Claramargaret H. Groover
cgroover@becker-poliakoff.com

Professional Experience
Claramargaret H. Groover specializes in construction law. She provides litigation and claims avoidance services to a wide range of large public and private construction owners and their construction management agents as well as to other industry participants. In over 20 years of practice she has represented every aspect of the construction industry including owners, architects, engineers, surveyors, construction manager agents, constructors, suppliers, and their insurers and surety companies. Her experience spans from early stage land development, design consultant contracting, bidding, construction contract execution through contract close-out and claims resolution representation in mediation, arbitration and litigation. She counsels clients regarding contractor licensing issues and has provided representation in administrative actions before licensing boards.

One-third of her career has been devoted to serving as full-time in-house counsel, first as Director of Legal Affairs for a world class theme park developer in its $2.5B Central Florida park expansion and later as senior legal counsel to the world’s leading general aviation service provider in the aftermath of September 11, 2001. She continued focusing her time on real estate leasing at over 30 domestic airports and assisted with construction contracting and claims resolution for various projects including general aviation terminals and airport fuel facilities projects. Claire was also involved in analyzing and addressing other operational, corporate, and risk management concerns.

Claire serves on the Board of Directors for National Semi-Trailer Corporation, a 35 year old Orlando-based corporation, which is a market leader in overland trailer leasing and sales.

Her early years through college and graduation were spent working in the family construction services, building supply, and development business enterprises, giving her a unique, firsthand understanding of demands of entrepreneurs in the construction industry.

Activities and Memberships

• Chair, City of Orlando Municipal Planning Board
• President, College Park Neighborhood Association
• Chair, The Florida Bar Grievance Committee “D” 2004; Member, Committee “A”
• President, Christian Service Center Board of Directors
• Chair, Orange County Minority and Women-owned Business Enterprise Advisory Board
• Member, Rollins College – Paralegal Studies Advisory Board
• Chair, Orange County External Task Force – Joint Ventures and Credit Program Committee
• Guardian ad Litem  – Legal Aid Society, Orange County Bar Association
• Chair, Orange County Citizen Review Board overseeing Sheriff’s Office excessive force and abuse of power
• American Bar Association Forum on the Construction Industry
  • Division 12 – Owners and Lenders – Steering Committee 2005 to present
  • Division 11 – Corporate Counsel – Steering Committee 1996-2000
• Orange County Bar Association
• Central Florida Association for Women Lawyers
• Tiger Bay Club of Central Florida, Inc. – Second Vice President 2011

Honors and Awards

• Florida Super Lawyers – 2009, 2010, 2011
• AV Peer-Rated, highest distinction awarded through Martindale-Hubbell
• Orlando’s Best Lawyers – Contracts
• Orlando Home & Leisure Magazine, November 2010 and Top Women Lawyers, June 2011
• Oxford University Certificate of Completion – Qualified Lawyers Transfer Test – Law Society of England and Wales qualified to enroll in Roll of Solicitors 2007
• Teaching Fellow, Legal Research and Writing and Appellate Advocacy; Dean’s List 1985-1987 University of Florida, College of Law

Presentations & Publications

• Value Engineering: Bane of Existence or Benefit to All – 2010, American Bar Association
• Going Green to Get the Goal – 2009, Construction Management Association of America
• “So You Want to Build a Hotel” – 2007, AAHOA Lodging Business Magazine
• Advocacy in Partnering: Do Lawyers Have a Place at Partnering? – 1998, American Bar Association
• “Reconsidering the Statute of Repose: A Reasonable Reduction” – 1992, Florida Architect
• Two Generations of A201 General Conditions: Evolution of the Document – 1988,  Co-author, James W. Markel, Esquire
• Construction Law in Paralegal Studies- Adjunct Professor, University of Central Florida
• In Jure and Addendum – 1982-1985 Editor, Association of Designers and Developers

Bar Admissions
Florida, 1988

Court Admissions
U.S. District Court, Middle and Southern Districts of Florida
U.S. Court of Appeals, Eleventh Circuit;
U.S. Supreme Court

Education
J.D., University of Florida College of Law, 1987
B.A., Stetson University, 1974, Junior Year Abroad, University of Madrid, Spain