Three Barnes and Thornburg Partners Named Fellows of Construction Lawyers Society of America

Three Barnes & Thornburg attorneys have been selected as Fellows of the Construction Lawyers Society of America (CLSA).

Clifford Shapiro and Greg Gistenson of the firm’s Chicago office and Scott Murphy of the Grand Rapids office were selected because of “a proven record of excellence and accomplishment in construction law at both the trial and appellate levels,” according to the CLSA.

The CLSA is an invitation-only association composed of preeminent lawyers concentrating their legal practices in construction law and related fields. Fellowship is limited and selective, and lawyers are nominated or selected may be in any discipline in the construction law arena, including contract specialization, negotiations, litigation, arbitration, appellate and/or surety law, but who have in addition superior ethical reputations.

Shapiro, chair of Barnes & Thornburg’s Construction Law Practice Group, has been involved in virtually every kind of claim or dispute related to a construction project, including claims for construction defect, extra work, delay, acceleration and/or disruption and design professional liability. In addition, Shapiro is a member of the American Arbitration Association's national roster of arbitrators for construction disputes, and he serves as a neutral mediator and arbitrator in connection with construction claims.

Murphy is vice-chair of the Construction Law group and concentrates his practice on business torts, contract disputes and securities fraud as well as shareholder oppression claims. A seasoned litigator, Murphy has experience in numerous forums, including state and federal courts, arbitration tribunals and appellate courts. His representative clients range from Fortune 500 companies, financial institutions, and municipalities to individual business owners, shareholders and investors.

Gistenson primarily represents public companies and closely held businesses in breach of contract and breach of warranty disputes, including construction and design defect cases, lien-priority disputes, and disputes governed by Articles 2 or 3 of the Uniform Commercial Code. He has represented general contractors, lenders, owners, and private-equity firms in cases involving retail sales centers, hotels, shopping malls, and residences through all phases of the dispute-resolution process.

The CLSA seeks a high level of diversity in its selection process. Fellows are generally at the partner or shareholder level, or are independent practitioners with recognized advanced status among their peers. The CLSA is dedicated to promoting superior advocacy and ethical standards in construction law and fostering a scholarly and advanced exchange of ideas in all practices related to the specialty.

With more than 600 attorneys and other legal professionals, Barnes & Thornburg is one of the largest law firms in the country. The firm serves clients worldwide from 14 offices in Atlanta, California, Chicago, Delaware, Indiana, Michigan, Minneapolis, Ohio, Texas and Washington, D.C.