John H. Dannecker is a partner in the Orlando office of Shutts & Bowen LLP, where he is a member of the firm's Construction Law Practice Group.
John is Florida Bar Board Certified in Construction Law. In his 36 years in the practice of complex, large dollar construction disputes, John has developed a reputation for bringing an innovative and result-oriented mindset to the dispute resolution process. In addition to his construction practice, John has litigated numerous commercial business disputes, including troubled mergers and acquisitions, accounting malpractice, disadvantaged business enterprises, non-compete agreements, and theft of trade secrets. Using his trial experience and negotiating skills, he helps clients avoid disputes providing creative contract drafting ideas that reward early resolution of disputes.
With construction as his central focus for more than 30 years, John has developed a strong reputation based on his knowledge, experience, trial skills and no-nonsense approach. This experience includes work for developers, contractors, property owners, manufacturers, public bodies and others. In addition to his trial experience, John has litigated a number of appeals.
John is involved in various bar association activities, including The Florida Bar Construction Law Committee and the American Bar Association Construction Law Section. He is a former Barrister in the Central Florida Chapter of the American Inns of Court, and has received an "AV," or top rating, from Martindale-Hubbell.
John is a frequent lecturer and is a former adjunct professor of business law at the University of Central Florida. He regularly speaks at seminars presented by Lorman Education Services and was a co-presenter at a Construction Law Roundtable for the Daily Business Review. Throughout his career, he has co-authored various articles on construction law, mold litigation, and calculating and proving construction delay damages.
Credentials
Education
- Stetson University, J.D., with honors, 1987
- University of Florida, B.S., Finance, with honors, 1985
Bar Admissions
- Florida
Court Admissions
- U.S. District Court for the Middle District of Florida
- U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Florida
- U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Florida
Professional and Civic
- American Bar Association
- Associated Builders & Contractors
- Associated General Contractors
- 2024 Inductee into the American College of Construction Lawyers
- National Association of Home Builders, Construction Law Attorney Forum Arbitration Subcommittee
- National Association of Home Builders, Stucco Issue Working Group (Legal and Insurance ) Chairman, 2017-2018
- Orange County Bar Association
News & Insights
Presentations
- Co-presenter, Construction Law Roundtable on Florida’s Notice and Opportunity to Repair Statute, Daily Business Review
- Speaker, Annual Credit Congress (2003)
- Speaker, All-South Credit Conference (2004)
- Speaker, Windstorm Insurance Conference (2004)
- Speaker, Florida Bar Board Certification Review Course
- Speaker, Florida’s Stucco Crisis, National Association of Home Builders’ Directors Meeting, Fountain Blue Hotel
Publications
- “Virtual Jury Trials of Construction Disputes: The Necessary Union of Both Sides of the Brain”
- "DBE Regulations: The Mugshot of Non-Compliance"
- "Florida Construction Lien Law"
- "Owners' Protection Devices"
- "Construction Law and Contracts"
- "Construction Law 101: Introduction to Construction Lien Law"
- "Investigation of Construction Claims"
- "Legal Perspective of Design/Build Contracts"
- "Legal Aspects of Mold Remediation and Standards”
- "Recovering and Avoiding Consequential Damages in the Current Economic Climate"
Media Mentions
- "The Dotted Line: When should contractors use COVID-19 liability waivers," Construction Dive (August 25, 2020)
-
"What 'stay-at-home' orders mean for Central Florida's construction industry," The Orlando Business Journal (March 26, 2020)
News & Speaking Engagements
Blog Posts
Practice Areas
Industry Focus
Accolades
- Florida Bar Board Certified in Construction Law
- Fellow of the American College of Construction Lawyers
- Martindale-Hubbell AV® Preeminent™ Rated, 5.0 out of 5.0
- Chambers USA: America’s Leading Lawyers for Business, Construction Law, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022, 2023, 2024
- Best Lawyers in America®,
- Lawyer of the Year, Construction Law, 2024
- Litigation-Construction, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022, 2023, 2024, 2025
- Construction Law, 2023, 2024, 2025
- Litigation - Real Estate, 2023, 2024, 2025
- Lawyer of the Year, Construction Law, 2020
-
Orlando Magazine, “The Best Lawyers in Orlando: Lawyer of the Year,” 2020
- Florida Trend's Legal Elite, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2012, 2013, 2019
- Florida Super Lawyers, Construction Litigation, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022, 2023, 2024
- Top 50: Orlando Super Lawyers, 2022, 2023, 2024