Jorge L. Cruz is one of the firms Shareholders, where he practices in the areas of design professional liability defense, construction defect litigation, environmental law, surety defense, and construction and product liability subrogation.

Mr. Cruz earned his Bachelor of Science in Engineering from Florida International University. Upon graduating, he obtained his license as a professional engineer and developed extensive construction experience, particularly in the design of electrical, mechanical, plumbing, and fire protection systems. He was involved in the design of large-scale projects for Miami International Airport, Miami-Dade County Public Schools, Jackson Memorial Hospital, Baptist Hospital, South Miami Hospital, and the Port of Miami. While working as an engineer, Mr. Cruz attended law school, earning his Juris Doctor from the University of Miami in 2001.

Mr. Cruz is admitted to The Florida Bar, the United States District Court for the Southern District of Florida, and, since 2017, the Supreme Court of the United States. He maintains licenses as both a Florida Professional Engineer and a Florida Certified General Contractor, and he is a Construction Law Certified Attorney in the State of Florida. Board Certification in Construction Law by The Florida Bar is the highest level of recognition for competency and experience in the field, requiring practice experience, substantial involvement in construction law, continuing legal education, peer review, and a written examination.

Mr. Cruz also has experience with environmental pollution at construction sites, environmental due diligence, Brownfield redevelopment, sinkholes, groundwater contamination, and land contamination.

In 2012, Mr. Cruz was elected to the AIA Florida Board of Directors as Member at Large, and was re-elected in 2013; in 2018, he was elected to the AIA Board of Directors for a two-year term. Also in 2012, Mr. Cruz helped lobby Florida legislators and assisted in passing changes to Fla. Stat. § 558, adding the Limits of Liability provision, Fla. Stat. § 558.0035, which today helps architects and engineers individually limit their liability by including the 558.0035 clause in their contracts.

Mr. Cruz is a Certified Litigation Management Professional (CLMP), a designation recognizing experience in client relations, coverage perspective, risk transfer, resolution options, impact reporting and reserving, legal budgeting, and litigation metrics. He also serves as an instructor for the CLM School of Construction Claims College, where he educates claims professionals and new attorneys in the field of construction law.

Mr. Cruz is a dynamic and informed speaker who has appeared before numerous professional design organizations, addressing legal issues relevant to their profession.

Practice Areas

Design Professional Defect Litigation
Construction Defect Litigation
Environmental Law
Insurance Defense
Surety Defense
Construction Subrogation

Professional Licenses & Awards

AV Preeminent by Martindale Hubbell – Peer Review Rated
Board Certified Construction Law, The Florida Bar
Best Lawyers in America Award: Construction Law, Litigation-Construction (2013-2025)
Professional Engineer in the State of Florida (License 51901)
Certified General Contractor in the State of Florida (CGC 1513944)
Recognized for Professional Excellence in Engineering by “Los Triunfadores," 1994

Academic Experience

Faculty at the CLM Alliance School of Construction (2023, 2024, 2025, 2026)

Speaking Appearances

Limitations of liability; Florida Engineering Society 2006
Prof. Contracts, DPR Rules & Ch. 481; First Annual Seminar for Young Architects 2007
Common Mistakes That Architects Can Avoid; Emerging Professional Conference 2007
Current Legal Issues Affecting Design Professionals; Design Technology Expo 2008
Construction Defect Claims Florida Statute 558; Design Technology Expo 2012
Job Site Safety and Architectural Copyright - Protecting Yourself and Your Work; American Institute of Architects Miami - Design + Technology Exposition 2013
Common Pitfalls of Architect Owners Contracts; American Institute of Architects Florida Annual Conference 2013
An Overview of Florida’s Construction Claim Notice; American Institute of Architects Florida Annual Conference 2014
Limits of Liability (LOL) Bill is no laughing matter; Design Technology Expo 2014
Expert Witness Issues – Protecting their Work Product; CLM Annual Atlanta (November 5-6, 2015.
Panelist at AIA Miami six workshop series on launching a practice 2015
The Impact of the Architect’s Contract on the Architect’s Professional Liability Coverage; American Institute of Architects Miami - Design + Technology Exposition 2015
Essential Contract Terms for Architects including Copyright; American Institute of Architects Miami - Design + Technology Exposition 2016
The Impact of the Architect’s Contract on the Architect’s Professional Liability Coverage A/E Pronet 2016
Overview of Construction Law; New York 2017
How to Deal with issues in a High Exposure Multi-Party Litigation concerning Catastrophic Events or Mega Projects; CLM Cyber, Management and Professional Liability Conference Boston (July 10-12, 2019)
Dealing with High Exposure Multi-Party Litigation concerning Catastrophic Events or Mega Projects; CLM Construction San Diego, CA (September 25-27, 2019)
How to Manage and Mitigate Your Design-Build Risk as a Design-Builder or a Design Professional; CLM Annual Conference Dallas ( March 18-20, 2020)
Eng Law 101: Legal Considerations for the Business of Engineering; Florida Engineering Society Annual Convention 2022.
The Changing Face of Construction in a Post Covid World; CLM Construction Conference, Panelist, San Diego, California (September 21-23, 2022)
Waking the Sleeping Giant: Be careful what you wish for…. Tech’s effect on Statute of Repose and Notice Issues, CLM Annual Meeting, Palm Desert, California (March 23-25, 2022)
What Every Engineer can do to Reduce Claims: From Contract Negotiations to Contract Administration; Florida Engineering Society Annual Convention 2023
Construction from the Ground Up Part I & Part II; CLM Claims Collage, School of Construction; Faculty Member Construction School, Baltimore MD (September 8, 2023)
Construction from the Ground Up Part I & Part II; CLM Claims Collage, School of Construction; Faculty Member Construction School, Austin TX (September 3-7, 2024)