Business Services
Construction Law
The attorneys of Roetzel’s Construction Practice Group counsel construction industry clients across the nation concerning all phases and aspects of construction, including contract preparation, review and negotiation, licensing, procurement, construction lending, public-private partnerships (PPP), bid protests, construction liens, insurance related issues, environmental issues, condominium and homeowners associations, bond claims, delay claims, design professional liability, construction defect litigation and dispute resolution.
We create customized approaches to provide legal guidance through all phases of the construction process.
Our clients include project owners, developers, architects/engineers, construction managers, contractors, suppliers and sureties for public and private projects. Our attorneys take a proactive approach in developing an understanding of our clients’ businesses and their construction activities. As a result, we create customized approaches and provide legal guidance through all phases of the construction process and beyond.
We address our clients’ rights and obligations from the beginning of a project through the end and assist clients in making key decisions, such as creating the type of delivery method for the project, creating the dispute resolution process for the project, and crafting the bid and other contract documents. We implement standard AIA, ConsensusDOCS and EJCDC contracts or develop customized construction contracts that are clear and concise for all parties involved. After the contracts are executed and construction begins, we focus on what matters to the client by identifying, avoiding, and resolving issues and disputes as early as possible. We assist our clients in proactively managing risk in their construction business so that they can focus on completing projects and generating revenue, thus saving them time, money and reducing stress. We provide value by meeting with our clients concerning a project with appropriate frequency. We discuss ongoing issues, help identify potential problems, implement timely solutions, aid with compliance of contract requirements, minimize confrontation between project participants and recommend methods of resolving disputes without litigation or arbitration.
If litigation or arbitration is unavoidable, our construction attorneys are capable of representing clients in every legal forum, including federal and state courts, mediation, arbitration, administrative agencies and appeal boards. For the eighth consecutive year (2012-2019), Roetzel construction litigation attorneys received a National Tier ranking in Construction Law, a premier distinction on the Best Law Firms list, published by U.S. News & World Report in conjunction with Best Lawyers.® If the client chooses to engage in formal litigation, our legal team is prepared and qualified to prosecute or defend the client’s interest completely and efficiently.
Our attorneys are at the forefront of the evolving legal and regulatory framework which governs the construction industry. As a result, we possess in-depth knowledge of the legal issues affecting the industry. Our focused attention to construction law allows us to quickly advise clients of new developments which may affect their businesses. Many of our lawyers are leaders in the construction field who actively participate in construction industry groups, including the American Bar Association, Forum on Construction Law. These relationships provide us with opportunities to substantively contribute to the advancement of legislation concerning issues affecting our clients and the industry at large. For example, when badly needed public private partnership funding was needed for projects and fair competition warranted reigning in local project bidding preferences, Roetzel attorneys engaged in discussions with a state government which facilitated new legislation. When a state government undertook a thorough look at reforming its methods of construction, including the ways it selected contractors, established delivery systems and chose design professionals, Roetzel attorneys were deeply involved with the legislative process to develop modern systems to bring public construction into the 21st century. Involvement such as this enables us to provide our clients with a unique perspective, which can be invaluable to their businesses.
Our Experience
- Represent contractors, subcontractors and suppliers on claims for additional compensation, delay damages and other relief on public and private construction projects of all types and sizes.
- Represent large users of construction services on development of their contract documents, project delivery systems and work with the owner’s representatives during construction to minimize and mitigate problems during the project.
- Draft construction contracts for projects of all sizes and types such as buildings, roadways, bridges, tunnels, power plants and other types of projects throughout the United States.
- Represent large municipality in connection with underground tunnel projects and defense of claims, as well as assist municipality on legal issues associated with completion of the projects.
- Represent public library system in connection with its contract documents for multiple construction documents.
- Have drafted Public-Private Partnership Contract Documents.
- Have argued construction cases throughout the United States.
- Have defended many construction defect cases seeking damages in all amounts including amounts in excess of $50 million.
- Represent and defend bidders as well as owners on bid challenges to award of construction contracts.
- Provide ongoing construction counseling to owners, contractors, subcontractors, suppliers and design professionals on projects large and small.
- Serve as mediator and arbitrator on construction disputes.
What We Do
- Customize AIA documents to fit the needs of a specific project
- Draft construction contracts, subcontracts, general conditions and other front-end project documents
- Negotiate and draft labor agreements
- Provide project management consulting
- Assist in the selection of the best project delivery systems
- Develop insurance programs for a project
- Establish dispute resolution processes tailored to the project
- Resolve competitive bid disputes/protests
- Address LEED project certification
- Assist with construction licensing issues
- Resolve issues related to construction/mechanics’ liens, fraudulent liens, failure to apportion claims of lien, misappropriation of construction funds, payments by construction lenders and insurance proceeds
- Address issues related to Notices of Commencement, Notices of Furnishing, Notices to Owner, Claims of Lien, Contractor’s Affidavits, Sworn Statements of Account, Applications for Payment and Releases of Lien
- Prosecute and defend construction defect claims
- Prosecute and defend bond claims
- Prosecute and defend warranty claims
- Prosecute and defend claims for delay damages