Fred Dudley is a Florida Bar Board Certified Construction Lawyer with over 45 years of experience in real estate practice, emphasizing construction liens, licensing
and disciplinary cases. He served 16 years in the Florida Legislature, retiring from the Florida Senate in 1998, where he served as chair of the Senate Judiciary
Committee, chair of the Appropriations Subcommittee on Education, and vice-chair of the Appropriations Committee.
As a legislator, Mr. Dudley chaired the study group that re-wrote Florida's Construction Lien laws (Chapter 713), and successfully sponsored every statutory change
thereto from 1990 to 1998. As a legislative advocate for the past 16 years, he has continued to draft most of the state laws governing contracting activities in
Florida, representing such groups as Florida Home Builders Association, Aluminum Association of Florida and Florida Swimming Pool and Spa Association.
His construction law practice concentrates on state licensing, lien litigation, administrative proceedings for rule challenges and license discipline, lobbying
the Florida Legislature on behalf of numerous clients, and serving as a litigation consultant and expert witness. This practice includes regular appearances before
the Department of Business and Professional Regulation (Construction Industry Licensing Board, Electrical Contracting Licensing Board, Board of Architects and Interior
Designers, and Board of Professional Engineers), as well as working with the Department of Health (water quality standards), Office of Insurance Regulation (title
and workers' compensation issues), State Fire Marshall's Office (fire system contractors licensing and regulation), and Department of Transportation (construction
certifications and contract bidding).
Mr. Dudley is currently a consumer member of the Board of Building Code Administrators and Inspectors, and serves as chair of the Bar's Construction Law Certification
Committee; he is a former member of the Board of Overseers for Stetson University, College of Law, the Gadsden County Hospital Board of Directors, and has served as
an adjunct professor at Florida State University College of Law, publishing a textbook on real estate transactions and finance, and lectured extensively on behalf
of The Florida Bar in many areas of construction law, such as licensing, discipline, unlicensed activities and representation in lien litigation.
Honors & Awards
Lifetime Achievement Award 2008, Construction Law Committee, Florida Bar
The Best Lawyers in America guide, Trusts and Estates, 2007-2015
Chambers USA — America's Leading Business Lawyers guide, Construction Law, 2008-2014 Florida Super Lawyers magazine, 2009-2013
Top Rated Construction Law Lawyer, The Daily Business Review, 2013
Martindale-Hubbell AV Preeminent Peer Review Rated
Publications
The Proper Use of Declaratory Statements, The Florida Bar Journal, March 2013
2013 Florida Legislative Session Recap, Co-Author, Holland & Knight Newsletter, May 2013
The Importance and Proper Use of Administrative Declaratory Statements, The Florida Bar Journal, March 2013
2012 Florida Legislative Session Recap, Co-Author, Eyes on Tallahassee, Recap, April 2012, 2011
Florida Legislative Session Recap, Co-Author, Eyes on Tallahassee, Recap, May 25, 2011, 2010
Florida Legislative Session Recap, Eyes on Tallahassee, Recap, June 30, 2010, 2009
Florida Legislative Session Recap, Co-Author, Eyes on Tallahassee Recap, May 15, 2009
How the New Energy Law Will Impact Your Business — A Legal Analysis of HB 7135, Co-Author, June 18, 2008
Contractor Licensing, The Florida Bar Journal, December 2007
Representing the Residential Owner, The Florida Bar Journal, December 2005 Real Estate Transfers and Finance, 2nd Edition, 1995
Construction Lien Law, Chapter 9, Contractor's Manual, Florida Chapter, Associated Builders and Contractors, 1993
Construction Lien Law: The Equilibrium of Change, Law Review: Florida State University, College of Law, Spring 1991 Lien Law Reform
Construction in the 90's, 64 Florida Bar Journal 9, October 1990
Speaking Engagements
Simulated Floor Session, Practicing Before the Legislature, January 31, 2014
Representing the Contractor in Disciplinary Proceedings, 2nd Annual Construction Law in Florida Seminar, October 16-17, 2013
A Short Course in Litigation, DBPR July CLE course, July 25-26, 2013
Legislative & Case Law Update, Annual Construction Law Institute, March 9, 2013
Construction Liens, Florida Department of Business and Professional Regulation, May 25, 2012 Case Law and Legislative Update, Construction Law Institute, March 23, 2012
Construction Case Law Update (2010): The ABC's of Construction Law, Construction Law Institute, April 1-2, 2011
Application of Chapter 558: Notice and Opportunity to Cure Act, International Municipal Lawyers Association Annual Conference, April 1-2, 2011
Strategies for Defending and Defeating Construction Liens, The Real Property, Probate and Trust Law Section, The Florida Bar, November 12, 2010
Current Issues Involving Construction Liens, The Real Property, Probate and Trust Law Section, The Florida Bar, November 12, 2010
Construction Lien Law, FLEA Real Estate Team Seminar, The Florida Bar, April 16-17, 2010
Application of Chapter 558: Notice and Opportunity to Cure Act, Construction Certification Review Course, April 8-9, 2010
Chair, Florida High Speed Rail
Contractor Licensing and Discipline, Construction Law Certification Review Course, March 5-7, 2009
What Should Lawyers Know About Green Construction, Annual Construction Law Institute, March 5-7, 2009
How the New Energy Law Will Impact Your Business, Holland & Knight Program, June 18, 2008
Contractor Licensing and Discipline, Construction Law Certification Review Course, March 7-8, 2008
Developing Legal Strategies for Prosecuting and Defending Unlicensed Contractors and Design Professionals, Annual Construction Law Institute, March 7-8, 2008
Contractor Disciplinary Practice & Procedures, The Real Property, Probate and Trust Law Section, Construction Law Committee, The Florida Bar, May 2007
Contracting: Licensure & Discipline, Legislative Update 2007 and Panelist, Lien Law, Annual Advanced Construction Law Seminar & Certification Review Course, March 2007
The Impact of Unlicensed Contractor Activities, Florida Real Estate Law: It's a Brand New World, January 2007
Contractor Licensing, Real Property Probate & Trust Law Section, Construction Law Committee, December 2006
Florida Construction Liens, Tallahassee Builders Association, August 2006 Building Codes in Florida, Lorman Education, June 2006
Legislative Update, Real Property Probate & Trust Law Section, Construction Law Committee, June 2006
Construction Law Legislative Update, Annual Legislative & Recent Case Law Update, March 2006
Lobbying & Government Hearings, Annual Construction Law Certification Review Course, March 2006
Notice & Opportunity to Cure, Building Codes in Florida, Lorman Education, December 2005 Construction Law Legislative Update, Annual Legislative & Recent Case Law Update, August 2005
Lobbying & Government Hearings, Building Code Issues Under Chapter 553 and Construction Lending, Insurance & Surveyorship, Annual Construction Law Certification Review Course, March 2005
Notice and Opportunity to Cure: Chapter 558, F.S., American Enterprises/Bookings Institute: Construction Law Seminar, Washington, D.C., January 2005
Memberships
The Florida Bar, Construction Regulation Subcommittee, Chair
The Florida Bar, Construction Law Committee, former Secretary
The Florida Bar, Construction Law Certification Review Course Committee, former Chair The Florida Bar, Construction Law Certification Committee, Vice Chair
Florida's High Speed Rail Authority, former Chair, 2001-2010
Florida Board of Building Code Administrators and Inspectors (lay member)
Stetson University College of Law, Board of Overseers
