Peckar & Abramson, P.C. (P&A) is pleased to announce that Melinda S. Gentile, Of Counsel in P&A‘s Miami office, and Stephen H. Reisman, Vice Chair and General Counsel of the firm, have been named to City & State’s inaugural Florida Construction Power 100 list. The list recognizes 100 contractors, advocates, and government officials who, according to City & State, “have made prominent differences in building a better state.”

200 nominees were considered for the list and Mindy and Steve ranked in the 26th position overall. The complete list can be viewed HERE.

“I’ve worked with Steve for the past 35 years, and it’s been a privilege to witness first-hand his contributions not only to our clients, but to the firm and the construction industry as well. He has been truly influential in helping shape Florida’s construction industry over the past few decades,” commented Gary M. Stein, co-managing partner of Peckar & Abramson’s Miami office.

Miami co-managing partner Adam P. Handfinger added, “No matter the obstacle, Mindy possesses an extraordinary level of determination and resilience and commitment to the development of construction bar and the construction industry. She has devoted her career to helping build Florida and is certainly deserving of this recognition.”

About City & State

City & State is “the premier media organization dedicated to covering Florida’s local and state politics and policy” and its “in-depth, non-partisan coverage serves Florida’s leaders every day as a trusted guide to the issues impacting Florida.” See cityandstatefl.com.

About Melinda S. Gentile

Melinda “Mindy” S. Gentile is Of Counsel in P&A’s Miami office and serves as co-chair of the firm’s Diversity, Equity & Inclusion Committee. Leveraging her more than 35 years of experience as an esteemed construction lawyer and commercial litigator, she now dedicates her practice to alternative dispute resolution (ADR). Known for her insightful and practical approach, she brings creative and visionary problem-solving skills to each engagement. Mindy is an exceptionally qualified Arbitrator, Mediator, Neutral Evaluator, Dispute Board Member, Special Master, Fee Expert, and Private Resolution Judge.

Mindy is certified by the Supreme Court of Florida as a Circuit Civil Mediator and is a Florida Supreme Court Qualified Arbitrator. She is certified as a Specialist in Construction Law by the Florida Bar and served on the inaugural Construction Law Certification Committee, which prepared the first exam for lawyers seeking certification as an expert in construction law in the State of Florida. She also served as a Broward County Magistrate. Mindy was honored with the Lifetime Achievement Award from the Florida Bar, Real Property, Probate & Trust Law Section, Construction Law Committee. Mindy received her J.D. from Nova Southeastern University, her M.S. from Florida International University, and her B.A. from Avila University.

About Stephen H. Reisman

Stephen Reisman is Vice Chair and general counsel of Peckar & Abramson and serves on the firm’s Executive Committee. Steve’s primary area of practice is Construction Law, and he is certified by the Florida Bar as a Construction Law Specialist. His practice includes the representation of general contractors, construction managers, and other construction professionals in the negotiation and preparation of construction documents, as well as in the negotiation, mediation, arbitration, and litigation of claims involving construction contracts, construction and design defects, insurance, surety bonds, and related matters. Steve also assists with project administration on construction projects to identify and achieve early resolution of potential conflicts and disputes.

Steve is AV Preeminent Peer Review Rated by Martindale-Hubbell and since 2003 has been recognized by Chambers USA among the highest-ranked construction lawyers in Florida. Steve was also selected for inclusion in publications such as Best Lawyers (chosen as “Lawyer of the Year” in Miami for Construction Law in 2012, 2016, and 2018, and for Litigation-Construction in 2014, 2017, and 2019), The International Who’s Who of Construction Lawyers, The Legal 500: United States, and Florida Super Lawyers. Steve received his J.D. from the University of Miami School of Law, and his B.A. from Emory University.

About Peckar & Abramson, P.C.

Peckar & Abramson, P.C. is a national law firm with offices in New York City, New Jersey, Washington D.C., Boston, Miami, Chicago, Oakland, Los Angeles, Austin, Houston and Dallas, and has affiliations with global firms in Latin America (through its founding membership in CONSTRULEGAL) and across Europe (through its founding membership in Leading Construction Lawyers International Alliance). In addition to its core construction practice, the firm has affiliated practice groups who counsel contractors on labor and employment matters, corporate and regulatory compliance issues including D/M/WBE compliance and general corporate and real estate matters.