Peter C. Lenart
Partner
Peter C. Lenart is an accomplished litigator who focuses his practice on representing design professionals, builders, product manufacturers, and other clients in construction matters. He draws on more than 15 years of experience managing complex commercial litigation and corporate transactional matters in state and federal courts throughout Florida and Massachusetts. Peter has represented a variety of businesses and licensed professionals in construction defect litigation, commercial real estate, environmental remediation matters, employment and labor matters, contract disputes, and Bernard Madoff-related financial fraud claims. Peter regularly counsels clients on risk management, best practices, and other big-picture issues affecting their businesses.
In addition, Peter is experienced in retail and hospitality matters and has represented multi-brand restaurant groups and global hotel groups. He has also handled management agreements, contract disputes, and a wide variety of liability and property damage claims. In order to better serve his clients in the hospitality industry, he earned a master’s degree in global hospitality leadership from Georgetown University. Peter further earned a certification in Hotel Industry Analytics from The American Hotel and Lodging Educational Institute.
Peter has served as claims counsel nationally, as well as litigation counsel, at a Boston-based, multi-state construction litigation firm. He also draws on experience as a former assistant state attorney in Miami Dade-County and as a contract attorney with the U.S. Department of Justice in the Civil Rights Division.
Related Areas
Experience Highlights
In the commercial litigation arena, Peter has litigated complex commercial actions on behalf of Fortune 500 companies, businesses, and licensed design professionals. He manages all aspects of litigation, handling full discovery and motions, including involved electronic discovery projects and disputes. Representative matters include:
- Served as co-trial counsel in a March 2015 9-day trial in Waterbury Superior Court (Connecticut), where we obtained a full defense verdict in a $14 million breach of contract and negligent misrepresentation case brought by a $9 billion public utility
- Served as co-trial counsel in an October 2014 jury trial in Suffolk Superior Court (Boston) in a case involving a 10-day trial representing two defendants, resulting in a directed verdict dismissal for an owner’s representative client, and a full defense verdict for a geotechnical engineering client in a case involving pile driving related property damage claims
- Served as co-trial counsel in a March 2014 jury trial in Middlesex Superior Court (Boston), resulting in a defense verdict on two of three counts, and a jury award of only $75,000 on the remaining count where the plaintiff was seeking dam ages more than $1.5 million
- Served as co-trial counsel in a September 2013 eight-day trial in the U.S. District Court for the District of Rhode Island, resulting in a full defense verdict for client of jury verdict and district court’s rulings on Green’s post-trial motions on appeal by the U.S. First Circuit Court of Appeal
- Served as co-trial counsel in a May 2011 jury trial in Nantucket Superior Court, the first trial of private innocent investor claims against original Bernard Madoff “feeder” Frank Avellino and his wife, and obtained jury verdict in the clients’ favor and judgment of more than $1.3 million
- Served as lead matter counsel in defense of architect in AAA arbitration conducted in Boston in May 2009 and successfully defended against negligence and breach of contract allegations while winning fee recovery award for client
- Lead trial counsel in a 2008 bench trial in Worcester Superior Court, deciding an environmental law apportionment of damages claim, following more than 20 years of remediation efforts and earned judgment in favor of client in excess of $1.9 million
Admissions
- Florida
- Massachusetts
Education
- Georgetown University, M.P.S. in Global Hospitality Leadership, 2019
- The Catholic University of America Columbus School of Law, J.D., 1994
- The Catholic University of America, B.A., 1990
Professional Affiliations
- The Florida Bar
- Massachusetts Bar Association
Certifications and Trainings
- American Hotel and Lodging Educational Institute, Hotel Industry Analytics (CHIA), December 2018
Community Involvement
- Habitat for Humanity: Volunteer
Publications & Events
- “RFIs and Shop Drawings, How to Manage Risk and Reduce Liability,” Co-Author, Structure Magazine, March 2010
Recent Insights
July 12, 2021