Giselle Leonardo is a Board Certified Construction Law Attorney and is a Florida Supreme Court Certified Circuit Civil Mediator. A professional mediator and a seasoned negotiator on a wide range of construction, commercial, energy, and international disputes, Ms. Leonardo is a recognized authority on conflict management and resolution. Construction project dispute experience includes condominium associations, commercial (hospitality, retail, mixed use, office, vertical), infrastructure (heavy highway, airports, bridges, dams, marine, and transportation). She has mediated cases involving owners, contractors, subcontractors, design professionals, insurers, sureties, associations, materialmen, and suppliers in a wide range of construction disputes. Representative issues include defect claims, delay claims, unforeseen conditions, performance guarantees, defect claims, defective workmanship, design errors, liquidated damages, lien claims, change orders, lost productivity, warranty claims, performance bond claims, payment bond claims, indemnity claims, acceleration, attorney’s fees, and other issues. She is comfortable and experienced in negotiating the resolution of hotly contested multi-party construction disputes. She has successfully negotiated transactions and resolved construction transactions and disputes in six continents.
Ms. Leonardo is available for mediations throughout Florida, the United States and worldwide. With over 30 years experience negotiating sophisticated commercial transactions as a former In-House Counsel, she brings a fresh, creative, and practical approach to the resolution of complex commercial disputes.
Ms. Leonardo has worked as a mediator and arbitrator as an independent neutral for over 20 years. She is known for her advance preparation, attention to detail, creative thinking, high energy, and collaborative style, as well as her ability to bring difficult disputes to a close in an efficient and thoughtful manner.
Ms. Leonardo is a recognized expert in the fields of dispute resolution, construction and international law. She is a Florida Supreme Court Certified Mediator, an American Arbitration Association (AAA) Mediator and is also a member of the National Roster of Arbitrators for both the American Arbitration Association (AAA) and CPR for Construction, Commercial, Large Complex, Energy and International Cases as well as a member of the panel for other international arbitral institutions. She is a frequent lecturer and speaker on ADR, arbitration, construction, international and mediation topics.