Patricia H. Thompson, Esq. joins JAMS after a successful career as trial and appellate lawyer and arbitrator, concentrating her practice in construction, employment, surety, fidelity, financial insurance matters and other complex commercial disputes in state and federal courts.
Her goal as an arbitrator is to meet the parties’ pre-dispute expectations of efficiency and cost reductions. In mediation, she balances facilitation, evaluation and perseverance to direct the best avenue of resolution for all parties involved.
Ms. Thompson has been regularly listed in The Best Lawyers in America, Chambers USA Guide to America's Leading Business Lawyers, The International Who's Who of Construction and Business Lawyers, and similar Florida publications ranking attorneys in her areas of practice concentration. She is a fellow of the American College of Construction Lawyers.
Ms. Thompson has served as chair and in other senior leadership roles of the Tort and Insurance Practice, Fidelity and Surety Law Committee of the American Bar Association, which awarded her the Martin J. Andrews Award for Lifetime Achievement in Fidelity and Surety Law in 2012.
ADR Experience and Qualifications
Representative Matters
- Surety
- Prosecution of construction delay claims by surety against architect and engineer
- Prosecution of nonpayment claim by contractor against developer
- Defense of developer against nonpayment claims of contractor, in arbitration involving claims of design negligence and defective work
- Defense of numerous claims of nonpayment by subcontractors against contractors and sureties
- Defense of numerous performance bond claims by public and private owners against sureties
- Negotiation of numerous take-over and completion agreements between sureties and owners
- Prosecution of multiple claims for indemnification and subrogation against owners, contractors and design professionals responsible for surety losses
- Defense of miscellaneous surety bond claims, including receiver, theft, trustee and other fiduciary obligations
- Defense of contested supersedeas bond claims
- Negotiation of numerous surety indemnity agreements
- Insurance
- Served as chair of a three arbitrator panel sitting in Miami for an insurance coverage dispute involving international choice of law issues concerning coverage under a policy of insurance sold and issued in Costa Rica and allegations of negligence on the part of the soliciting insurance broker
- Defense of claim of reformation of insurance policy resulting in judgment in favor of insurer
- Defense of numerous types of claims under Financial Institution Bonds and crime policies, including excess policies
- Prosecution of fidelity insurers’ claims for subrogation and indemnity against wrongdoers primarily liable for fidelity losses
- Defense of numerous claims for disability or life insurance coverage
- Numerous coverage opinions and defense of fidelity, forgery and other claims under bonds and crime policies
- Investigation, prosecution and defense of claims by federal banking regulators against insurers, bank officers and third parties
- Commercial
- Defended evidentiary proceeding on motion for preliminary injunctive relief in connection with contractual right of first refusal in sale of business; motion denied and case settled
- Defense of suit to foreclose mortgage on low income rental complex; verdict in favor of client
- Defense of claim in arbitration for damages for alleged breach of contract to purchase shopping center
- Prosecution of numerous claims on notes and mortgages
- Prosecution and defense of claims on letters of credit
