Construction WHEN IT COUNTS

The timely resolution of a legal dispute can determine the success or failure of any construction project. So while we are more than prepared to go to court for you, we also understand your need to avoid a prolonged and costly lawsuit. We'll pursue any and all avenues to help you seek an early agreement on the best terms possible. Often, that means negotiating a favorable settlement on your behalf.

We often resolve construction claims through the use of alternative dispute resolution methods, and our attorneys serve as construction-related mediators and arbitrators. If litigation is the best course of action, we bring a strong track record and formidable resources into court with us.

As effective as we can be at resolving construction disputes, we prefer to help you stay out of them in the first place. As part of a comprehensive approach to meeting clients' needs, we help them assess risk and advise them on their rights, obligations and options.

There are important decisions to be made before a project breaks ground. We have extensive knowledge of construction financing options, and we can assist in obtaining tax-exempt financing through government programs for eligible projects. We often assist nonprofit organizations, such as colleges, universities, state and local governmental units, and hospitals and other healthcare providers in reducing their borrowing costs for capital projects through the issuance of tax-exempt bonds. Today, our construction practice is an acknowledged leader in handling environmental concerns directly affecting the construction industry, in areas such as storm water permitting and compliance, hazardous substance disposal and remediation, and wetlands permitting issues. We can advise you about many aspects of green building and can assist your design professionals in acquiring LEED certification.

In addition, our group provides advice on how best to pursue insurance coverage in the construction claim context and, when necessary, we litigate insurance claims on behalf of our construction industry clients against insurance companies. The Construction Law Group works closely with the firm's Insurance Recovery and Counseling Group to secure insurance coverage for owners, contractors and other parties to construction agreements and to represent them in disputes with their insurance companies.

We understand legal nuances of late notice provisions, the complexity of whether a claim involves covered property damage caused by an occurrence, and how to determine if potentially applicable policy exclusions or exceptions may apply. We often are able to obtain an insurance funded defense and/or settlement when construction defect claims are brought against our clients.