Michael L. Chapman

Michael Lee Chapman has over thirty-five years of experience in litigation, arbitration and mediation.

A founding Director and Past Chair of the Construction Law Committee of the Atlanta Bar Association, Mike has handled legal cases involving all phases of the construction industry including airports, bridges, reinforced concrete, structural steel, residential, multi-family, high-rise construction, parking structures, swimming pools, roofing, energy co-generation facilities, excavation, glass, brick, stone work, EIFS, stucco, paving, foundations, water drainage, earth walls, retaining walls, scheduling and delays, erosion and sedimentation control, electrical, mechanical, mold, OSHA, and building code violations. Mike has negotiated complex construction contracts for an international baggage handling contractor for airport projects across the United States.

In addition, he has handled plaintiff claims for casualty losses on fire and commercial general liability insurance policies, insurance coverage disputes, business litigation, employment covenants, non-complete agreements, conflicts between partners in dissolving businesses and website development disputes. He has negotiated home buy-back agreements on two occasions for families who purchased seriously defective homes.

Mike has has provided legal counsel for a variety of real property conflicts, including commercial ground leases, title disputes and settlement of estates. He has litigated easements, zoning and building codes, housing code violations, landlord-tenant disputes, condemnation and inverse condemnation, zoning and related issues.

Mike serves as outside counsel to a major apartment developer with properties in Georgia, Florida and Texas.

He has presented seminars on construction claims, mechanics’ liens and surety bonds for the Cambridge Institute. He has extensive experience with mechanics’ lien disputes and has represented sureties, principals and obligees in a wide variety of claims on performance and payment bonds. He has served as counsel for the plaintiff on suits on guaranty agreements as well as defending parties who have been sued on general agreements of indemnity issued to surety companies. He has represented sureties in liquidation and as well as subrogation proceedings for performing sureties.

Mike has served both as an advocate and an arbitrator on numerous disputes before the American Arbitration Association and has tried many judge and jury trials to a verdict in both state and federal courts. He has resolved hundreds of cases through the use of mediation, including pre-suit mediation.

Mike has been rated AV Preeminent® by Martindale-Hubbell® Peer Review Ratings™ for over 20 years.

An Eagle Scout, Mike has served for many years as a commissioner for the Boy Scouts of America.

Mike obtained his law degree from the University of Virginia. While in law school he was a member of the National Moot Court team. He obtained his undergraduate degree from the University of Kentucky where he graduated With High Distinction in the University Honors Program and was inducted into the Phi Beta Kappa academic honor society.