Construction
Our lawyers have represented the construction industry in a full range of construction services for decades. We guide clients through all phases of the construction process, from feasibility analyses and design, bidding, awards and construction, to commissioning and closeout. The group’s construction lawyers negotiate and draft contracts, represent parties before regulatory bodies, and counsel clients on troubled projects. As a nationwide firm, we deliver the efficiencies and benefits of working with lawyers across the country who understand local and regional issues impacting construction.
Today’s sophisticated and complex construction projects often require creative solutions to risk allocation. Parties may seek to share the risks inherent in the construction process by utilizing new concepts of contracting, such as partnering, variations on traditional design-build construction and management, and increased technical coordination and collaboration. These techniques not only increase efficiency, but can also reduce conflicts and deficiencies. Throughout construction, while we advise and handle claims that may arise along the way, our experience in contract drafting and documentation assists in avoiding these issues.
In litigation and arbitration, our lawyers’ skills, depth of knowledge and experience have been applied to the pursuit of our clients’ claims and disputes before arbitration panels, federal, state, and international tribunals. Such matters have involved highly technical requirements, design, construction methods, specifications compliance, delay, quality of work, site conditions, changes and cost recovery. Commercial projects have included new headquarter buildings for some of the world’s largest international companies, research and development facilities, residential high-rises, hospitals, and manufacturing plants. In addition to litigating, our lawyers frequently serve the construction industry by sitting as arbitrators and mediators of disputes. What counts is working with lawyers who have the strategic skill and depth of knowledge to secure the best solution.
Government Contracts
The firm’s construction practice also extends to public projects such as buildings, courthouses and infrastructure. We typically represent contractors and subcontractors or state and local agencies and have extensive experience in counseling contractors on public contract laws and regulations, such as the Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR). Our work has included projects for the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, U.S. Navy and other defense agencies, USAID, GSA, and other federal and state agencies. Representative projects include the Washington, D.C. and Baltimore subways, the U.S. Embassy in Moscow, highways, bridges dams, siphons, canals, military airbases and radar installations, wastewater treatment facilities, and power plants.
In government supply and service contracts, the firm has experience in matters such as Navy warships, military aircraft production, military equipment and products for civilian use. Our work has involved a wide variety of matters including bid protests, the Buy America Act, surety bonds, terminations, releases and reservation of rights, cost recovery, numerous FAR questions, interpretations, and flow-down requirements. Such matters also often involve preparation, pursuit and resolution of claims through negotiation and mediation. The firm also has extensive experience in white-collar crime, fraud, false claims, debarment and suspension. The firm’s lawyers have decades of experience in this area, as well as litigation of contract claims and disputes in the U.S. Court of Federal Claims and the Armed Services and Civilian Boards of Contract Appeals.
The lawyer’s international experience includes U.S. embassies overseas, power plants, pump stations, electrical power distribution and other military and civil works in Iraq, Afghanistan, Brazil, Egypt, Saudi Arabia, Tanzania, Italy and Mexico.
Real Estate and Land Use Litigation
Nationwide, we deliver the efficiencies and benefits of working with lawyers who understand the local and regional issues impacting real estate development. Our real estate litigators collaborate with colleagues on a wide range of related practice areas, including real estate transactions, environmental issues, bankruptcy and taxation.
Whether you are a first-time player or someone regularly involved in the development process, you can benefit from the experience and leadership of our team. Our lawyers have litigated and arbitrated issues involving real estate transactions, land use, and development approvals in venues near and far. These disputes have included premises liability claims, lease disputes, landlord-tenant actions, class actions arising out of the Americans with Disabilities Act and the Fair Housing Act, real estate foreclosure, and real estate tax appeals.
Our work also has included litigation of real estate purchase agreements, challenges to zoning laws and municipal approvals for real estate development, redevelopment, condemnation actions, affordable housing, builders’ remedies, title disputes, easement claims, challenges under the National Historic Preservation Act, and real estate financing actions, and much more.
For decades, our lawyers have represented the full range of construction, development and real estate industry professionals. We have represented some of the world’s largest companies and developers of office parks, shopping centers and residential developments; general contractors and subcontractors across the nation on large and medium-sized projects; architects and engineers designing public and private project improvements; national real estate and construction lenders; national title insurers handing complex real estate title and claims litigation; defendants in nationwide multi-district litigation involving mass construction product defect claims; and residential home owners who have embarked on large construction or renovation projects.
Unless they are well-defined, project roles can become unclear, which may result in uncertainty over parties’ legal responsibilities. Our experience in drafting and our documentation counsel can help avoid these issues.