INDUSTRIES & PRACTICES

work ahead

Construction Litigation
BUILDING CASES FOR OVER 100 YEARS.

Overview

Construction projects are fertile breeding grounds for disputes and conflicting claims often arise between the many parties involved in any given undertaking. Our Construction Litigation team has extensive experience in resolving the full range of claims that can arise before, during and after construction projects.

We have tried many cases to verdict and have obtained favorable and cost-effective settlements in hundreds of matters through early neutral evaluation, mediation and private and court-assisted arbitration.

Our highly experienced lawyers frequently write, speak and comment on construction and construction litigation issues. We know that construction projects can be enormously complex and risk-prone undertakings and that, to be effective, attorneys representing participants in the construction industry have to, as our attorneys do, understand their unique customs and jargon.

Subject Matter Expertise + -
Global Reach + -

Experience

Representative Matters
Whether a case involves a single plaintiff or a class action, a courtroom or arbitration, our Construction Litigation group can represent clients on a cost-effective basis. A small sample of the cases we have tried includes:

  • In re Longview Power LLC. We represented Kvaerner North America in AAA arbitration proceedings, state court and bankruptcy proceedings concerning design, delay and defect claims totaling approximately $1 billion arising out of the construction of a super-critical coal fired power facility.
  • In re 35W Bridge Collapse: We represented URS Corp. in more than 120 wrongful death and personal injury lawsuits brought by individuals and a breach of contract claim brought by the State of Minnesota following the collapse of an interstate highway bridge in Minneapolis. The case settled on terms favorable to our client.
  • Bronx Criminal Courthouse Litigation. We defended a contractor hired to provide the curtain wall system in the Bronx Criminal Courthouse in complex construction defect and delay litigation involving over 40 parties and alleged damages in excess of $500 million; case settled with the owner of the property dismissing its $120 million claim against our client and agreeing to a favorable settlement.
  • Christian Crockett, LLC – Vessel Development Project. We served as counsel to Christian Crockett, LLC in connection with the Vessel Bar development project in the historic 1926 Skinner Building in downtown Seattle and assisted them in swiftly resolving all permitting issues.
  • Aker Kvaerner | IHI v. Bay, Ltd. We represented an EPC contractor in a AAA arbitration with a major subcontractor in a dispute related to the construction of a liquid natural gas facility. The amount in controversy included claims by a subcontractor in excess of $25 million. The case was presented to a panel of three AAA arbitrators in Houston over a period of 28 hearing days, and we obtained a successful result for our clients
  • Gulf of Mexico Litigation. We represented a multinational Engineering, Procurement and Construction contractor with respect to multiple disputes on an energy project in the Gulf of Mexico that arose out of a series of hurricanes, a significant change in scope and a change in federal regulations. Our client made claims against the project owner in the hundreds of millions of dollars and we handled a mediation that successfully resolved the largest portions of the case.
  • In re Mission Critical Data Center I. We served as lead trial counsel for national design-builder in a jury trial arising out of the design, construction and expansion of a data center for a Fortune 50 company. Through a combination of settlement proceeds, the jury’s apportionment of fault among the parties and the design-builder’s own coverage, the design-builder was made whole.  

Accolades

Best Lawyers

2022 Lawyer of the Year, Jocelyn Knoll, Minneapolis-Litigation-Construction, Best Lawyers

Chambers Leading Construction Practice 2023

Chambers USA Leading Litigators 2023

Chambers Leading Lawyers 2023

American College of Trial Lawyers-3 Attorney Members 2019

US News Best Lawyers 2017 Top Real Estate Litigation Law Firm

US News Best Lawyers 2017 Top Environmental Litigation Law Firm

Contacts

Eric Ruzicka
Practice Group Chair

Industries & Practices

International Arbitration & Litigation
Securities & Financial Services Litigation & Enforcement
  • Antitrust & Competition Law
  • Appellate
  • Class Action Litigation
  • Commercial Litigation
  • ERISA Litigation
  • Franchise & Distribution Law
  • Healthcare Litigation
  • Intellectual Property Litigation
  • International Arbitration & Litigation
  • Products Liability
  • Securities & Financial Services Litigation & Enforcement
  • Trusts & Estates Litigation