(305) 416-3180

Meliz Martin, ESQ

Professional Experience

Meliz Martin is a Partner in the firm’s Miami office. Ms. Martin represents developers, general contractors, subcontractors, design professionals, and insurance carriers in a variety of contexts arising from the construction and use of real property. These representations include construction and design defect disputes, construction transactions, construction contract/payment disputes, environmental claims, and construction accident claims involving catastrophic injuries. Her practice involves disputes arising from water intrusion through building exteriors; structural integrity; mechanical, electrical, plumbing, fire suppression system performance issues; inadequate site drainage; and exterior coating and cladding failures.

A large portion of her practice involves construction and design defect disputes, including representation of clients during the Chapter 558 pre-suit process, litigation and arbitration. Ms. Martin’s practice involves all aspects of federal and state trial litigation. She has taken hundreds of depositions and has attended hundreds of hearings. She obtained favorable results in the vast majority of these matters.

Ms. Martin’s litigation philosophy involves having an eye towards detail, this is especially true in design and construction litigation, as these claims have multiple parties and voluminous multiyear records for the life span of a construction project. Equally important is a focus on plaintiffs’ claims, which typically involve tens of hundreds of defect items. Understanding these complex facts and issues facilitates opportunities for risk transfer and early resolution of matters.

Prior to joining the firm, Ms. Martin was practicing in the areas of condominium and homeowners association, construction and real estate litigation.

Education

  • St. Thomas University School of Law, cum laude, J.D..
  • Florida International University, B.A.

Bar and Court Admissions

  • Florida
  • United States District Court for the Southern District of Florida
  • United States Court of Appeals for the 11th Circuit

Representative Matters

  • Represented international developer in Miami Beach luxury high-rise condominium defect lawsuit and obtained favorable settlement. Dispute involving hundreds of defect items, where plaintiff was seeking in excess of $50 million.
  • Resolved construction and design defect claim involving over 200 alleged defects against general contractor of high-rise building in Edge Water without any litigation.
  • Represented national builder in various construction lawsuits in Miami.
  • Prevailed in multi-week AAA arbitration claim involving $1 million-plus claim against civil engineering client for design defects and construction administration errors.
  • Consulted on claims exceeding $1 billion arising from the collapse of Champlain Towers South in 2021.

Honors & Recognitions

  • 2025 edition of the Best Lawyers: Ones to Watch® in America : Construction Law
  • 2025 edition of the Best Lawyers: Ones to Watch® in America : Litigation – Construction

Languages

  • Fluent in Spanish
  • Working knowledge of Italian