Ausley McMullen Expands Construction and Real Estate Law Team
May 5, 2021
Ausley McMullen, a full-service firm based in Tallahassee, is pleased to announce that Benjamin B. Bush, Anthony D. Tilton, Clayton T. Osteen, and Patrick S. Bickford have joined the firm as attorneys on the Construction, Real Estate and Litigation teams. These additions will greatly enhance the firm’s strong practices and emphasize Ausley McMullen’s continued commitment to servicing its clients’ needs throughout Florida and its neighboring states.
“At Ausley McMullen, we have always been dedicated to recruiting top talent and broadening our deep bench with creative and experienced attorneys,” said Michael J. Glazer, President of the firm. “Anthony, Clayton and Patrick have excellent reputations in construction law and have developed extensive experience in OSHA matters, handling cases throughout the United States. Ben is known in Florida and Georgia for his work in transactional real estate law, including commercial and agricultural lending and land use. We look forward to having all four attorneys play a key role in the long-term success of the firm overall.”
Benjamin B. Bush is a shareholder whose practice includes the areas of transactional real estate law, commercial and agricultural lending, and real property and land use law. Bush represents institutional lenders and private lenders in connection with the negotiation and documentation of real estate financing transactions, including real estate and asset-based lending, construction financing, permanent lending, and loan workouts and restructures. He represents landowners in connection with the acquisition, financing and disposition of commercial, agricultural and timberland properties. He represents real estate developers in connection with the acquisition, development, financing, and disposition of real property for office, retail, condominium and mixed-use projects. Additionally, Bush is a Florida Bar board-certified real estate attorney, a member of the Georgia Bar, and an authorized agent for issuance of title insurance in Florida and Georgia. Prior to joining Ausley McMullen, Bush was a shareholder and vice president of Gardner, Bist, Bowden, Bush, Dee, LaVia, Wright & Perry, P.A. He has an AV rating from Martindale Hubbell, and received his J.D. from Florida State University and his B.S. in Environmental Science from Mercer University.
Anthony D. Tilton is a shareholder whose practice focuses on all aspects of construction law. He works primarily on matters relating to OSHA defense. This includes the management and development of safety and health strategies for construction contractors and industrial facilities across the United States. Tilton’s OSHA practice concentrates on litigation and the appeals process for citations involving catastrophic construction and industry-related accidents. Prior to joining Ausley McMullen, Tilton was a partner at Cotney Construction Law. He was also a legal intern at The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Florida in 2013 as well as a legal intern at The Office of Civil and Regional Counsel for the 12th Judicial Circuit Bradenton in 2012. Prior to that, he held non-legal positions in the construction industry ranging from laborer to site supervisor and safety officer, which is crucial to his understanding of the industry he represents in legal matters. Tilton also holds various OSHA training licenses as well as a Florida Certified Building Contractor license. He received his J.D. from Stetson University College of Law, and his B.S, cum laude, from The University of Georgia. Tilton has recently been honored by Best Lawyers: Ones to Watch in Construction Law; Florida Super Lawyers, Rising Star; Tampa Magazine, Top Lawyers; and Florida Trend, Legal Elite Up & Comer.
Clayton T. Osteen primarily focuses his practice in the areas of construction law, administrative law, licensing, and business litigation. He has extensive experience representing clients throughout the construction industry relating to construction defects, liens, delay claims, payment disputes, licensing issues, and workers’ compensation issues. Osteen started his legal career at the Department of Business and Professional Regulation where he served as the Deputy Chief Attorney for the Construction Division and presented cases in front of the Construction Industry Licensing Board, as well as the Electrical Contractors’ Licensing Board. He has extensive experience prosecuting licensing discipline cases and has tried multiple cases at the Division of Administrative Hearings, including a case that resulted in changing regulations to the pool industry. Osteen has litigated various construction, licensing, and business-related issues in State and Federal Courts throughout Florida. Prior to joining Ausley McMullen, he was a partner at Cotney Construction Law. His family has worked in the construction industry in the State of Florida for over one hundred years; and prior to law school, Osteen labored as an underground technician and supervisor for roughly ten years installing underground utilities and now employs this and his construction background in the practice of law. Osteen received both his J.D. and B.S. from Florida State University and has been recognized by Florida Trend magazine’s Florida Legal Elite. During his undergraduate career, he played defensive end for the Florida State University football team.
Patrick S. Bickford joins Ausley McMullen specializing in construction litigation with a primary focus on federal administrative litigation. His practice includes collections, lien foreclosure, transactions, regulatory compliance, corporate, employment, workers’ compensation, state and federal administrative, federal appeals, licensing, and insurance. Prior to joining the firm, Bickford was an associate at Cotney Construction Law in Tallahassee and Rissman, Barrett, Hurt, Donahue, McLain & Mangan in Orlando. He earned his J.D., cum laude, and Business Law Certificate, with highest honors, from Florida State University School of Law, and his B.S. from University of South Florida. Bickford received the Distinguished Pro Bono Award during law school and was honored by Best Lawyers: One to Watch in Construction Law this year.
