eleventh Circuit, after reading my brief and hearing oral argument, upheld a $2.6 million dollar verdict in favor of my firm's client.Not only am I a skillful writer, but I'm also a people-person. For example, I negotiated with adjusters and other lawyers, I coordinated with expert and lay witnesses, and I collaborated with our team to get things done. In law (as in many other fields), you can't be successful entirely on your own. Good working relationship with other people -- even with those considered adversaries -- are essential. Additionally, I also independently managed all aspects of numerous active cases (e.g., instructions to and supervision of staff, preparation of pre-suit settlement offers, pleadings, and discovery, taking/defending depositions, arguing motions, mediating and trying cases) and worked with senior partners and staff, as well as attorneys and staff from other firms, to litigate, mediate, and try large cases.

I wrote a monthly column (called Political Commentary) for the Mandarin NewsLine, and I usually wrote about issues facing our community. Before putting pen to paper to express my opinions, I took the time to consider the many different viewpoints on a particular issues. I also made it a point to base my opinions on facts. I tried especially hard to think about how policies affected families and the quality of life in our community.

For the four months I was working with my firm, I did what most summer clerks do: research, writing, and whatever else I could do to help the team get the job done. There weren't any assignments beneath me or above me -- if the team needed something and I could do it, I did it. I still have that all-hands-on-deck attitude. Even today, if the team needs something done and I can do it (whether its making copies or making arguments in front of judges), it's done.

Teaching legal research and writing students was one of the best experiences I had during law school.As a teaching assistant, I was tasked with teaching basic legal research skills to new law students. I was also responsible for teaching those same students the fundamentals of legal writing. Some of the fundamentals we focused on were factual and legal analysis, idea development, and paper organization. Not only did we meet in class to learn legal research and writing, but I also conferred regularly with each of my students to critique papers, encourage editing and revision, and offer guidance and support. I wanted my students' papers to be informative but not boring. Those conferences took time and effort and were occasionally frustrating for the student, but watching my students turn in a polished piece of writing was worth the work. Like I said, teaching my legal research and writing students was one of the best experiences I had during law school -- I'd love to teach again.

To lots of people, legislation and laws are boring. I'm not one of those people. I remember applying for this job, trying to craft a resume that would allow me to spend forty hours a week researching and categorizing state voting statutes and judicial opinions on voting. I got the job and spent a summer searching for voting-related statutes and caselaw.

To cover some of the expenses associated with a university education, I had to get a job. For four of five weekday mornings, I would get up at 4:00 am to clean the floors of the university's gym. Here's one of the lessons I learned: sometimes you have to do what you really don't want to do to get done the things you really care about. I've carried that lesson with me.