R. Steven Holt

Steve Holt practices in all areas of construction law. Steve was in private practice at Arent Fox in the Washington, DC area from 1983 until 1998, and focused there on construction and government contract litigation, claims, contracts, bond claims and suits, subcontract and prime contract negotiations, and protests on a wide range of private, federal, state and local projects. Steve also headed up the firm’s litigation department before leaving to become Senior Vice President and General Counsel at Clark Construction in 1998, and later Executive Vice-President and Counsel at Balfour Beatty Construction in Florida.  Steve was deeply involved not only in the legal issues at that Company, but also in the business of the Company, serving on the Executive Committee in charge of all operations and managing the 13 member safety department there. Steve returned to private practice in 2014.

Steve has extensive experience in complex construction claims and litigation of all types,  insurance policies and claims (including subcontractor default insurance problems), defect issues and claims, OSHA matters, public-private partnerships, integrated project delivery contracts and issues, bid protests, design and engineering agreements and problems, internal investigations, terminations, bond claims and suits, takeover and completion agreements, and delay, impact and inefficiency problems and claims. Steve has prepared and negotiated construction contracts based on various project delivery methods utilizing industry form contracts, and has also developed unique contracting and subcontracting formats and platforms. He has led teams on merger/purchase and sale agreements for companies in the industry.

Steve has not only led significant litigation efforts but has managed those efforts as corporate counsel, an experience that has provided a perspective on efficient problem solving that serves his clients extremely well. Steve is committed to solving problems as business matters while at the same time zealously representing the interests of his clients.

Steve is a frequent speaker at construction industry events on a range of topics. He returned to the University of Virginia, School of Law as a Lecturer /Adjunct, teaching civil litigation and trial advocacy for several years, before moving to Florida. Steve is trained as a mediator in Florida.

Areas of Practice

• Private and Public Construction
• Bonds and Insurance
• Federal, State and Local Government Contracting

Representative Recent Experience

• Represented large national contractor on condominium defect claim in Florida against subcontractor, obtaining favorable award and collecting from subcontractor and carrier
• Represented large national contractor against designer and subcontractor in connection with collapsed conduit structures in Georgia, obtaining favorable award against both and collecting from both
• Negotiated successfully, for a national general contractor, complex Integrated Project Delivery Agreements for over $1.5 billion of work with nationally known entertainment company in Florida and with hospital system in Pennsylvania, and created subcontracting platforms and forms for those projects
• Created unique delivery method contracts for use by hospital system in Ohio
• Negotiated successfully with insurance carriers for project-specific subcontractor default insurance policies for Integrated Project Delivery projects
• Created, presented and successfully negotiated subcontractor default insurance claims for a national contractor on a large Florida project totaling in excess of $5 million
• Negotiated favorable settlement of complex defect claims against a national contractor on three Florida condominium projects, while avoiding litigation on each
• Prepared and presented a claim and successfully negotiated, for an owner of a assisted living facility in Florida, with a defaulted contractor and its surety
• Prepared and successfully negotiated a unique environmental remediation agreement, and related subcontracts, for a remediation contractor performing munitions removal and abatement in Florida
• As in-house counsel, negotiated in excess of 100 prime contracts for projects ranging from $5 million to $500 million, created new national subcontract forms, prepared and submitted (to successful conclusion) federal contracting claims totaling more than $30 million, investigated alleged violations of law or policy by employees or others on a site, managed litigation in multiple states and venues, and provided extensive training on all manner of problems—all with a focus on practical and efficient business solutions to complex construction problems.

Bar Admissions

• Florida (including all state courts, federal court application pending)
• District of Columbia (including all courts)
• Virginia (including all courts)

Education

• University of Virginia, Charlottesville, Virginia, 1983, J.D.
• University of Virginia, Charlottesville, Virginia, 1978, B.A.

Other Activities

• Board of Directors, Family Central, Inc., 2005-Current
• Chair, Board of Directors, Family Central, Inc., 2009-2011
• Member, Tocqueville Society, United Way of Broward County, 2012-Current