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Brian C. Blair

Brian C. Blair has a national trial practice that includes a broad range of experience in complex commercial litigation and construction law. Mr. Blair has handled litigation in state and federal courts throughout Florida, and has served as lead counsel in cases in Texas, New York, Georgia, Maryland, Massachusetts, Ohio, New Jersey, Kansas, Oklahoma, South Carolina and California.

Areas of Concentration

• Complex commercial litigation
• Construction law
• Class action defense
• Real property litigation
• Business torts

Significant Representations

• Served as lead counsel in defense of class action brought under Florida’s Deceptive and Unfair Trade Practices Act relating to gift cards resulting in dismissal of action
• Lead counsel for national home builder relating to multi-million dollar claims for fraud and breach of contract associated with large land tract acquisitions
• National counsel for largest U.S. REIT relating to defective construction claims associated with multiple large, retail malls
• Served as lead counsel for multiple top-tier ranked universities relating to design and construction defects on 500-plus campus buildings
• Lead trial counsel for a national hotel chain in a multimillion-dollar dispute over whether a large tract of land owned by the hotelier in the tourist district of Orlando qualifies for an agricultural exemption from property taxes prior to hotel development
• Lead counsel for U.S. REIT relating to claims for termination of leases related to co-tenancy issues and lease disputes
• Representation of national grocery store chain over multimillion-dollar lease dispute involving wrongful termination of lease and failure to complete build out
• Served as counsel for developer in successful claim for adverse possession for property necessary for operation of shopping center
• Successfully defended claims related to design and construction defects for several large theme parks
• Served as lead counsel for national class action brought against retail chain involving 5,000 stores that were allegedly designed and constructed in violation of Title III of the Americans with Disabilities Act
• Served as lead trial counsel in obtaining summary judgment for major cruise ship line for claims which sought to impose millions of dollars in remedial work on large passenger vessels
• Defended claims against publicly traded European shipyard for commissions relating to a $100,000,000 ship refurbishment
• Represented one of the largest metropolitan cities in the South over claims related to defective construction of a water treatment plant
• Served as lead trial counsel in successful defense of defense of multiple national class actions with purported class members in excess of 54 million people related to the failure to design and construct in facilities in accordance with Title III of the Americans with Disabilities Act
• Representation of the largest retail mall owner in the United States related to eviction of large anchor tenants and defenses of counterclaims related to lost profits
• Lead counsel in claim for largest U.S. REIT related to claims associated with lost profits from billboard lease
• Defended major television networks related to claims brought against popular game shows and children’s television shows

Professional & Community Involvement

• American Bar Association
• Federal Bar Association
• Florida Bar Association
• Litigation and Construction Law Sections of the American Bar Association

Awards & Recognitions

• Ranked AV® Preeminent™ 5.0 out of 5* by Martindale Hubbell
• Listed in Florida Trend’s “Legal Elite” (2008 - 2010)
• Named “Best of the Bar” by Orlando Business Journal (2008)
• Named “Up-and-Coming Lawyer” in construction law by Orlando Business Journal (2003)

Articles, Publications & Lectures

• “Easy Steps for Firms to Prevent Accessibility Lawsuits,” Orlando Business Journal, April 27, 2007
• “California, Other States Face Spate of ADA-Related Suits,” The Recorder, April 4, 2007
• “New Wave Of ADA Suits Hit Several States,” The National Law Journal, April 2, 2007
• “National Federation Of The Blind Files Target Lawsuit,” USA Today, October 26, 2006
• “The Need To Be Accessible,” Commercial Builder/Architect, March 2006
• “Property Owners Sued For Alleged ADA Violations,” Atlanta Business Chronicle, January 15, 2005
• “Judge Dismissed Suit Claiming Disney Ships Are Not Accessible,” Orlando Sentinel, July 27, 2001
• Speaker, “ADA Issues and Defensive Strategies for the Real Estate and Hospitality Industries,” November 2004
• Speaker, “ADA—How It Applies to and Affects Your Business,” The Coca-Cola Company, October 2004