John S. Vento

Overview

John Vento has been with Trenam since 1981 and became a Shareholder in 1985. He was named Construction Litigation Lawyer of the Year 2014 in Tampa by Best Lawyers in America. He has been consistently ranked by Super Lawyers in the top 100 in Florida and the top 50 in Tampa Bay for construction law. John is Florida Bar Board Certified in Construction Law and is a Florida Supreme Court Certified Civil Court Mediator. He has also been certified as a Mediator by the United States District Court for the Middle District of Florida. John has been an Arbitrator with the American Arbitration Association since 1982 and serves on the Complex Case and Construction Panels.

John leads Trenam’s Construction Law and Government Contracting Group. He has experience in the areas of Qui Tam/Whistleblower claims, federal government contracting, private, public and federal construction contracting, private, public and federal construction disputes, international law, arbitration and mediation, and medical health care fraud.

Prior to joining the firm, John was a Judge Advocate on active duty with the U.S. Air Force, including an assignment as Assistant Law Professor at the U.S. Air Force Academy. While in the Air Force Reserve, John served as an Adjunct Professor of Law at the Air Force’s Judge Advocate General’s School, which published the handbook he authored on Contingency Contracting and Fiscal Law and where he taught procurement law. Upon his retirement in the rank of Colonel, John was awarded the prestigious Legion of Merit Award.

Representative Matters

• Successfully represented a board certified physiatrics physician in an action filed under seal in the United States District Court for the Middle District of Florida who was retaliated against by a Florida hospital for refusing to participate in an alleged fraudulent diagnosis billing scheme utilized by an national chain of rehabilitation hospitals sued in multi-state actions by five other whistle blowers alleging the same fraud resulting in a $48 million civil qui tam settlement of the alleged fraud by the company and the Department of Justice.
• In 2018, successfully defended to a zero verdict a five-week jury trial for a Top 10 world-wide engineering firm and two of its engineers in a $50 million design malpractice claim for the design of a gravity sewer and lift station.
• Lead litigation counsel for a major public transportation authority over the collapse of an elevated expressway which resulted in litigation and mediation with various design team members, settling design and insurance claims and obtaining for the authority over $85.75 million.
• Lead trial counsel for a major electrical utility in a one month trial against a major international engineering firm, securing a judgment confirmed on appeal of over $40.6 million.
• Successfully defended a world-wide engineering and construction firm in 2014, in a one week federal court trial, obtaining a judgment in excess of $1,000,000 on a counterclaim involving construction contracting on a military base and defeating a $1 million plus claim by the subcontractor.
• Successfully defended a major public transportation authority against a $25 million claim by the contractor in dispute review committee hearings, resulting in a favorable mediated settlement for well less than half of the claim.
• Florida construction counsel for a Bolivian corporation in an ICDR arbitration claim of over $10 million for the construction of a three hundred mile power transmission line in Chile.  Assisted New York arbitration counsel in obtaining a favorable settlement.
• President of an ICDR arbitration panel in a $6 million dispute involving the construction of a veterinary medical school in the Caribbean Islands.
• Lead trial counsel for a major international design and construction firm before the United States Board of Contract Appeals regarding the design and construction of a building at a U.S. military base.
• Lead litigation counsel in the successful dismissal of a qui tam whistleblower fraud case against a government contractor sued for over $600 million in damages. Obtained an involuntary dismissal of the claim during discovery.
• Lead litigation counsel in the successful defense of a government contractor sued in a $22 million qui tam whistleblower fraud case. Obtained an involuntary dismissal after the third day of trial.
• Currently claims counsel for a major international design and construction firm in a $10 million claim pending in the United States Board of Contract Appeals.
• Successfully represented a major international design and construction firm in litigation in the Northern District of Georgia arising out of its teaming agreement with a minority contractor on seven military projects, successfully resolving the matter in the favor of client.
• Successfully represented a client in an ICC International Arbitration in Canada in a dispute with its Belgium distributor, achieving a favorable result in the ICC arbitration that resulted in a favorable mediated settlement of claims pending in the Belgium Commercial Court.
• Successfully mediated numerous construction disputes in Florida.

Honors and Distinctions

• AV® Preeminent Peer Review™ Rated by Martindale-Hubbell®
• Tampa Bay Magazine’s Top Lawyers List, 2010, 2017-2018, 2020, 2022-2024
• Thirteenth Judicial Circuit Pro Bono Award, April 2017
• Florida Bar Board Certified in Construction Law, 2005-present
• Certified Circuit Civil Mediator, 2013–present
• National Law Journal, Tampa’s Top Attorneys, 2011
• Chambers USA Ranked, Construction Law: Mediators, 2010-2020, 2022-2024
• The Best Lawyers in America, Construction Law; Commercial Litigation; Litigation – Construction, 2006-2025
  • Lawyer of the Year, Construction Litigation, 2014
• Florida Super Lawyers, Construction, 2006-2024 (10+ year recognition)
  • Top 100: Florida Super Lawyers, 2014-2018
  • Top 50: Tampa Bay Super Lawyers, 2014-2018
• Florida Trend’s Legal Elite, 2005, 2010-2013, 2016-2020
• American Law Journal, Tampa’s Top Lawyers, 2011
• American Law Journal, Top Lawyers, 2011
• Tampa Bay Business Journal, Who’s Who in Law, 2007
• Quien Es Quien in U.S. Commerce, 1994-1996
• Who’s Who Legal: Construction, 2013, 2019, 2020

Professional Involvement

• American Bar Association, Forum on the Construction Industry
  • Governing Committee, 2011-2014
  • Division 8 Steering Committee, 2005-2011
  • Liaison between ABA Forum on Construction Law to the ABA’s Commission on Hispanic Rights and Responsibilities, 2015-2019
  • Governing Committee Liaison to the Membership, Technology, and Diversity Committees, 2011-2014
  • Division 8, International Contracting, Chair, 2007-2009
  • Division Chairs, Membership and Technology Committees, 2006-2011
  • Special Committee on Communications, 2007
• ABA Section of Litigation : Construction Litigation Committee, Co-Chair, 1994-1996
• American Arbitration Association: Construction and Large Complex Panels, 1982-present
• Hillsborough County Bar Association: Construction Law Committee, Co-Founder and Co-Chair, 2006-2008
• Tampa Bay Hispanic Bar Association, 2007-present
• National Hispanic Bar Association, 2011-present
• Associated Builders and Contractors, Associate Member, 2005-present
• American Institute of Architects, Associate Member, 2008-present
• Associated General Contractors of America, 2000-2005
• Florida Chapter of Design Build Institute America, Co-Founder, 2001
• Mid-Florida Region of the American Arbitration Association, Governing Board, 1998-2002

Community Involvement

• Tampa Bay Kiwanis Club (Senior Status), 1982-Present
  • Honored with 40+ years membership, 2022
• Tampa Bay Kiwanis Foundation, President, 1999-2001
• University of Michigan Alumni Association, Director Emeritus, 1989
• University of Michigan Alumni Club of Tampa Bay, President, 1985-1987
• Sant’ Yago Educational Foundation (Tampa’s Latino Scholarship Foundation), Special Counsel, 2005-Present