The Legal 500

DLA Piper LLP’s construction practice handles work on an international and national platform, with 40 construction lawyers across the US alone. The well-connected team is experienced in representing clients throughout the construction process, acting for owners, contractors, design professionals and lenders, among others. Ross Altman, Robert Crewdson and Anthony Meagher, based in Chicago, Atlanta and Baltimore respectively, co-chair the US construction group, which has been active across government-funded projects, institutional developments and significant litigation cases. The firm is currently lead counsel representing The Port Authority of New York and New Jersey in the reconstruction of the World Trade Center site, including preparing and negotiating construction management, design and trade contracts. It is also working on cost-sharing agreements for the design and construction of other developments at the site, including three high-rise buildings and a transportation facility. The firm also represented affiliates of Johns Hopkins in disputes relating to the construction of a large research center for the National Institutes of Health on the Bayview medical campus in Baltimore, involving a significant claim by a large general contractor and claims by multiple subcontractors; the firm handled nine cases, including one appeal, and also advised the client on three separate federal government claims. In other litigation, the firm is representing a joint venture (between Heery International and a local Atlanta construction management firm, E R Mitchell Company) which is contracted by the DeKalb County School District in Georgia to oversee a $1bn school construction development. Following the client’s suspension from the project in 2006, the firm continues to handle claims brought by Heery/Mitchell against the school district for unpaid professionals, and will be defending the client, in the scheduled jury trial, against counterclaims from the school district, which include charges of billing fraud (estimated to be over $100m).

Holland & Knight LLP is highly regarded by clients for its ‘excellent service, very knowledgeable attorneys and prompt advice’; ‘all aspects of its service has been A+’. In offices nationwide, the team includes 29 full-time construction lawyers and more than 60 individuals with construction experience. The firm has a sound reputation for both transactional and contentious instructions, with a strong presence in Florida, Washington DC, New York, California, Illinois and Massachusetts. It acquired a number of well-known contractors as new clients in 2010, but also represents public and private owners, major construction companies and developers. ‘Excellent litigator’ Stephen Shapiro is currently representing an owner – the Dormitory Authority of the State of New York – in a complex dispute, scheduled for jury trial, involving approximately 20 parties; the client is pursuing a $40m claim for delay and impact damages against a general contractor and its surety over the construction of a cutting-edge ‘vertical campus’ in a major urban center. The surety also brought a $27m claim against the owner which was dismissed based on a motion for summary judgment filed by the firm. Recent transactional highlights include advising an international commercial contractor on licensing requirements for a $1bn public project. Andrew Stephenson chairs the construction group from the Washington DC office, which is well known for its experience in government contracts and compliance. Frederick Rohn and Ben Subin are also recommended.

The ‘top-notch and very knowledgeable’ lawyers at Jones Day are located in major financial hubs worldwide, while also providing terrific geographical coverage of the US, with construction lawyers based in California, New York, Washington DC, Illinois, Texas and Pennsylvania. In 2011, the firm took on a sizeable team of construction lawyers from Howrey LLP, including leading litigators Stephen O’Neal and David Buoncristiani in San Francisco and Andrew Ness in Washington DC. The newly expanded team provides ‘outstanding’ services in project financing, transactional matters, and disputes for an impressive list of public and private clients. While the firm has been engaged in many energy infrastructure and hospital developments of late, it has also been handling a significant amount of ongoing commercial construction matters, notably representing Madison Square Garden in a large-scale renovation to its legendary multi-purpose indoor arena in Manhattan. The firm also acted for the client in its previous reconstruction two decades ago. In the field of dispute resolution, the group brings together extensive trial experience, in both state and federal courts. It handles all types of construction disputes and claims from defective specifications and cumulative/delay impact claims to termination disputes, and violations of the state and federal False Claims Acts. The practice also has substantial experience in international arbitrations. Recent work includes defending a Sempra Energy affiliate, the owner of a recently completed liquefied natural gas regasification facility in Louisiana, in arbitration proceedings with joint venture EPC contractor Aker-Kvaerner/IHI, after it filed claims in both California and Texas for more than $200m in alleged damages for changes in regulations, delay and lost productivity. Key contacts at the firm include Daniel McMillan in Los Angeles and Roy Powell in Pittsburgh, who co-chair the global construction group; both are ‘excellent “go-to” lawyers’ who ‘work tirelessly to meet the needs of their clients’.

‘There are not many firms in the US that offer more in-depth expertise in construction litigation’ than Peckar & Abramson, which has ‘top-level knowledge in the field and vast national coverage’, despite having closed its Orlando and Fort Lauderdale offices in 2009 and 2010. The practice also recently saw four partner departures, but it continues to reap involvement on high-value transactions and disputes. The group spans eight offices nationwide and includes 78 full-time construction lawyers. Focused on representing general contractors, the firm has a well-connected national presence, active in New Jersey, New York, California, Washington DC and Chicago, while maintaining a strong Florida practice from Miami. The team is currently advising on the largest public-private partnership project in the US, involving a multibillion-dollar federal highway development in South Florida; Jerry Brodsky (who is originally from Peru and manages the firm’s Latin American practice group) and Melinda Gentile are leading the advice to a Spanish contractor on contract negotiations, project administration and claims avoidance and resolution. In New York, the practice is involved in a major arbitration before the ICC, representing a Canadian energy infrastructure company in a $120m construction dispute with a US contractor; the case relates to the building and operation of a 2,000-mile oil pipeline costing $12bn. Clients praise founding partner Robert Peckar, whose ‘knowledge and experience are second to none’. He and other lawyers in the practice have strong links with national construction committees; Peckar has been general counsel at the Construction Financial Management Association for over 25 years and is co-chair of the Construction Superconference. The ‘well-respected’ chairman and managing partner, Steven Charney and ‘top lawyer’ Stephen Reisman are also recommended, managing the firm’s New York and Florida practices respectively. The firm is currently focusing on the expansion of its corporate compliance practice, which works closely with the construction law group, and Thomas Curran recently joined the firm as a key driver of this initiative, with a background in compliance and white-collar crime work.

Watt, Tieder, Hoffar & Fitzgerald, LLP focuses solely on construction, design and engineering matters and is highly regarded for its expertise in litigation. The well-known boutique is praised for its ‘timely responses’ and ‘deep bench of professionals’. 2010 was an important year for the firm, as it expanded its practice with the opening of a new office in Seattle, extending its reach up the West Coast. Six attorneys were also recently promoted to partner level and two to of counsel. While the core of the team is situated in the McLean office, with 58 lawyers based there, its national capabilities are enhanced by offices in California and Nevada. The firm is representing Tishman Construction Corporation of Nevada in connection with the mixed-use CityCenter project in Las Vegas; CityCenter is the largest private construction project in the US and the firm is handling numerous issues relating to the client’s role as construction manager on the development. Other key clients include Howard S Wright Construction and Carpathia Hosting. The firm’s founding partners are well-respected construction attorneys and very well known in the industry. Clients also single out managing partner Michael Long, who ‘conducts himself with the highest degree of integrity on all matters. In addition, he will work tirelessly beyond normal working hours to meet his clients’ goals and objectives. He will go beyond the call of duty’. While the group has a strong focus on contentious work, Colin Smith, Jason Blatt and recently promoted partner Briana Becker Stolley are recommended for transactional instructions. The firm is also recognized for its experience in sureties, government contracts and insolvency.

Duane Morris LLP is active in the design, development, financing, performance and management of major construction and government procurement contracts across the US. Led by Robert Prentice, the national construction practice represents public and private owners, contractors, construction managers, equipment suppliers, design professionals, and sureties, with an extensive record on complex, high-visibility projects in New York and other cities. Prentice is highly regarded in the construction industry, with over 30 years of construction disputes experience. In addition to handling numerous litigation, arbitration and ADR cases, he is also currently special counsel for the Kennett School District, Unionville-Chadds Ford School District and the Chester County Intermediate Unit. His work in the education industry involves advising on construction-related issues and handling all types of construction administration, including architect agreements, contracts and bid packages. Edward Gentilcore is the vice-chair of the construction group and is recommended for his expertise in nationwide construction litigation, construction contracts, green building and mechanics’ lien matters. He has also handled various energy-related issues and is experienced in public contracting, procurement and bidding compliance matters.

Foley & Lardner LLP’s construction team handles all issues surrounding development processes, with attorneys based in numerous offices across the US. It has provided advice to almost 100 construction and design firms over the last 20 years in domestic and international contracts, finance, and dispute resolution. On the contentious side, the firm represented a large south-eastern US contractor specializing in reverse osmosis, water treatment and associated pipelines in a multimillion-dollar damages claim; the client’s case was based on project delays and lost labor productivity, and was successfully resolved in its favor in a pre-trial settlement.

With a strong reputation in transactional work as well as contentious issues, the firm recently represented a major construction company in negotiations concerning the takeover of a major public infrastructure project with a value exceeding $100m. The well-respected Jeffrey Blease, in San Diego, is the chair of the construction group, and has over 22 years’ experience in representing clients across the US in a wide range of industries. He successfully represented a national engineering firm in a $25m construction dispute involving more than 30 parties in the San Diego Superior Court; the case related to the 2006 renovation of a historic hotel in San Diego, in respect of which the owner asserted a negligence claim. The firm also assisted a flurry of new clients in 2010, including major banks, a publicly traded homebuilder and a large insurance company.

K&L Gates’ construction and engineering practice is ‘extremely capable and undoubtedly one of the largest construction groups in the country’. Since the firm’s acquisition of Chicago-based firm Bell Boyd & Lloyd in 2009, it has further expanded its US coverage and strengthened its Illinois presence, and the practice now includes 81 attorneys across 15 offices in the US. The firm handles the full spectrum of construction issues from contract negotiation and preparation through to disputes, with expertise in litigation, arbitration and ADR. Recent contentious work includes successfully defending a developer in arbitration against subcontractor claims for extra payment on a shopping center project in downtown San Francisco, and the firm has also become increasingly active in government contracts and alternative energy matters. Richard Paciaroni chairs the construction practice from the Pittsburgh office, and has over 24 years’ experience in the field. Since the recession, his team has seen an up-tick in bid protest work, and is notably representing a major US-based contractor in a bid protest over the construction of a $200m prison in Pennsylvania. Paciaroni is involved in transactional instructions as well as handling contentious issues; a large portion of his practice includes advising clients on the preparation of design and construction contracts. On the administrative side, the firm has recently been advising on developments including a $300m senior living campus, a $200m urban high-rise mixed-use project, a $140m hotel waterpark, and a general aviation airport including a flight terminal, control tower and runways.

The ‘practical and client-focused’ team at Kilpatrick Townsend & Stockton recently expanded its US reach through the firm’s merger with Oakland-based boutique Bell, Rosenberg & Hughes LLP in 2010, allowing entry into the Californian market; the addition of this group brought ten new construction specialists to the firm, five of them at partner level. With well-resourced offices elsewhere in Georgia, New York and North Carolina, the firm serves clients from a national platform and ‘ranks with the best’. The construction practice spans all areas of the industry, acting for public and private owners, general contractors, developers, design and engineering firms, contractors and sureties. It is handling a number of high-value matters across the US including advising the city of Atlanta on its $6bn airport expansion. Another big-ticket mandate comes from the state of South Carolina and the South Carolina State Ports Authority, in connection with an inter-governmental agreement (and future inter-state compact) with the state of Georgia and the Georgia Ports Authority; the contract encompasses a $5bn plan to develop and build a post-panamax marine services terminal at the mouth of the Savannah River. The firm also represents one of the nation’s largest healthcare providers, which regularly develops hospitals and medical and administrative offices from coast to coast, on both contentious and non-contentious matters; recent work includes a case concerning a new hospital development against a national and international general contractor and members of a design team, with the claims settled favorably after a series of mediations and negotiations and tens of millions of dollars recovered in damages. ‘Excellent trial attorney’ Brian Corgan is head of the construction and infrastructure group, and specializes in construction contracts, litigation and ADR. Randy Hafer is also recommended as ‘pragmatic and extremely experienced in handling disputes’, while Neal Sweeney is ‘an encyclopedia of construction law’.

Kenneth Roberts and Mark Friedlander co-chair the construction group at Schiff Hardin LLP, which combines decades of legal experience from lawyers with extensive backgrounds in the industry, whether in architecture, engineering or construction. The core team is based out of the Chicago office, assisting national and international clients throughout the US. Handling both litigation and transactions, the firm also maintains a strong emphasis on providing litigation-avoidance services, regularly facilitating arbitration or mediation as an alternative. Among a wide range of clients, from contractors and special contractors to owners and developers, the firm represents the likes of The Shaw Group, Exelon Corporation and Anixter. The ‘highly qualified’ team is heavily engaged in the energy sector (renewable and non-renewable) and worked on three wind farm projects in 2010 alone. It continued to assist Kansas City Power & Light, for the sixth year running, on a $2bn energy plan intended to meet the future energy, economic, and environmental needs of the greater Kansas City area; the project involves not only developing wind power but also constructing coal plants and applying environmental upgrades. Among a host of long-term energy projects which kept the team busy in 2010, the firm also continued to act for Constellation Energy providing project controls, oversight, and procurement services on a variety of nuclear, fossil, and alternative energy projects, including delivering advice throughout the building phase of Constellation’s $900m coal-powered generating station in Maryland, where the firm helped the client comply with the state’s healthy air legislation. Clients praise the group as bringing ‘invaluable breadth and depth to construction projects’, noting its ‘unmatched capabilities in the construction project controls arena’.

Seyfarth Shaw has a 50-lawyer national construction practice, in nine offices across the US. Clients appreciate the attorneys’ ‘tactically sound advice’ and their ability to work in unfamiliar jurisdictions; ‘they very quickly come up to speed on all local rules and issues’. The team handles large, complex projects from stadiums to infrastructure developments and power plants, working closely with colleagues in the firm’s 20-strong government contracts group, and has a strong litigation practice, successfully presenting cases before courts, dispute resolution boards and arbitration tribunals. In 2010 the firm prevailed in a high-profile foreclosure lawsuit in Chicago, acting for Bank of America; the team, made up of real estate, bankruptcy and construction lawyers, acted for the bank as leader of a group of lenders in a $207m case relating to a large-scale mixed-use development under construction in the Loop business district. While the firm is well known for its successes in litigation, it also has a very credible transactional practice, with the recent work including negotiating design and construction contracts for Houston’s $1.5bn Light Rail Project. The firm is also outside legal counsel to Fortune 500 company Host Hotels and Resorts, handling construction contracts for all of the client’s 120 properties, domestically and abroad. Highly regarded lawyers include Richard McKim Preston, who heads the Washington DC construction team. Clients also praise Bennett Greenberg, who is ‘outstanding in design-build contract negotiations’; and Steven Kmieciak, for his ‘very good grasp of federal government contracting issues’. Elsewhere, for California matters, Michael McKeeman is described as ‘an absolute pleasure to work with’; and in Boston, clients ‘wholeheartedly recommend’ Leah Rochwarg for her ‘zealous representation’.

Smith, Currie & Hancock LLP’s lawyers are ‘very much client advocates in their approach to work’. Described as ‘one of the best construction law firms’, it represents a wide variety of multinational corporations and Fortune 500 companies as well as smaller businesses, advising contractors, subcontractors, construction managers, owners, architects, engineers, sureties, insurance companies, suppliers, construction trade associations, lending institutions and real estate developers. The firm is strong on the contentious side, and also advises on non-contentious issues including contractual risk assessments, differing site conditions and project delivery systems. While the core of the team is based in Atlanta, where there are 46 resident attorneys, the firm also has a presence in Florida, Washington DC, North Carolina and Nevada. Recent work includes representing Continuum Company, the owner/developer of two high-rise condominium towers in Miami; each development is valued at $250m and the firm is handling multiple cases involving contractors and subcontractors. The ‘extremely timely and knowledgeable’ team reaps instructions from across the US and internationally, handling numerous disputes in 2010 arising out of energy projects, transportation infrastructure and commercial developments. Noteworthy clients include AECOM Technical Services, Clark Construction Group and McCarthy Building Companies. Ronald Robey is a key contact, and is well known for his work on government contracts and construction insurance disputes. The ‘outstanding’ Philip Beck is also recommended, as are William Ebert in Las Vegas, and Eric Nelson in Atlanta.

‘The service, quality and response time is second to none’ at Chicago-based Stein Ray LLP. The construction team has a national reputation and has represented clients such as AECOM, Clark Construction Group and Barclays on a wide range of matters, particularly on the contentious side. A ‘well-rounded boutique with excellent industry contacts’, it had a strong year in 2010, resolving disputes involving commercial projects in San Francisco, Denver, Arizona and Vermont. Acting for clients in the power industry is a key focus of the firm, with areas of experience including oil transmission, refining, power generation and distribution matters; recent work highlights include assisting the owners of two large power plants in managing design and construction issues. The team also handled a number of contentious hospitality matters in 2010, notably representing a lender in high-value litigation involving a hotel and spa project, and acting for a general contractor in the prosecution of claims arising from a hospitality project in the Southwest. Among the seven-partner team, Steven Stein attracts very high praise from clients, and the ‘smart and personable’ Stephen Ray is also well respected in the industry. Carl Popovsky is also recommended as ‘extremely knowledgeable and highly responsive’. Former name partner Robert Harris and leading lawyer Jeffrey Winick left the firm with two other partners and two associates in 2010, to open a new Chicago boutique, Harris Winick LLP.

Akerman Senterfitt’s construction practice works closely with the firm’s real estate group in handling both contentious and non-contentious aspects of construction projects. The team has a national reach and handles a wide range of instructions involving healthcare services, sports facilities, mixed-use developments, military housing, transportation, infrastructure projects and power generation facilities. The ‘willing and ready’ team includes seven core partners who practice construction law full time. Led by practice chair Jeffrey Gilmore, the team has a strong reputation in eastern states and ‘first-class business acumen and knowledge’. The team’s expertise extends beyond day-to-day construction issues to government contracts and environmental dredging projects, where the group is currently involved in one of the largest sediment remediation projects in the US. The firm also has a niche practice in the defense of defect cases involving Chinese drywall, with Stacy Bercun Bohm, who has ‘incomparable construction knowledge’, a key driver; she is currently representing Florida developers and a general contractor as lead counsel in multimillion-dollar class-action litigation filed by homeowners and condominium owners involving over 200 properties. Transactional highlights included acting for Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority on a $75m bus maintenance facility; the firm is assisting in the drafting and negotiation of a master development agreement and a design-build and construction co-ordination agreement for the project. Other noteworthy clients include Target Corporation, Jefferson Apartment Group and New World Symphony.

Allen Matkins Leck Gamble Mallory & Natsis LLP has seven offices across California handling litigation and transactional instructions. Co-chairs Raymond Buddie in San Francisco and Delmar Nehrenberg in Century City lead the construction practice. Their 23-attorney group is active representing well-known clients such as Lennar Communities and The Blackstone Group. It handles all aspects of public and private projects, assisting clients through every stage of development, from proposals, finance agreements and bidding documents through to resolving disputes via litigation, arbitration or mediation. Recent work highlights include acting for DPR Construction in its ongoing work for the University of California on the Mission Bay Medical Center, a $800m project still in the pre-construction phase; the firm has been representing the client in negotiations and bid protest actions. It has also been representing AIMCO, one of the largest owners and operators of apartment communities in the US, in relation to multiple redevelopment projects. Names to note, in addition to the group’s co-chairs, include the founding chair of the practice Kenneth Curtis and sustainable development expert Bryan Jackson.

Clients speak very highly of Carlton Fields, for both non-contentious matters and litigation. From offices in Florida and Georgia, the firm represents owners, general contractors, subcontractors and suppliers, homebuilders, condominium associations and sureties in relation to all types of developments. Luis Prats heads the construction litigation practice, and has extensive expertise in complex commercial disputes. He is also a key driver in a niche Chinese drywall practice, which is devoted to representing clients facing warranty claims and lawsuits arising from the use of imported drywall, and draws on the firm’s experience in environmental regulation, toxic torts, legislative and regulatory compliance, product liability, indemnity and class action representation. For transactional work, key contact George Meyer is well respected by rival firms and highly regarded by clients, with a practice including advising on design and construction contracts, condominium law, Florida construction lien law, and construction contract administration. The transactional team has worked on high-profile projects nationwide including Los Angeles International Airport, UCLA Medical Center and the Orlando Marriott and Ritz Carlton Grande Lakes resort. Recent work includes advising the construction manager in relation to the $500m Barclays Center Arena in Brooklyn, which is intended to serve as a new home for the National Basketball Association’s New Jersey Nets; the firm assisted the client on negotiating the design-build contract with the project developer in 2009, and has since worked with the construction manager in handling various contract administration matters.

California-based Cox, Castle & Nicholson operates from offices in Los Angeles, Orange County and San Francisco, representing owners, contractors, developers, public agencies and design professionals in a wide range of construction claims and contractual issues. Kenneth Williams heads the transactional practice, and has extensive expertise in the hospitality industry. Edward Quigley and Frederick Kranz are the key contacts for litigation, handling construction claims, insurance coverage disputes, and general commercial disputes. The firm has experience in building and infrastructure projects including hospitals, power plants, highways, refineries, schools, residential developments and high-rise office buildings. Ongoing work includes representing a major owner and developer of high-end condominium, town-homes and mixed-use projects in multimillion-dollar delay and disruption claims, which arose in six different projects across southern California. The firm is also handling other disputes that surfaced during the construction and closeout of these projects, including title issues, lender disputes, non-disclosure allegations, entitlement issues, easement disputes and DRE issues. On the transactional side, the team is handling a number of hotel construction projects in California, including the Four Seasons Hotel in Beverly Hills and the Ritz Carlton in Half Moon Bay. The firm has niche teams for development risk management (including Chinese drywall matters); construction industry labor relations and employee benefits; and foreclosure, workout and lender liability.

The construction law group at Faegre & Benson LLP in Minneapolis has lawyers with ‘unique skill-sets’ dedicated to representing owners, contractors, subcontractors, product suppliers and sureties. The 26-strong team delivers ‘very appropriate advice’, and is ‘very good value for money’. It is active in national instructions while also handling a substantial number of projects overseas. The team is active throughout the Midwest region, and recently represented a major US utility company in a multimillion-dollar case in Colorado arising from the construction of a power plant. Transactional highlights included advising on construction law issues and negotiating contracts relating to the CapX2020 $1.6bn power line project, involving several hundred miles of high-voltage power lines to run from North Dakota and South Dakota across Minnesota and into Wisconsin; the firm is advising the 11 utilities which own the project. William Joyce leads the construction practice and is highly regarded by both peers and clients. Other names to note are Timothy O Brien, Patrick O’Connor, and former practice head Peter Halls. Bernard Nodzon was made a partner in 2010; he is part of the business litigation group and focuses on construction, real estate and eminent domain litigation.

‘Top-flight’ firm Farella Braun & Martel LLP has a strong presence on the West Coast, where the principal construction team is based in San Francisco. The 18-strong group represents public and private owners, contractors, subcontractors, suppliers and design professionals throughout the US. Handling a wide range of instructions in the public sector, it assists clients through the construction process from contract negotiation and project consulting through to dispute resolution. During 2010, the firm advised in relation to a number of hospital projects, most notably Highland Hospital (representing the county of Alameda, California). This instruction involved developing the design-build project delivery system, drafting and negotiating contract documents and defending against a bid protest by the unsuccessful design-builder on a $460m expansion of the hospital campus; the design-build contract was awarded in late 2009 and work will be completed in 2017. Out of state, the firm is representing The Hokuli’a Community Association and the Club at Hokuli’a in Hawaii on claims brought against the developer and bond surety for a master planned community in Hawaii; the team is prosecuting claims against the developer after it allegedly failed to complete its work under development agreements, and claims against the bond surety, American Motorists Insurance Company. Other key clients include AECOM and McCarthy Building Companies. Richard Van Duzer became chair of the construction practice in 2010, taking over from Adam Dawson. Deborah Ballati is known as a ‘very, very strong construction lawyer’; she has over 34 years of litigation experience, and is noted for her expertise in construction-related insurance matters.

Based in Los Angeles and Las Vegas, Gibbs, Giden, Locher, Turner & Senet approaches projects with the ‘absolute highest level of service and the team’s advice is always excellent and very well presented’. The firm has a core practice in handling construction law and public contracts, and since its establishment in 1978 has built a solid reputation in the planning, building and closeout of construction projects. With over 25 lawyers practicing construction law full time and a further 15 with experience in the field, the team represents national and international clients in transactions, litigation and ADR. Recent successes include a significant case for the city of Victorville in California, in which Carter & Burgess (now owned by Jacob Engineering Group) filed a $106,000 lawsuit against the city relating to disputed invoices on the failed Foxborough power plant project; after a counterclaim by the client, several years of litigation came to an end in 2010 with a unanimous jury verdict against the engineering company, awarding the client $52m. The firm has a three-year-old construction law and green building team (‘Green Matters’), led by Theodore Senet and set up in response to the national focus on sustainable building practices. This sub-group comprises four lawyers, all of whom are LEED certified professionals, and includes managing partner Richard Wittbrodt. For transactional work, Barbara Gadbois is recommended; she is ‘a top-notch lawyer – extremely responsive and achieves excellent results’.

‘First-class firm’ Hanson Bridgett LLP expanded its construction practice in 2010, through the addition of nine attorneys from dissolved Sacramento-based firm McDonough Holland & Allen PC. The absorption of this group, in Sacramento, assists the San Francisco office in implementing national standards for integrated project delivery, sustainable project development, lean design and construction, and building information modeling. The firm has niche expertise in handling cutting-edge digital technology and construction innovation, attracting high-profile instructions from clients such as NASA. Recent work includes advising Sutter Health on its $6.5bn construction program, which includes hospital projects such as California Pacific Medical Center. The program is the first major use of integrated project delivery in the US. The integrated form of agreement (a multi-party contract) approach is built around lean design and construction principles and has become the benchmark for new healthcare construction and the model used by hospitals across the US. Other services provided by the firm on this program include contract drafting and dispute resolution. Howard Ashcraft recently took over as chair of the construction group, and is a ‘skilled negotiator and good conceptualizer’. Former chair of the practice Jeffrey Chu is also recommended, as is the ‘unbelievably efficient’ Lisa Dal Gallo, who was promoted to partner in January 2011. The team is applauded for its ‘high level of service and collegiality; they get back to you quickly, with humor and with ideas that move the issue forward’.

Holland & Hart LLP predominantly handles instructions in Colorado and Nevada, with a strong regulatory practice in Washington DC. The construction group includes more than 20 full-time lawyers and has a strong focus on contentious matters, handling multiple cases for engineering firms and design professionals, among others. The firm is representing a Fortune 100, multi-industrial company on various disputes across the US, relating to engineering and design issues, bidding disputes and performance contracts. Work highlights also include a number of cases relating to hospitality projects on the West Coast; it is notably handling complex contract litigation relating to the development and construction of a well-known hotel in California, defending claims brought by the general contractor against the owner. Practice head Kevin Bridston represents both plaintiffs and defendants in a variety of construction, real estate, and commercial cases. He has handled appeals before the Colorado Court of Appeals, the Colorado Supreme Court, and the Tenth Circuit Court of Appeals. Aside from Bridston, a key contact is David Zimmerman, in Salt Lake City. In June 2010, the highly regarded Daniel Frost left the firm to join Snell & Wilmer LLP. In the same month, another significant departure took place at the Denver office when former litigation practice chair Scott Barker, who has experience in handling contentious work in the construction industry, left for Wheeler Trigg O’Donnell LLP.

The expertise at Moye, O’Brien, O’Rourke, Pickert & Dillon, LLP is ‘simply unmatched’; for some it is ‘the strongest construction firm in Florida’. Construction is the firm’s key focus and although it operates out of a single office, in Maitland, it has a strong geographical reach. In 2010 alone, the six-partner team handled large-scale projects from Louisiana to California. Recent non-contentious matters include assisting the master developer in the procurement process and contract negotiations for the multibillion-dollar development of Airport City at Miami International Airport, consisting of a station for a light rail system, retail space, a cruise passenger lounge, two skybridge walkways, a new hotel, an energy center, and a medical center; the firm is advising on design, construction, financing, and operation of the mega-development. Elsewhere, the firm successfully settled an arbitration for a general contractor regarding the construction of a water treatment plant in New Mexico. A major international supplier brought the case based on costs it allegedly incurred procuring materials that were delivered to the project. James Moye is ‘the best in the business’ and ‘tireless in his work ethic’, and Stephen Pickert and Sean Dillon are ‘extremely dedicated, professional and knowledgeable’.

Sutherland Asbill & Brennan LLP assists clients from all segments of the construction industry, including owners, developers, construction managers, contractors and building materials firms. The construction team handles disputes and transactional work on a national level, and has a strong reputation on the East Coast. The 22-strong team of litigation attorneys also focuses on helping clients avoid or minimize disputes by providing on-site assistance and establishing procedures for scheduling, cost tracking, record keeping and claim notification. Recent work highlights include acting for contractor Dynalectric in a lawsuit for an eight-figure amount arising from the construction of the famous Wynn Hotel in Las Vegas. On the East Coast the firm is handling a significant case for Bovis Lend Lease in resolving disputes arising from the deconstruction of 130 Liberty Street; this was the site of the former Deutsche Bank building in downtown Manhattan, and was the last building to be removed from Ground Zero. Jennifer Fletcher heads the construction practice and is well respected by her peers. With over 25 years of experience, she has litigated in more than 20 states and is also skilled in handling arbitrations and mediations.

Thompson Hine LLP has a sizeable construction practice in the Midwest, with 19 full-time construction lawyers located in Cleveland, Columbus and Cincinnati, and approximately 20 additional lawyers located in New York, Washington, Atlanta and other offices handling some construction matters. While the majority of work is undertaken in Ohio, the team handles instructions for URS Corporation from coast to coast; the firm has recently been acting for the design firm on contentious issues across the US worth tens of millions of dollars. The team represents builders, developers, architects, contractors and design professionals, and reaps praise for its ‘excellent bench strength and top value for money’ and ‘high level of construction competence’. It handles transactions and litigation, and is also assisted by six full-time design and construction professionals in a subsidiary business, Project Management Consultants, which offers ADR services. Recent work highlights include acting as partnering facilitators/mediators on Ohio’s $20bn school rebuilding program, currently the largest school building project in the US; the team has been involved in this project for the last decade and it is expected to continue until 2015. The firm also has a strong litigation practice, and handled disputes over claims involving the construction of a major upland raw water reservoir project in Fremont. Jeffrey Appelbaum leads the construction practice and is described by clients as ‘a star’, with a strong success rate in handling disputes. Patrick Sweeney is also recommended, as ‘a top construction contract lawyer’.

Oakland-based Wulfsberg Reese Colvig & Firstman specializes in commercial matters in the fields of construction, real estate, land use and litigation. Maintaining a strong reputation on the West Coast, it represents private and public entities in both moderate-sized developments and mega-projects, including airports, power plants, shopping malls and hospitals. The 15-lawyer construction team is ‘extraordinarily well-versed in construction litigation matters, very well prepared, and persuasive in discussing issues with the opposing party’. Recent work includes assisting a joint venture between multiple international EPC construction firms on numerous lawsuits and arbitration proceedings arising out of the construction of a private toll road and public highway connector system in San Diego. This high-profile dispute involves over 30 claims pending at the San Diego Superior Court and more than 40 claims presented to the Judicial Arbitration and Mediation Service. The claims total over $1bn and involve many issues including responsibility for delay, disruption and loss of productivity. While the firm is better known for its dispute resolution work, it also has a strong transactional practice. The team is advising a national healthcare facility provider on contract negotiations for the large-scale construction of new hospitals and medical centers throughout the US, notably a $1.4bn hospital facility in northern California. The name partners at the firm are highly regarded in the industry, in particular James Wulfsberg, who has an outstanding track record in litigation and attracts very high praise from clients. Stephen Cali is noted as ‘excellent on the contractual side and a very good negotiator’.

The ‘attentive, competent and extremely knowledgeable’ attorneys at Zetlin & De Chiara LLP serve as general counsel to numerous design and construction companies, assisting in all facets of the construction process from drafting and negotiating contracts to advising on risk management, and litigating when necessary. The 22-strong boutique is highly regarded in New York, and has three other offices nationwide. The team includes several LEED AP certified lawyers, and represents architects, developers, lenders, owners, engineers and contractors in both non-contentious and contentious matters. Founding partners Michael Zetlin and Michael De Chiara co-chair the team and are well respected among rival firms. Focusing on disputes and serving as an arbitrator at the American Arbitration Association, Zetlin is ‘a great lawyer who delivers mature advice’. His recent engagements include representing a developer in a multimillion-dollar dispute with a construction manager which arose during the development of a large condominium project. De Chiara is also a strong litigator, who also advises clients on contractual issues, financial affairs and general business matters. He has ‘excellent industry knowledge and connections’, and recently worked on matters relating to the World Trade Center area, including numerous cases for a world-renowned architect and a well-known engineering firm. He is also advising on the construction of a memorial project at the site.

Houston-based Andrews Myers Coulter & Hayes handles construction work across Texas, with additional strengths in commercial real estate, corporate transactions and business litigation. The lawyers, many of whom have over 20 years practice in the industry, advise construction contractors and real estate developers among a diverse client base, and handle a wide range of project types, including airports, condominiums, highways, pipelines and power plants. William Andrews focuses on construction-related claims, lawsuits, mediations and arbitrations, while Thomas Myers’ expertise spans transactions, insurance, risk management, surety workouts, litigation and arbitrations. In March 2010, the firm established a labor and employment practice to provide a more comprehensive service to its construction clients. The formation of this group saw the arrival of Anthony Stergio, who is a noteworthy litigator and member of the construction law section of the Texas Bar.

Arent Fox LLP’s construction group consists of 12 lawyers nationally, with the core practice in New York. The firm handles project documentation, litigation and contract administration, delivering ‘on-the-mark advice’ to a variety of clients including owners, developers and contractors. Clients assess the overall level of service as ‘outstanding’, and the lawyers’ industry knowledge as ‘superior to many legal practices’. The firm was selected by the New York Yankees to handle the construction contracts and supply agreements for the new Yankee Stadium; recent work on the $2bn project includes drafting and negotiating contracts, assisting on developing the contractor-controlled insurance program, and advising on claim issues. Eugene Scheiman and James Frankel co-chair the New York construction team. Scheiman is valued for his ‘practical and responsive’ service in litigation, ADR and business advisory services, while Frankel is recognized for his advice on front-end project structuring, transactional documentation, risk transfer and dispute resolution among other construction-related issues; he is recommended for his ‘in-depth knowledge and expertise’, and is ‘more than a lawyer, he is a trusted adviser’.

The construction group at Ballard Spahr LLP consists of 28 attorneys firmwide, primarily working out of the Philadephia and Baltimore offices. The team is closely linked with the firm’s real estate, environmental, litigation, business and finance, and labor groups across the US, assisting clients with construction-related issues involving contracts and litigation; it has ‘vast knowledge in the areas of design and construction and is always able to pull in specialized expertise when necessary’. The firm recently played a major role in completing the lease and construction documents associated with the new 1.5 million sq ft National Nuclear Security Campus for the National Nuclear Security Administration in Kansas City, and the client, CGA Capital Corporation, instructed the firm on a number of other issues relating to this high-value development, including financing, environmental due diligence and real estate matters. The project is expected to be valued close to $5bn and is one of the largest public-private projects ever undertaken by the US General Services Administration. Joint practice heads Mark DePillis and Alan Ritterband are ‘talented and enjoyable to work with’. Carl Roberts is also recommended, for his expertise in ADR and experience in litigating in federal and state courts.

Becker & Poliakoff, P.A. represent clients in both transactions and disputes, on projects ranging from single and multi-family residences to large commercial buildings, planned unit developments, and retail, industrial and government projects. With an ‘outstanding’ practice, ‘particularly in meshing the legal issues of construction and condominiums’, the firm handles construction instructions from its Florida offices, and has specialisms including procurement and lien law. In 2010, the firm acquired new client Carnival Corporation, the leading cruise line company, and advised it on various construction and design claims associated with the construction of the new port facility in Roatan, Honduras. Other recent work includes representing the owner of a multi-family commercial apartment complex in Tampa, Florida on construction deficiency claims against the original contractors, design professionals, subcontractors and suppliers. Of the 17-strong construction practice, 13 attorneys are board certified by the Florida Bar. Chair of the group Steven Lesser is recommended alongside Sanjay Kurian; both have substantial experience in the field of construction and have represented owners, developers, contractors, design professionals, and government entities. Other clients of the firm have included DHL, Commerce Bank and Duty Free Americas.

The services provided by Bricker & Eckler LLP are ‘worth every penny spent’. The ‘highly professional yet very pleasant-to-deal-with’ lawyers handle a large amount of public construction work, particularly relating to highway infrastructure and the healthcare industry in Ohio. The team of ten construction attorneys maintains strong connections to the Ohio School Facilities Commission (a multibillion-dollar school classroom facilities program); it represents school districts funded by the initiative, for which it has acted on over 60 projects, advising on a wide range of issues including funding, bidding, contracting, mediation and litigation. Recent work highlights include representing Metropolitan Sewer District of Greater Cincinnati on a number of issues; most recently the team prevailed in a bid dispute over a $6.5m construction contract, which was part of a $2bn public works program. The ‘outstanding’ Jack Rosati leads the construction practice and handles bid disputes, consultation of specifications, construction litigation and insurance coverage issues. Former chair of the group Michael Holman is also recommended, while at associate level, Douglas Shevelow is a noteworthy lawyer who focuses on infrastructure developments; he ‘easily grasps the issue in play and has a strong systematic approach’.

Canterbury Elder Gooch Surratt Shapiro & Stein P.C. specializes in serving the needs of construction clients in Texas. Since 1981, the boutique firm has been resolving disputes and handling transactional work for general contractors, subcontractors, owners, sureties, and construction industry trade associations. Areas of expertise include negotiating and drafting contracts, lien claims, bond claims and bid protests. Founding shareholder Joseph Canterbury is recommended for his expertise in construction, and has represented numerous clients in litigation and arbitration proceedings. David Surratt is also a key contact for dispute resolution, with a focus on mechanics’ liens.

Texas and Louisiana-based Coats Rose Yale Ryman Lee provides an ‘exceptional level of service’. Specializing in the areas of construction, sureties, real estate, litigation, public finance, affordable housing, labor and employment, insurance and government relations, the lawyers are ‘highly responsive and always available to discuss matters’. The firm’s principal office is in Houston, with four other well-resourced offices across Texas. In 2010, the firm gained the city of Sugar Land as a new client. It instructed the group on design-build issues relating to a $25m minor league baseball stadium, involving construction contracts, risk management analysis, program development, bond forms and associated infrastructure. A recent success in litigation was for the Houston Independent School District against a surety which refused to perform and claimed the work could not be completed on time; the team assisted the client in structuring a method to complete the work and recovered 95% of its multimillion-dollar damages claim. Key contacts at the firm are Michael Burnett and Patrick Gaas, who lead the construction practice. In May 2010, William Coats passed away; he was a member of the firm’s executive committee and former head of the 31-strong construction/surety group.

Cokinos, Bosien & Young handles transactional and litigation matters for clients across the industry, with offices in Houston, San Antonio and Dallas. The firm represents parties including owner/developers, general contractors, project managers, design professionals, subcontractors, material and equipment suppliers, sureties, insurance companies, and lenders. Recommended lawyers are Gregory Cokinos in Houston and San Antonio-based Stanley Curry. Cokinos has 28 years of litigation experience but also maintains a strong focus on contract negotiations, while Curry is highly regarded for his work across construction, environment, employment, and general civil litigation. In 2010 Courtney McKendrick, senior counsel in the San Antonio office, was elected as chair of the construction law section of the San Antonio Bar Association.

The ‘responsive’ construction team at Dorsey & Whitney LLP is ‘very well connected in the legal community, which is an asset to multi-party litigation negotiations’. It specializes in large-scale construction litigation and construction insurance, handling projects in a variety of sectors including energy, agriculture, healthcare and real estate. Recent instructions have come from Deltak (a subsidiary of Global Power), Enclos Corporation and new client Aker Solutions. In 2010 the firm successfully defended URS Corporation in around 120 separate lawsuits arising out of the 35W Bridge collapse in August 2007; the litigation (which totalled close to $500m) related to the contract between URS Corporation and the Minnesota Department of Transportation, involving the client’s ongoing fatigue study of the bridge at the time of the collapse. Co-head of the construction and design practice Jocelyn Knoll is recommended for her experience in handling both contentious and non-contentious mandates. She has an ‘excellent grasp of construction law issues and is very well organized’.

Clients praise the lawyers at Frost Brown Todd LLC as being ‘highly competent and reacting in an extremely timely fashion, with accurate and appropriate actions and recommendations’. The firm acts for owners, designers and sureties, while maintaining a strong focus on the representation of contractors. In 2010 the firm welcomed new associate Amanda Earl to practice construction law in the litigation department of the Cincinnati office. With construction lawyers located across Ohio, Indiana, Kentucky and Tennessee, the team is well resourced and provides advice on risk management, insurance and contract negotiation, as well as handling a wide range of disputes and claims. Recent headline work includes advising Louisville Arena Authority on the construction of the KFC Yum! Center, a 22,000-seat basketball and multi-purpose arena that opened in October 2010, on the Ohio River Waterfront; the team was involved in various aspects of the project, including government relations, construction dispute resolution and environmental issues. Other representative clients include Turner Construction Company, Baker Concrete Construction, Bowen Engineering and Ben Hur Construction. Scott Gurney is chairman of the construction practice and ‘knows the industry inside out’. John Higgins is also recommended, for his experience in construction litigation, and is ‘extremely competent and highly professional’; he has litigated across numerous US states and has argued cases in 64 of Ohio’s 88 counties.

The 50-strong construction litigation practice at Greenberg Traurig LLP consists of lawyers in 17 offices across the US. Part of a full-service law firm, the team is well equipped to handle every aspect of the construction process, including governmental, taxation, labor and employment, project finance, environmental/regulatory, bankruptcy, intellectual property and real estate matters. It represents designers, developers, construction teams, consultants and commissioning professionals, and maintains a strong green building practice. Orlando-based Michael Hornreich and Jeffrey Walsh in Phoenix co-chair the construction litigation practice and are highly regarded by peers and clients alike. For transactional work, James Miller is recommended; his extensive background in technology has led him to handling instructions involving design and construction contracts and advising on project delivery techniques for owners and contractors. Work undertaken by the firm in 2010 included representing several homebuilders in dozens of lawsuits and pre-suit claims involving allegedly defective Chinese drywall. The firm serves as lead counsel for the Homebuilders’ Steering Committee and as an active member of the Defense Steering Committee, and has defended more than 50 homeowner lawsuits in state courts throughout Florida.

King & Spalding LLP’s construction practice handles both national and international instructions from its offices in Atlanta, Austin, Houston, New York and San Francisco. The team consists of over 40 lawyers and is noted for its ‘broad expertise and excellent knowledge of construction’. Assisting clients through the entire development process, it is adept in both transactions and litigation. While the firm has a strong focus on global development, there are a number of projects keeping the firm busy in the US, particularly in the areas of energy infrastructure and mining. It is acting for Cheniere Energy in the drafting and negotiation of agreements for the addition of liquefaction services at an LNG facility in Louisiana; this high-value project, the first of its kind in continental US, will involve the construction of a bi-directional facility capable of liquefying and exporting natural gas, and will also import and regasify foreign-sourced LNG. On the litigation side, the firm successfully represented COMMISA, a wholly owned subsidiary of KBR, in an ICC arbitration; the tribunal granted $350m to the client (nearly all the claims at the requested amounts) in relation to the performance of a contract to design, fabricate, install and commission offshore a compressor platform and gas treatment platform for PEMEX Exploratión y Producción, a subsidiary of Mexico’s national oil company. The ‘loyal, honest and competent’ Scott Greer is a key contact, and leads the firm’s worldwide construction transactions practice.

Pillsbury Winthrop Shaw Pittman LLP substantially strengthened its construction offering in 2011, through the absorption of a group of lawyers from the dissolved Howrey LLP. Among the arrivals were the ‘exceptional’ John Heisse in San Francisco (former co-chair of construction at Howrey LLP) and the ‘very strong’ David Dekker in Washington DC. The team handles both contentious and non-contentious matters, representing owners, developers, engineers, general contractors, investors, design professionals, financial institutions and vendors, domestically and abroad. In disputes, the lawyers’ experience covers mediation, arbitration and litigation at all stages of the construction process. On the transactional side, the firm has advised on many of the country’s major construction projects, including San Francisco’s state-of-the-art baseball stadium. For advice on construction agreements, Scott Barat is the key contact, based in the firm’s McClean office.

Houston-based Porter Hedges LLP has expertise in insurance, transactions and disputes, handling complex development projects and representing clients in national and international arbitration. The firm has ‘a thorough knowledge of the construction industry in Texas’, and is praised as being ‘easy to work with’ and ‘well able to handle anything thrown at it’. David Peden, who provides an ‘outstanding level of service’, leads the 17-attorney construction group. He has extensive experience in litigation and arbitration of construction, insurance, surety and commercial issues. Allison Snyder is also highly regarded. She continues to assist Bechtel Corporation, in relation to contracts for the construction of large power plants and oil production facilities, and also advises various contractors and handles numerous disputes. Her ‘in-depth experience, tactical acumen and understanding of the construction industry are without parallel’. John Hawkins, Cynthia Holub and Denise Nestel are also recommended. Further clients of the firm include the city of Houston, Miner-Dederick Constructors and ICI Construction.

Sheppard, Mullin, Richter & Hampton LLP is recognized for its construction law advice and litigation on the West Coast. Typical instructions include negotiating and drafting contracts; advising on issues relating to California mechanics’ lien law; and handling construction disputes via arbitration, mediation and litigation. The attorneys are ‘very good’ and are appreciated for ‘taking the time to understand business issues’. The firm recently advised international resort developer Baha Mar Development Company on a $2bn resort in the Bahamas; the instruction involved advising on construction management, insurance coverage requirements and contractual matters. On the contentious side, the firm successfully represented Washington Group International (now the Washington division of URS Corporation) and its joint venture partner on claims brought by the owner arising from the turnkey design and construction of the Los Angeles to Pasadena light rail line. Hal Hamersmith and practice chair John Yacovelle are recommended.

Vienna-based boutique Smith Pachter McWhorter is well known for managing all facets of the construction process, from contract negotiation to dispute resolution, alongside a focus on dispute avoidance. Clients have included a wide variety of public and private owners, general contractors, EPC contractors, architects and engineers, equipment manufacturers and sureties. Concentrating exclusively on construction and government contracts, the firm has worked on some high-profile projects nationwide, notably Cape Canaveral’s Launch Complex 40 in Florida and the West Dam at Diamond Valley Lake Reservoir in California. Richard Smith is a key contact at the firm; he serves as a mediator and arbitrator, and handles a range of contract claims. Val McWhorter is also very well versed in construction law, with 30 years’ experience in the field.

The ‘highly knowledgeable and efficient representation’ provided by Vedder Price is ‘among the best in central America’. The 19-attorney construction team works very closely with the firm’s labor and employment and real estate groups, handling both litigation and transactions out of Chicago and New York. Recent work includes acting for Scheck Industrial Corporation in the prosecution of a $51m mechanics’ lien foreclosure action and breach of contract claims relating to boiler modification work at the Duck Creek Power Plant owned by Ameren Energy Resources Generating Company in Canton, Illinois. While the firm is known for its focus on construction litigation, the lawyers also draft complex EPC contracts, encourage litigation avoidance and advise clients in the energy and manufacturing industries. Practice chair Karen Layng is a ‘highly competent litigator, ranking among the top attorneys in the construction arena’, and Richard Pearse is also recommended, for his expertise in domestic and international infrastructure development and finance.

Winston & Strawn LLP has strong geographical coverage of the East Coast, handling instructions in Connecticut, New York, Massachusetts, New Jersey and Washington DC. In addition to preparing and defending construction claims, the team develops and negotiates contracts and handles project financing, bid protests and other matters surrounding the construction process. Able to respond with ‘great alacrity and agility’, the construction lawyers represent owners, contractors, design firms and sureties. The firm recently settled a case through ADR for a commercial nuclear utility; led by the ‘very knowledgeable’ Peter D’Ambrosio, the $400m default termination dispute related to a $1.2bn commercial nuclear plant decommissioning project. D’Ambrosio co-chairs the construction practice alongside David Romm in Washington DC and the ‘excellent’ Jeffrey Rosenstein in New York.

Austin-based boutique Allensworth & Porter has a team of ten attorneys, primarily representing clients in construction disputes. The firm is experienced in arbitration and litigation before state and federal courts, and also in drafting and negotiating construction documents. Founder of the firm William Allensworth is a noted litigator and has handled around 50 cases before Texas state and federal courts. Winston Wade Porter is also recommended; with over 20 years of experience in construction law, he represents clients in commercial, administrative, and professional malpractice defense matters. The firm also has a niche practice in professional liability, which defends architects, engineers and other design professionals.

Clients declare the ‘utmost confidence’ in Bracewell & Giuliani LLP, which represents a range of participants in the construction industry including contractors, engineers and architects, owners, developers, and remodeling facilities such as school districts and other public entities. The construction group ‘always keeps clients’ best interests foremost in its actions’, and is well regarded for construction defect cases, handling large and complex litigation in the US and internationally. Although the firm’s principal practice is from its various offices in Texas, it also acts for clients on a national level. Recent work includes a pending lawsuit relating to claims of alleged product and construction defects in various developments in Oklahoma and Florida; the firm is defending metal product manufacturer NCI Group in a multimillion-dollar case brought by self-storage facility provider Cannon Storage Systems over an allegedly defective roofing product. Clients praise Annalyn Smith for her ‘extensive knowledge of construction defect law’, and Phillip Sampson for his ‘great trial preparation and presentation’.

Bryan Cave LLP’s construction team advises clients from project conception to completion, advising on contracts and handling disputes. The firm continues to represent MEMC Electronic Materials, the global supplier of silicon wafers, in its construction projects domestically and abroad; the team has handled a number of expansion projects for the client and recently advised on the development of a new headquarters building in St Peters, Missouri. Other ongoing transactional work includes representing a large national retailer in relation to a variety of US constructions and related contract administration. Key attorneys include Steven Becker, who specializes in transactions, and JD Moore, who is a strong litigator with experience in the procurement and sale of construction services.

Praised for its dedication to construction and real estate law, Fabyanske Westra Hart Thomson has handled a wide variety of disputes and contractual issues for clients such as Hoffman Construction, Hunt Electric Corporation and Siemens Transportation Systems. Its lawyers have litigated in 49 states, but the firm maintains a strong focus on its home city of Minneapolis, representing clients on well-known projects in the area; examples have included Symphony Place, Mall of America and Minneapolis Convention Center. In 2010, Aaron Dean and Matthew Collins were elected officers of the Construction Law Section of the Minnesota State Bar Association, as vice-chair and secretary respectively. Martin Fabyanske and Dean Thomson are also recommended.

Boutique firm Ford, Nassen & Baldwin is dedicated to assisting clients across the construction industry spectrum, with strong practices in public procurement and sureties. The firm advises general contractors, subcontractors, owners and government entities on matters such as the negotiation and drafting of contracts, and construction disputes. The name partners are well known in Texas, in particular shareholder George Baldwin, who is recommended for his experience in disputes and in all phases of the public contracting process. Representative clients of the firm have included the city of Dallas, The Beck Group, Berger Construction and InfrastruX Group.

The construction practice at Jenner & Block LLP brings together lawyers in the firm’s national litigation department, across Chicago, New York, Washington DC and Los Angeles. The bulk of the firm’s construction work comes from the Midwest area, particularly Chicago, where it handles mechanics’ lien claims and construction defect cases as well as providing advice on non-contentious issues such as contract bidding and negotiation. Recent work includes acting for the University of Illinois in several multimillion-dollar lawsuits, settled favorably in 2010; the cases involved claims for construction and design defects in two student residence buildings, and for installation of defective concrete in a University multi-level conference center. Practice head Joseph Bisceglia is praised for his ‘exceptional in-depth knowledge of the construction industry and many years of experience’.

Kirkland & Ellis LLP represents developers, contractors, architects and engineers throughout the US and internationally. With a strong presence in Chicago and Washington DC, the construction practice is supported by further offices in New York and California. Recent work includes defending a case for Verizon in mass tort litigation based on claims brought by workers who performed repair, clean-up and other work to buildings damaged in lower Manhattan following the September 11 terror attacks; the case is estimated to be the largest pending mass tort litigation in the US, with thousands of cases filed against hundreds of defendants having been consolidated in the US District Court for the southern district of New York. A key contact for the firm is James Nowacki, a senior trial partner who handles national commercial litigation. His practice includes construction litigation relating to transportation, office building and manufacturing projects, as well as professional liability litigation involving architects and engineers, among others.

McCarter & English, LLP’s construction practice consists of 12 attorneys who practice construction law full-time, handling mandates primarily in the Northeast. The lawyers work closely with the firm’s real estate and environmental practice, which is comprised of 32 additional lawyers. Key contacts are Mary Jane Augustine and Robert Rubin. Augustine is the managing partner of the New York office and is LEED accredited, knowledgeable in the field of green building requirements, practices and procedures. Her focus is on transactions, including structuring the design and construction aspects of projects, and handling a wide variety of construction contracts. Rubin is better known for construction litigation, representing public and private owners, developers, institutions, sureties, project managers, construction managers, general contractors, designers and trade contractors. As well as litigating, Rubin also has substantial experience in ADR.

McKenna Long & Aldridge LLP primarily handles construction work out of its San Diego office and is bolstered by a strong presence in Atlanta. The firm handles all aspects of federal and state public projects, as well as commercial and private work for a variety of clients. The firm expanded in 2009 through the absorption of real estate and litigation lawyers from Brown Winfield Canzoneri Abram Inc, who now work closely with the construction team. Mark Budwig heads the construction group, and has focused on construction litigation for more than 20 years, representing design professionals, contractors, subcontractors and owners. In 2010, he successfully defended San Diego County Water Authority in $20m worth of claims asserted by a design-build contractor relating to the construction the $100m Twin Oaks Valley Water Treatment Plant. Penny Pittman Cobey is recommended for her expertise in public-private partnerships and transactional construction matters.

Monteleone & McCrory’s 15-lawyer team has strong expertise in construction law and construction defect litigation. Headquartered in Los Angeles with an additional office in Orange Country, the firm is well regarded on the West Coast. Although it represents numerous large general contractors, its client list also includes a variety of subcontractors, suppliers, architects, engineers, construction managers, developers, owners and public agencies. Headline projects for the firm have included the BART system in the San Francisco area, the Washington DC subway system, the Chicago Deep Tunnels project and the Tom Bradley International Terminal at Los Angeles International Airport. More recently the firm has represented many of the prime contractors involved in building the subway tunnels and stations (Red Line) and above-ground rail system (Green Line) for the Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority. Los Angeles-based Patrick Duffy is a noteworthy lawyer, specializing in heavy engineering construction law.

Schottenstein Zox & Dunn Co., LPA typically handles instructions for contractors, subcontractors, owners and design professionals in Ohio, while undertaking some federal work out of state. Recent work highlights include representing a general contractor in a series of lawsuits arising from claimed construction defects on seven condominium projects in two states; the lawsuits involve more than 50 parties and include claims for damages in excess of $50m. Adept at handling transactional work as well as disputes, the team is also advising an alternative energy contractor on the construction of pilot projects for the commercial use of active and passive solar energy in the agriculture industry. The ‘excellent’ construction group delivers in a ‘timely manner’, and is co-ordinated by Michael Tarullo, who demonstrates ‘exemplary leadership skills’. Hansel Rhee is also a noted practitioner.

‘Top-notch’ firm Vinson & Elkins L.L.P. has a strong presence in Texas, with a primary focus on projects in the energy sector. The team consists of trial and arbitration lawyers with significant construction experience, and transactional attorneys who prepare construction contracts. Work highlights included successfully winning a case for EPC company Fluor Corporation and one of its engineers in an appeal against a Beaumont trial court judgment which awarded $100m in damages against the client; Beaumont Court of Appeals reversed the judgment, remanding the case for a retrial. Other construction clients include Bechtel Corporation, NRG Energy and The Port of Houston Authority. The practice is led by Ferguson McNiel, who has more than 30 years of broad litigation experience. Also of note is the ‘deal-savvy’ Karen Leigh Tucker White, who advises on contentious and non-contentious construction issues. Clients describe her as ‘very experienced and in the know’