Attorneys

Philip L. FortunePartner

PHILIP L. FORTUNE is a partner in the Atlanta office of the law firm of Smith, Currie & Hancock LLP. He attended the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and received a Bachelor of Arts Degree. He received his J.D. from the University of Toledo, where he served on the Law Review and as a Justice on the Student Honor Court.

Phil joined the law firm of Smith, Currie & Hancock LLP in 1971 and has worked full-time in dispute resolution and litigation in the construction industry. Phil has been involved in trials, arbitrations, negotiations, and claims in the public sector involving the Bureau of Prisons, General Services Administration, Corps of Engineers, the Army-Air Force Exchange Service, the Department of the Army, and many state, county, and municipal governments. He has also worked extensively in the private sector, representing metal building suppliers and general contractors and subcontractors on all types of construction projects. While Phil is involved in both prosecuting and defending claims through litigation and arbitration, the emphasis of his practice has centered around education and training to avoid claims and disputes and in developing and implementing alternative dispute resolution methods.

Phil is a frequent speaker and author for the construction industry and for Smith, Currie & Hancock LLP. He has also worked closely with many clients in their education programs to train employees in problem solving methods, practical project documentation as well as all facets of dispute resolution.

Phil is a member of the Atlanta Bar Association, the Georgia Bar Association, the American Bar Association, the American Arbitration Association Panel of Arbitrators, the Forum on the Construction Industry, the Lawyers Club of Atlanta, and The Kiwanis Club of Atlanta.

Phil was born in North Carolina and raised in Hattiesburg, Mississippi, and Toledo, Ohio, where he met his wife, Janet, during high school. Janet is also a lawyer. Phil and Janet have two children and two grandchildren.

Articles & Publications

• Common Sense Construction Law

Classes & Seminars Taught

• Instructor, Federal Procurement Law, Emory Law School, 1972
• ABA Forum on the Construction Industry, Winter Meeting 2000, Author and Lecturer on construction law, bonds, liens, and preparation of claims, including participation in programs presented by, Georgia Tech, American Soc. of Steel Constructors, Carolinas Associated General Contractors, Georgia Chapter of Associated Gen. Contractors
• Lecturer on various aspects of the Hazardous Waste and Environmental Protection laws and regulations including Superfund.