Melinda S. Gentile

Melinda S. (“Mindy”) Gentile is Of Counsel in the Miami, Florida office of Peckar & Abramson PC and serves as co-chair of the firm’s Culture, Career Development & Inclusion Committee. With more than 35 years of experience in Construction Law and Litigation – Construction, Mindy devotes her practice exclusively to alternative dispute resolution (ADR). She serves as an Arbitrator, Mediator, Neutral Evaluator, Dispute Board Member, Special Master, Fee Professional, and Private Resolution Judge for construction and commercial matters.

Mindy maintains a full-time ADR practice assisting parties with disputes arising from the development, design, and construction of public and private projects, as well as a wide range of commercial disputes. Her approach is informed by a comprehensive understanding of the construction process, project risk, and practical business considerations. She works closely with parties and counsel to structure dispute resolution processes that are efficient, thoughtful, and tailored to the needs of each matter, including proceedings conducted on virtual platforms.

Earlier in her career, Mindy represented owners, developers, contractors, and design professionals as a construction litigator and advisor. Her work included drafting and negotiating bid and project documents, advising during project administration, and handling disputes involving government procurement and bid protests, contract interpretation, construction liens, defect and impact claims, surety and insurance issues, and other complex construction matters. She regularly appeared before state and federal courts, arbitration panels, mediators, administrative bodies, and in private negotiations. This background informs her ADR practice and her focus on early identification and resolution of disputes whenever possible.

Mindy is deeply committed to diversity, equity, and inclusion within the construction industry and the construction bar. She is the co-creator of the annual Groundbreaking Women in Construction (GWIC) conference, developed with P&A Founding Partner Robert Peckar, which promotes greater participation and opportunity for women and diverse professionals in construction. As co-chair of the firm’s Culture, Career Development & Inclusion Committee, she leads initiatives that support professional growth and strengthen firm culture. She was shortlisted for Outstanding Contribution at the Chambers Diversity & Inclusion Awards: North America 2021.

Mindy is certified by the Supreme Court of Florida as a Circuit Civil Mediator and is a Florida Supreme Court Qualified Arbitrator. She is board certified in Construction Law by The Florida Bar and previously served on the inaugural Construction Law Certification Committee. She has also served as a Broward County Magistrate. Her professional recognitions include the Lifetime Achievement Award from The Florida Bar, Real Property, Probate & Trust Law Section, Construction Law Committee, and inclusion on City & State Florida’s Construction Power 100 list. Mindy regularly writes and speaks on Construction Law, ADR, ethics, and diversity-related topics.

Construction Law and Litigation – Construction Practice Areas

• Contract disputes and project close-out issues
• Construction liens
• Project counsel and administration
• Government procurement and bid protests
• Construction defect, impact, surety, and insurance claims
• Preparation and negotiation of construction contracts and procurement documents
• Schedule, delay, acceleration, and loss of productivity claims
• Risk management, assessment, and mitigation
• Fee disputes
• Development and construction process matters
• Early identification and resolution of disputes
• Planning and building permit issues
• Licensing issues
• Design error and omission and professional liability claims
• Asbestos abatement matters
• Insurance coverage issues

Construction Project Experience and Technology

• Building and vertical construction matters involving general contractors, construction managers, interiors contractors, and design professionals, including hotels, residential and mixed-use developments, theaters, and warehouses
• Public projects such as highway and bridge construction, water and wastewater treatment plants, museums, airports, schools, correctional facilities, convention centers, medical facilities, recycling plants, and canals
• Project delivery methods and construction technologies including design-bid-build, design-build, lease-back, integrated project delivery (IPD), public-private partnerships (P3), BIM, scheduling tools, and modular construction