Christopher L. Pope

Christopher L. Pope joined the Pavese Law Firm in 2012 and became a partner in the Firm in 2018. Mr. Pope is recognized by the Florida Bar as a Board Certified Specialist in three practice areas, Condominium and Planned Development Law; Real Estate Law; and Construction Law (Board certification is the highest level of recognition by the Florida Bar for the competency and experience of a lawyer practicing in a specialty area, as less than 7% of Florida lawyers are board certified). Mr. Pope primarily focuses his practice in the areas of condominium and homeowners’ association law; construction law; and real estate.

Mr. Pope is also an Adjunct Instructor for the College of Engineering at Florida Gulf Coast University where he teaches Construction Law and Contracts for students seeking degrees in Construction Management Program or a Masters of Engineering. 

He represents and advises clients, including top national homebuilders, contractors, developers, commercial associations, homeowners’ and condominium associations, and individuals on a wide range of issues, including, but not limited to, the following:

Condominium and Homeowners’ Association, and Planned Development Law

• General legal counsel regarding the statutes, rules, and regulations for community associations in Florida
• Drafting, interpreting, and amending community association governing documents, including Declarations, Articles of Incorporation, Bylaws, Rules and Regulations, and Architectural Review Guidelines
• Covenants Enforcement
• Drafting and negotiating contracts with vendors and contractors 
• Collection of association assessments and fees, including lien enforcement and foreclosure
• Condominium and homeowners’ association litigation and alternative dispute resolution
• Disputes arising from maintenance and repair of common areas
• Administrative representation before the Florida Department of Business and Professional Regulation
• Preservation and revitalization of covenants under Florida Marketable Record Title Act (MRTA)
• Common area improvements (clubhouse and golf course renovations, boat docks, and other improvements)

Construction Law

• Preparing and filing construction liens and statutory notices, including Notices of Commencement, Notices to Owner, and lien waivers and releases for compliance with Chapter 713, Florida Statutes.  
• Drafting and reviewing construction contracts, including AIA, EJCDC, and Consensus Documents
• Contract and Change Order negotiation
• Administrative representation in licensure and permitting matters
• Construction lending
• Notices of construction defects under Chapter 558, Florida Statutes
• Construction-related litigation and arbitration (lien foreclosure and priority; prompt payment; change order disputes; retainage disputes; surety claims; delay claims; warranty and defect claims)
• Public and private bond claims

Real Estate

• Residential and commercial real estate closings
• Preparing and negotiating leases from both landlord and tenant perspectives
• 1031 Exchanges
• Contract negotiation and disputes
• Landlord and tenant disputes
• Self-Directed IRAs

Prior to practicing law, Mr. Pope worked as an Area Construction Manager for one the nation’s largest homebuilders where he managed and directed construction for master planned golf course communities, some with build-outs of 5,000 homes. He has also managed condominium rehabilitations, underground utility installations, and site work. Because of this experience, Mr. Pope has a unique insight into the client’s perspective on community association, construction, and real estate matters.

Mr. Pope obtained his undergraduate degree in Business Administration from Auburn University, where he majored in Management of Information Systems. He then went on to obtain his Juris Doctor and Diploma in Civil Law from Louisiana State University. Mr. Pope also holds a Master of Laws in Taxation from the Boston University School of Law.

Mr. Pope is a member of the Florida Bar and the Lee County Bar Association, and is a past member of the American Inns of Court (Calusa Chapter).

Representative Experience

• Represented a Fortune 500 Company during the construction closeout of its global headquarters
• Represented a major sub-contractor in successfully negotiating resolution of a payment dispute involving the general contractor and the Florida Department of Transportation
• Has successfully completed Covenants Revitalization for 16 homeowners’ associations since 2015
• Represented a homeowners’ association in the acquisition of a golf course, restaurant, and other amenities and improvements.