Best Lawyers in America for Construction Law
Practice Area Overview
For a typical project, a construction lawyer may be called upon to assist the owner in obtaining land for the project. Buying the land and building a project on the land often requires financing from another source, and construction lawyers often help prepare and negotiate the various loan documents that define the rights of the bank, bondholders, or other source of funding.
Construction lawyers may assist owners and developers in deciding which project delivery approach best suits their project, such as design-bid-build, design build, or multi-prime construction. Then, construction lawyers may help draft requests for bids to allow the owner or developer to identify a contractor. A lawyer may help determine whether a bid can be withdrawn due to a mistake. For certain public projects where the owner is a city, county, state, or arm of the federal government, a construction lawyer may be called upon to file a bid protest to challenge the fairness of the bidding process.
After the project is awarded, lawyers are often involved in drafting and negotiating contracts between the owner and general contractor or the general contractor and its subcontractors. Lawyers also may be involved in documenting insurance and bonding arrangements to secure performance of the work and protect the parties against property damage or personal injuries.
During the project, construction lawyers are often called upon to help the participants understand their contracts and comply with them. Many construction lawyers see this kind of work as extremely rewarding, because their guidance can help keep construction on track toward a successful conclusion. Where contractors or subcontractors are not being paid for their work, construction lawyers may file liens or bond claims to secure payment for their clients’ work.
Construction projects are complex, expensive, stressful, and sometimes dangerous, and thus give rise to many different kinds of disputes, including disputes about the cost and duration of the project, the quality of the work, and responsibility for injuries or damages suffered during the work or, sometimes, after the work is completed. Construction disputes are often complex, involving many parties and substantial amounts of money, so construction lawyers often engage in complex commercial litigation. Many construction contracts call for dispute resolution through dispute review boards, mediation, and arbitration, so a successful construction lawyer will understand the advantages, disadvantages, and nuances of alternative dispute resolution techniques.
While often seen as a specialist, a construction lawyer is, in many ways, a generalist who must be prepared to deal with almost any kind of legal problem that may affect the construction industry, whether that problem involves contract law, banking law, tax law, environmental law, criminal law, international law, bankruptcy law, real property law, insurance law, tort law, bond and lien law, administrative law, or litigation.
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Robert Alfert, Jr., is a Florida Bar Board Certified Attorney in Construction Law, and an experienced Construction Arbitrator. He concentrates his practice in construction law and litigation, infrastructure and transportation, including public-private partnerships. His experience in construction and infrastructure derives from his education and prior work experience in architecture, in addition to more than twenty-five years of handling complex construction matters and infrastructure projects...
Jeffrey Alitz is Chair of Freeman Mathis & Gary’s Construction and Design Law national practice section and is a partner in the Boston office. For over two decades, he has been a nationally recognized A&E attorney who has tried cases throughout New England defending an array of construction and design professionals. Mr. Alitz ‘s mediation and arbitration experience, particularly concerning construction and real estate disputes is extensive. Over his multi-decade career, Mr...
Kim Altsuler is a partner in Peckar & Abramson’s Houston office. While Kim has a diverse litigation practice, her concentration is in all aspects of residential construction, from contracting through dispute resolution. Over the years Kim has handled a variety of complex litigation matters, with residential construction being the primary focus of her practice. Kim represents national, regional, and local homebuilders in all aspects of their business needs, from preparing contracts, ...
Kevin Amadio has focused his practice almost exclusively in the area of construction law for over 35 years, representing property owners, contractors, sureties, subcontractors, and material suppliers. He is thoroughly familiar with the construction process and its recurrent legal issues, as well as the differing perspectives of the property owner, contractor, subcontractor, supplier, and surety, through his daily activities as a counselor, drafter, litigator, mediator and arbitrator. Kevin co...
Mr. Anderson’s insurance defense practice involves the representation of policyholders, insurance companies, and self-insured corporations. Mr. Anderson provides comprehensive legal services in all aspects of insurance-related litigation, arbitration, subrogation, risk management, and alternative dispute resolution. In addition, Mr. Anderson has extensive experience in providing coverage analyses and representing and advising insurance companies regarding declaratory judgment actions an...
Keith Andress, office managing shareholder in the Birmingham office, concentrates his practice in civil litigation, primarily in the areas of business, construction and real estate. He has extensive experience representing financial institutions, title insurers and others involved in loan security and improvements to real property. He has devoted a significant amount of his practice to defending mortgage lenders and servicers against lender liability charges, allegations of mortgage fraud, an...
For over 40 years, Bill Andrews, a leading construction attorney in Houston, has practiced construction law , focusing on construction-related claims, lawsuits, mediations and arbitrations . He has represented owners, contractors, subcontractors, vendors, suppliers and engineering firms on a wide variety of construction-related projects. His experience in claims, trials, arbitrations and mediations includes projects such as highways and bridges, public works projects, commercial and retail co...
Jim Archibald is a partner in the firm's Construction and Procurement Practice Group. Jim has represented general contractors, owners, developers, engineering firms, subcontractors and vendors at every stage of a construction project, including the initiation of the project, the preparation of contract documents, bid preparation, bid mistakes, bid protests, change order negotiations, project correspondence, claim preparation, terminations, and final dispute resolution through negotiation, med...
Mr. Au has been with Bremer Whyte Brown & O’Meara LLP’s Los Angeles office since 2001 and became a partner with the firm in 2005. He has experience in a variety of civil litigation areas including construction defect, general liability, business litigation, municipal defense, premises liability and personal injury. Mr. Au’s primary focus is construction defect litigation where he has over twenty-five years of experience. Mr. Au has defended general contractors, developer...
There’s a reason for the row of hard hats hanging on the wall in Chip Bachara’s office. The founding partner of Bachara Construction Law group has spent his entire life in and around the construction industry. Following in the footsteps of his father, a WWII veteran who returned from the Pacific and became a homebuilder in Jacksonville, Chip literally learned the business from the ground up. He worked as a laborer for his father’s company while in high school, then earned a ...
Bruce Baker co-leads the firm’s Campus Infrastructure & Community Development team. He focuses on the construction aspects of real estate development and financing projects. What do you focus on? Design, development and construction contracts I represent owners, developers and lenders in connection with the structuring and negotiation of EPC, design/build, design and construction contracts for complex projects in all asset classes, ranging from commercial and institutional buildings...
George Baldwin is a partner in Peckar & Abramson’s Austin office. Mr. Baldwin focuses his practice on the resolution of commercial disputes through litigation, mediation, and arbitration. He is consistently called upon by top decision makers for his depth of knowledge and ability to resolve complicated construction-related problems in a cost-effective and business-oriented manner. He has extensive experience in cases involving scheduling problems, acceleration, delays, defective con...
Director and Shareholder A skilled orator, Mr. Barnes has argued numerous cases before the Utah Court of Appeals, the Utah Supreme Court, and the 10th Circuit. He represents clients in various types of litigation, specializing in real property, construction, water, and employment law matters. He also serves as a mediator for construction disputes. Mr. Barnes has been actively involved in resolving construction disputes since the mid-1980’s. He has represented owners, general contractors...
Tony Barron represents clients in the construction and real estate development industry, primarily owners and contractors, in contract negotiations, project counseling and dispute resolution. Tony has a distinguished track record of trying cases to successful verdict in construction and other commercial disputes. What do you focus on? I focus my practice on all facets of the construction and real estate development industry, both domestically and internationally, in addition to other complex ...
Peter Barry devotes a substantial portion of his practice to advising tax-exempt organizations, including healthcare and education clients with regard to their activities, with particular emphasis in complex contractual matters, including mergers, affiliations, acquisitions and divestitures. Peter is recognized as a Top-Rated Lawyer in health care by Martindale-Hubbell®, has served as a member of the Advisory Committee to the Massachusetts Attorney General’s Public Charities Divisio...
As a member of the law firm, Stroud, Willink & Howard, LLC , Joe specializes in complicated transactions, and for that reason he is known as one of Madison’s top real estate and business attorneys. Joe maintains a strong reputation as being detail- and solution-oriented. He is a trusted counselor who listens to his clients’ concerns and cares about their long-term success. Specialties Section 1031 Tax Deferred Exchanges Construction Financing Construction Contracts Eminent Domain
Benton Barton is a talented, hardworking trial lawyer who is brought in to assist clients whenever and wherever they need him. Benton’s practice focuses on disputes and accidents arising from design, construction, and environmental projects. He has taken to trial many significant high-exposure cases, and his appellate efforts have generated new and notable law. In addition to serving on its management team and chairing its Construction & Design practice group, Benton is the firm&rsq...
Member of the firm in our Phoenix, Arizona office. Mr. Baxter’s practice focuses on Construction Law and Commercial & Business Litigation. Mr. Baxter negotiates and prepares construction contracts for general contractors and private and public owners, as well as preparing other commercial contract documents. In litigation, Mr. Baxter frequently represents general contractors and property owners and developers in a wide array of commercial construction disputes and also represents ho...
Ryan is a partner in the Construction and Litigation Practice Groups in the Charlotte office. His primary focus is large public and private commercial construction practice disputes. Ryan has extensive experience in representing contractors, subcontractors, and sureties in various state and federal courts, as well as private arbitrations. He also assists clients in drafting and negotiating their construction contracts to meet the client’s specific needs on each project. Ryan has taught ...
Juris Doctor degree, cum laude , University of Maine School of Law, 1996 | Bachelor of Arts degree, magna cum laude , Bowdoin College, 1993 Jamie is a partner of the law firm of Trafton, Matzen Belleau & Frenette, LLP, joining the firm as a full partner in 2015 after previously being an owner and officer in another mid-sized firm in Auburn. He was admitted to the Maine bar in 1996 and the federal court of appeals in 2000. He currently has an AV® Preeminent Peer Review Rating in the di...
Shannon’s practice focuses on complex civil litigation. Shannon represents clients in various state and federal proceedings across the country as well as arbitration and FINRA hearings. Shannon has in depth experience representing clients in a wide variety of commercial issues including construction disputes, fiduciary claims, shareholder disputes, restrictive covenants, trade secrets, franchising, and landlord/tenant issues. She also works with clients on contract negotiations and busi...
As a degreed engineer, Keith J. Bergeron realizes that it gives his construction clients a sense of security to know they share similar backgrounds and that he understands their type of work. Receiving a lawsuit brought against you brings the stigma that something went wrong, but sometimes that is not a true statement. Keith investigates claims and defends his clients in all aspects of construction and construction surety law. He devotes special attention to architectural and engineering defe...
Mr. Berman concentrates his practice in construction, contracts, real estate and business matters including claims and alternative dispute resolution. He also focuses on "green" building and "lean" construction matters. Mr. Berman is active in several major construction industry associations. He a member of the Forum on the Construction Industry of the American Bar Association, the Washtenaw Contractors Association, and the Builders and Remodelers Association of Greater Ann Arbor. Mr. Berman ...
Stephen Best is member of Buchalter’s Litigation practice group in the Firm’s Scottsdale office. Mr. Best represents a variety of companies in general civil litigation matters, including construction companies, contractors, subcontractors and design professionals in claims involving construction defects. He further represents various individual clients through his trust and estates litigation practice. Mr. Best has achieved successful outcomes for many of his clients, including su...
Melissa Billig is Co-Chair of Tannenbaum Helpern's Construction & Design Practice. She represents owners, developers, architects, engineers, construction managers and contractors engaged in the design and construction process on projects in New York City and across the region. Melissa delivers a range of experience as both a results-driven litigator and a strategic counselor, adept at drafting and negotiating complex contracts. Melissa represents clients in high-profile, multi-party contr...
Michael S. Blackwell is Of Counsel with Riess LeMieux, L.L.C.. Michael represents a variety of clients, ranging from general contractors, subcontractors, owners, developers, insurers, and sureties in construction and labor issues, to companies involved in sales, acquisitions, corporate governance matters, commercial disputes, and other challenges arising in the commercial arena. He has engaged in significant contract negotiation, corporate formation, structuring, and governance matters, sales...
Kenneth M. Block is the Co-Chair of the Construction & Design Practice and is an acknowledged leader in the area of construction law. Ken is the former Chair of the Construction Law Committee of the New York State Bar Association Real Property Law Section and writes for the New York Law Journal Construction Law column. He lectures extensively on construction legal and business issues and represents prominent real estate owners, developers and not-for-profit institutions, including Vornado...
Mark provides legal services to professionals, including attorneys, accountants, architects, engineers, and title agents. He also represents product manufacturers and various companies in the construction and finance industries. His work involves primarily contested matters, including civil litigation, arbitration, mediation, and representation of individuals and companies before government licensing agencies. He is also one of the firm’s leaders, serving as a member of its Management C...
Bob Blum is a litigator who represents contractors and owners on construction claims and clients in many industries on contract and indemnity claims. He counsels lawyers and law firms on professional responsibility matters and represents creditors in bankruptcy cases. What Do You Focus On? With more than three decades of experience, I focus my practice in the following areas. Commercial Contract Litigation I represent construction, energy, vegetation management, financial services and retail ...
Board Certified by The Florida Bar in Construction Law and a LEED® Accredited Professional, Stacy Bercun Bohm represents developers, contractors, subcontractors, and design professionals in complex construction contract, project administration, and litigation matters. She is one of the first lawyers in Florida to achieve both Board Certification and LEED accreditation. Chambers USA states, “She understands the industry and brings that knowledge to negotiations.” Stacy structur...
Arty Bolick is an experienced litigator and construction lawyer who represents clients in all manner of court proceedings and arbitrations. He counsels the Firm's construction clients throughout all phases of commercial and institutional construction projects, from contracting and claims resolution, to arbitration and litigation if disputes cannot be resolved through negotiation. Arty represents owners, contractors and subcontractors in disputes during all phases of a construction project, in...
Axel Bolvig focuses his practice on construction law and government contracts. He joined Bradley after earning engineering and law degrees from Duke University. He has represented some of the nation’s largest and most successful federal contractors on projects throughout the country. For example, he has handled claims and counseled clients on federal hospital projects in Atlanta, Baltimore, Bay Pines (FL), Birmingham, Cape Coral (FL), Dallas, Detroit, Fort Bragg (NC), Fort Hood (TX), Ne...
Jonathan Bondy’s practice is concentrated in the field of commercial litigation, with a focus on construction, surety and contract issues in New York and New Jersey. As a member of the firm, Jon represents and advises sureties with respect to performance and payment bond claims, the defense of prevailing wage claims, affirmative surety claims, loss recovery, bankruptcy issues and contractor workouts. He represents developers, contractors and building material suppliers in litigation mat...
After clerking for Maine Supreme Court Justice Robert Clifford for a year after law school, Mike dove straight into construction law, defending architects and engineers in construction cases at a small Portland insurance defense firm. Since joining Bernstein Shur a decade and a half ago, Mike has had the pleasure of representing the full panoply of participants on a construction project: developers, owners, general contractors, subcontractors, suppliers, lenders, and sureties in everything fr...
Michael Botnick is a member with more than 40 years of experience in commercial litigation and is a certified mediator. His practice encompasses transactions, real estate, contracts, and corporate law, as well as trusts and estates. In the last 28 years, Michael has dedicated a hefty portion of his time practicing construction law and handling litigation cases involving disputes, an area in which he has been recognized in Chambers USA: America's Leading Lawyers for Business . Chambers USA sta...
Phil Bradbury focuses his practice on commercial law and litigation, construction law and litigation, real estate, alternative dispute resolution, and business and estate planning for closely held businesses. Phil’s experience covers a wide range of litigation matters and business transactions, including: Representing real estate owners and developers in the purchase, sale and financing of multi-million dollar projects. Providing construction services to contractors, subcontractors, and...
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