Steven Mile Cvitanovic

Steve is a skilled litigator and trusted counselor with twenty years of experience in the construction industry. He frequently speaks and writes on numerous construction law topics and is an active member of the Legal Action Committee for California Building Industry Association and the ABA's Forum on Construction (Division 7). Steve is an A-V rated attorney and Haight's Construction Law Practice Group Leader. Steve also has an active practice in employment law and general commercial litigation.

Litigation and counseling are Steve's forte and he specializes in assisting clients in high exposure construction claims involving residential, commercial and public projects. Steve has been involved in construction litigation or claims involving public facilities and infrastruture such as hospitals, airports, schools, railways, highways, and a multi-billion dollar government laser. He has vast experience in claims for private works of improvement ranging from high rise condominiums and single family homes to affordable housing projects, movie theaters, casinos, solar farms and shopping centers.

Steve routinely works on claims involving:

• construction defect
• contractor licensing
• delays
• mechanics liens
• payment, performance and license bonds
• prevailing wages
• stop notices

Steve also routinely works with clients to advise them on indemnity agreements, insurance requirements, and other risk prevention devices.

In addition to the above, Steve's qualifications are further bolstered by the following experience:

• Lead counsel in four trials and hundreds of mediations.
• Author of over fifty case alerts and other publications on issues affecting the construction industry. Steve's writings have been published in the San Francisco Recorder and Law360.
• Article editor for the California Real Property Journal on articles involving SB800, waivers of the delayed discovery rule, and attorneys' fees claims.
• Presenter at seminars sponsored by Lorman Education Services, the California Bar, MC Consultants, Axis Construction, the San Francisco Bar Association, and the Claims & Litigation Management Alliance involving such topics as the application of California's SB800, California's Mechanic's Lien laws, ethics for real estate and construction lawyers, and other construction law topics.
• Successfully argued appeals in the First District of the State of California involving unfair business practices, insurance coverage, and negligent hiring.