Tom Icard Speaks at Florida Construction Law Institute

SARASOTA, FL, September 10, 2010

Sarasota attorney Tom Icard recently presented "Selecting, Preparing, Attacking and Defending Expert Witnesses" at the Third Annual Construction Law Institute of the Florida Bar in Orlando. He spoke as part of a panel discussion on advanced litigation skills training. Icard is among a small group of lawyers in the state that hold Florida Bar Board Certifications in both Construction Law and Civil Trial Law. In addition to construction lawyers, the institute is attended by contractors, architects, engineers, consultants and others involved in commercial, heavy construction and public works projects throughout Florida.

"Construction is a vital element of the U.S. economy, historically accounting for more than 10% of the gross national product," said Icard, who is a former Chair of the Forum on the Construction Industry of the American Bar Association. "We have an obligation to our clients, the industry at large and to the public to see that the construction process in this country is facilitated, rather than hindered, by the legal process."

Tom Icard began his practice in Tampa in 1973 after graduating from the Florida State University College of Law and joined Icard Merrill as a shareholder in 1995. He focuses his nationally recognized practice on construction related matters, from preparation and review of contract documents to claims negotiation and multiparty litigation. He is also regularly engaged as a mediator or arbitrator in alternative dispute resolution (ADR) proceedings. He is a Diplomate of the Florida Academy of Professional Mediators and a by-invitation member of the Florida Circuit-Civil Mediator Society and the National Academy of Distinguished Neutrals.

Established in 1953, the 31 lawyers and 70 employees of Icard Merrill maintain offices in Sarasota, Lakewood Ranch and Punta Gorda. Icard Merrill is a full-service law firm with a strong commitment to supporting its communities through its patronage of the arts, civic involvement and significant contributions of legal services to the indigent.

For more information, call (941) 366-8100 or visit http://www.icardmerrill.com.