Bradley Expands Construction Team with Arrival of Partners Ben Dachepalli and Timothy Ford in Tampa Office
Bradley Arant Boult Cummings LLP is pleased to announce the addition of partners Ben Dachepalli and Timothy Ford to the firm’s Construction Practice Group.
“Ben and Tim are leading attorneys in Florida with significant experience working with construction industry professionals on strategic legal and business solutions,” said Bradley Tampa Office Managing Partner R. Craig Mayfield. “We are excited to welcome them to the firm and know that their background and their involvement in the local legal and civic community will enhance the already high level of service we are able to provide our construction clients.”
David W. Owen, leader of the firm’s Construction Practice Group, added, “The addition of Ben and Tim reflects yet another important step in our strategic growth plan for the Florida market, building upon a team of exceptional attorneys equipped to handle public and private projects of all sizes throughout the country.”
Mr. Dachepalli is experienced in litigating complex construction claims regarding contract disputes, construction defects, design errors, surety bonds, insurance, and construction liens, and negotiating construction-related agreements. He also advises clients on construction licensing matters and defends them in administrative proceedings and complaints against their construction licenses. He collaborates with clients to understand their businesses to provide comprehensive strategies that go beyond legal issues and contracts. Mr. Dachepalli serves as national coordinating counsel for a large, publicly traded REIT, providing strategic advice and counsel on matters impacting projects across the United States. As a member of the Tampa Housing Authority Board of Commissioners and a former member of Florida’s Construction Industry Licensing Board, Mr. Dachepalli is actively engaged in the community and construction industry. He is board certified by the Florida Bar in Construction Law and is recognized for his construction practice in Chambers USA, The Best Lawyers in America® and Florida Super Lawyers. Mr. Dachepalli is a current member of the Board of Directors for the Tampa Bay Economic Development Council, past chair of the Indo-U.S. Chamber of Commerce in Tampa, and a member of the American, Hillsborough County, and Florida Bar associations.
Mr. Ford represents owners, developers, contractors, construction managers, design professionals and subcontractors in all phases of the construction process, with an emphasis on complex construction litigation, including insurance disputes and defect claims. He is recognized for his construction practice by Chambers USA, The Best Lawyers in America® and Florida Super Lawyers. Mr. Ford is board certified by the Florida Bar in Construction Law and is an active member of the American Bar Association’s Forum on Construction Law as a current board member of the Forum’s Governing Committee. He has also held leadership roles with the Florida Bar and the Hillsborough County Bar Association. Mr. Ford is an active member of the Tampa Bay Community and a pro bono volunteer lawyer with Building for Good (B4G), a national nonprofit organization that links other nonprofits and charities with skilled construction lawyers.
Bradley’s award-winning Construction Practice Group has been recognized as the nation’s “Law Firm of the Year” for Construction Law by U.S. News – Best Lawyers “Best Law Firms” in 2022, 2020, and 2018, a designation only given to one law firm in the country per legal practice area each year. The firm has held a national Tier 1 ranking in Construction Law every year since the rankings began. The Construction Practice Group also was named the “2020 Practice Group of the Year” by Law360, and was ranked No. 3 on Construction Executive’s list of “The Top 50 Construction Law Firms” in 2020.The firm’s construction attorneys counsel clients on projects throughout the United States, Canada and Mexico, as well as more than 35 countries across Europe, Asia, Africa, Australia, the Middle East, the Caribbean, and South America. Several of Bradley’s construction attorneys have degrees in engineering, building science or architecture and have previous practical experience working in the construction industry.
About Bradley
Bradley combines skilled legal counsel with exceptional client service and unwavering integrity to assist a diverse range of corporate and individual clients in achieving their business goals. With offices in Alabama, Florida, Mississippi, North Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, and the District of Columbia, the firm’s almost 600 lawyers represent regional, national and international clients in various industries, including banking and financial services, construction, energy, healthcare, life sciences, manufacturing, real estate, and technology, among many others.
