Christi L. Underwood

Profession: 

2002-Present: Attorney, Arbitrator, Mediator, Orlando, FL; 1992-2002: Partner/Associate, Foley & Lardner, Orlando, FL; 1989-1992: Associate, Maguire, Voorhis & Wells, Orlando, FL; 1974-1988: Executive Officer and Partner in closely held commercial general contracting, subcontracting and building supply firms; holds Florida Certified General Contractor’s license; Florida Bar Board Certified Construction Lawyer.

Experience: 

Over 30 years in the construction industry: 14 years experience as a commercial construction company owner; 18 years experience as a construction and commercial attorney.
 
Representative construction clients include public and private owners, design professionals, contractors, sureties, and subcontractors. Representative issues include delay claims, changed conditions, acceleration, construction lien law, surety law, design standards, accidents, specification drafting irregularities, pile driving criteria, defaults, liquidated damages. Representative projects include airports, runways, roads, bridges, dewatering projects, parking garages, automated ground transportation, wetlands mitigation, elevator projects, office buildings, hotels, renovations, courthouses, and condominiums; values of disputes range from $1 million to more than $75 million on overall construction programs exceeding $1 billion.
 
Representative commercial and other clients include various businesses in breach of contract, distrbution, licensing, manufacturing agreements, lease disputes, buy-sell agreements, fraud, defamation, civil theft, and embezzlement; pharmaceutical manufacturer in domestic and international licensing and supply agreement matters; skylight manufacturer in interstate transit matter; represented plaintiffs in a hostile work environment and sexual harassment matter; values of disputes from $250,000 to $100 million. 

Alternative Dispute Resolution Experience: 

Member of the American Arbitration Association (AAA)'s Commercial Panel for over 17 years; member of the AAA's International and Complex Case Panels; member, Construction Arbritrator Master Panel; experienced as Chairperson and sole arbitrator of numerous arbitration cases; member of the AAA's National Construction Dispute Resolution Committee; former member of the Dispute Review Team at Orlando International Airport; represented construction contractors and sureties in arbitration proceedings; represented U.S. pharmaceutical firm in international commercial arbitration proceeding; represented general contractors, subcontractors, owners, designers, sureties and other businesses in more than 50 mediations from 1989 to 2002.

Alternative Dispute Resolution Training: 

Faculty, AAA, Dealing with Delay Tactics in Commercial Arbitration, Neutrals Conference, 2005, 2006; AAA International Arbitrator Symposium, Advanced Case Management Issues, Miami, Florida (2004); International Arbitration Conference, Miami, Florida (2004); AAA Construction Arbitrator II Training, Atlanta, Georgia (2002); AAA Construction Industry Arbitrator I Training, Orlando, Florida (1999); AAA Arbitrator Training, Orlando, Florida (1991); Certified Mediator Training for State of Florida Circuit Courts, Dispute Management, Inc. (2002).

Professional Speaking Engagements: 

Seminar speaker in Florida and various locations throughout the U.S. for organizations, clients and continuing education classes on topics that include, but are not limited to, the following: 

Faculty member, “Achieving Efficiency with Fairness in Arbitration: How to Strike the Balance”
ABA Section of Dispute Resolution Spring Conference, Washington DC (2007)

“Guidelines for Arbitrator Decisions in Discovery, Evidence and Postponement Issues”
Fifth Annual International Litigation and Arbitration Conference
Florida Bar, Coral Gables, Florida (2007)

“Ethical Issues in Construction Representation”
Practising Law Institute, New York City (2007)

“Practice Tips to Make Arbitration Faster, Less Expensive and Subject to Appeal (if desired)”
Florida Bar, Construction Committee (2006)

“Practice Tips for Analyzing Risks in Construction Contracts”
The Lorman Institute, Daytona Beach, Florida (2006)

“False Claims Acts”
Practising Law Institute, New York City (2006)

“Post Completion Issues for Contractors”
Practising Law Institute, New York City (2005)

"The Legal Implications of Construction Scheduling"
The Lorman Institute, Orlando (2004)

"Ethical Considerations for Advocates in Business to Business Arbitration"
AAA Neutral's Roundtable, Orlando (2004)

"Drafting Arbitration Clauses for International Construction Contracts"
National Construction Forum, Orlando (2004)

"Trends, Trials and Tribulations: Best ADR Practices for Owners,"
National Forum on Conflict Resolution (2003)

"Pre-qualification, The False Claims Act, ADR and Alternatives to Court"
The Lorman Institute, Orlando (2002)

"Procurement Issues, Pre-Bid Contract Recommendations"
The Lorman Institute, Orlando (1999, 2000, 2001, 2002)

"Construction Contract Law, the AIA Documents, Dispute Avoidance, and the Changes Clause"
Associated General Contractors (1999, 2000, 2001, 2002)

"Basic Contract Law: Construction Contracts and Dispute Avoidance"
Associated General Contractors (2000)

"Construction Lawyers' Call to Arms" following a catastrophic building failure
Defense Research Institute (2000);

"Construction Contracts: The Changes Clause, Differing Site Conditions, Theories of Recovery"
National Utility Contractors Association (1998)

"Construction Changes: The Changes Clause; Concealed or Unknown Conditions"
CLE International (1997)

"Construction Contracts, Liens and Bonds"
Underground Utility Contractors of Florida (1996)

"Construction Contracts, Getting Paid and Litigation Avoidance"
Underground Utility Contractors of Florida (1995)

"Construction Law for Contractors & Engineers"
Florida Engineers in Construction (1996)

Publications:

Author, “Construction Arbitration: The Deliberation Process and Practice Tips for Advocates,” The Florida Bar Journal, vol. 80, no. 3, March 2006.

Co-author, “Rights and Liabilities of Construction Managers,” Florida Construction Law and Practice Manual, Florida Bar, 2nd, 3rd, 4th and 5th eds.

Professional Licenses: 

Admitted to the Bar: State of Florida (1989); District of Columbia (1991); State of New York (2004); U. S. District Court for the Middle District of Florida (1990); U. S. Court of Appeals, Eleventh Circuit (1993); U.S. Supreme Court (2006).

Certified General Contractor, State of Florida (1985).

Professional Associations: 

American Bar Association (Forum on the Construction Industry; Dispute Resolution Section); District of Columbia Bar; Florida Bar (Construction Committee); New York State Bar; Orange County Bar; American Association of Airport Executives; Central Florida Association of Women Lawyers; Florida Academy of Professional Mediators; International Bar Association (International Construction Projects Committee); Fellow, American College of Construction Lawyers; Fellow, College of Commercial Arbitrators.

Education: 

University of Florida (B.S. - 1985; J.D. - 1988)

Miscellaneous: 

Ms. Underwood is an “AV” rated attorney and included in The Best Lawyers in America 2005, 2006 and 2007 Editions, section on Alternative Dispute Resolution. She was included in Super Lawyers of Florida, 2006 and 2007.

Selected as one of the Orlando Business Journal's Top Five Women Construction Lawyers in the Central Florida area in 1998.