Find Lawyers in New Orleans, Louisiana for Construction Law
Practice Area Overview
For a typical project, a construction lawyer may be called upon to assist the owner in obtaining land for the project. Buying the land and building a project on the land often requires financing from another source, and construction lawyers often help prepare and negotiate the various loan documents that define the rights of the bank, bondholders, or other source of funding.
Construction lawyers may assist owners and developers in deciding which project delivery approach best suits their project, such as design-bid-build, design build, or multi-prime construction. Then, construction lawyers may help draft requests for bids to allow the owner or developer to identify a contractor. A lawyer may help determine whether a bid can be withdrawn due to a mistake. For certain public projects where the owner is a city, county, state, or arm of the federal government, a construction lawyer may be called upon to file a bid protest to challenge the fairness of the bidding process.
After the project is awarded, lawyers are often involved in drafting and negotiating contracts between the owner and general contractor or the general contractor and its subcontractors. Lawyers also may be involved in documenting insurance and bonding arrangements to secure performance of the work and protect the parties against property damage or personal injuries.
During the project, construction lawyers are often called upon to help the participants understand their contracts and comply with them. Many construction lawyers see this kind of work as extremely rewarding, because their guidance can help keep construction on track toward a successful conclusion. Where contractors or subcontractors are not being paid for their work, construction lawyers may file liens or bond claims to secure payment for their clients’ work.
Construction projects are complex, expensive, stressful, and sometimes dangerous, and thus give rise to many different kinds of disputes, including disputes about the cost and duration of the project, the quality of the work, and responsibility for injuries or damages suffered during the work or, sometimes, after the work is completed. Construction disputes are often complex, involving many parties and substantial amounts of money, so construction lawyers often engage in complex commercial litigation. Many construction contracts call for dispute resolution through dispute review boards, mediation, and arbitration, so a successful construction lawyer will understand the advantages, disadvantages, and nuances of alternative dispute resolution techniques.
While often seen as a specialist, a construction lawyer is, in many ways, a generalist who must be prepared to deal with almost any kind of legal problem that may affect the construction industry, whether that problem involves contract law, banking law, tax law, environmental law, criminal law, international law, bankruptcy law, real property law, insurance law, tort law, bond and lien law, administrative law, or litigation.
As a degreed engineer, Keith J. Bergeron realizes that it gives his construction clients a sense of security to know they share similar backgrounds and that he understands their type of work. Receiving a lawsuit brought against you brings the stigma that something went wrong, but sometimes that is not a true statement. Keith investigates claims and defends his clients in all aspects of construction and construction surety law. He devotes special attention to architectural and engineering defe...
Michael S. Blackwell is Of Counsel with Riess LeMieux, L.L.C.. Michael represents a variety of clients, ranging from general contractors, subcontractors, owners, developers, insurers, and sureties in construction and labor issues, to companies involved in sales, acquisitions, corporate governance matters, commercial disputes, and other challenges arising in the commercial arena. He has engaged in significant contract negotiation, corporate formation, structuring, and governance matters, sales...
Michael Botnick is a member with more than 40 years of experience in commercial litigation and is a certified mediator. His practice encompasses transactions, real estate, contracts, and corporate law, as well as trusts and estates. In the last 28 years, Michael has dedicated a hefty portion of his time practicing construction law and handling litigation cases involving disputes, an area in which he has been recognized in Chambers USA: America's Leading Lawyers for Business . Chambers USA sta...
Terrence L. Brennan defends clients faced with complex construction issues and claims. With a deep knowledge of the construction industry, he provides clients with timely advice to recognize the problem quickly, address it, and resolve it by using practical solutions. Drawing on his experience as an architect, Terry serves as a valuable resource to construction clients facing malpractice claims. His ability to read a set of plans, relate and speak the same language as the people he represents...
Adrian D’Arcy’s primary practice areas include commercial litigation, construction litigation which he litigates in federal and state courts, and in arbitrations. Adrian is a proponent of resolving matters early in mediation and through alternative dispute resolution if possible so clients can focus on their companies and not on litigation. Additionally, Adrian crafts and reviews construction contracts so that clients are protected on the front end of projects. Adrian has over 17 ...
Richard G. Duplantier, Jr. is one of Galloway’s senior partners and a respected trial lawyer engaged in a general commercial litigation practice and more specifically in products liability, construction, environmental and all facets of professional liability, including medical, accounting, and legal malpractice defense. Rick’s varied practice further involves general insurance defense and coverage litigation. Rick’s experience also includes the immediate response, assessment...
Mr. Garner, a Member of the firm is a trial lawyer specializing in commercial and complex litigation. He has been lead counsel in cases in New Mexico, California, West Virginia, Kansas, Arizona, Indiana, Arkansas, Mississippi, Louisiana and Texas, involving complex and class action litigation ranging from asbestos exposure, benzene exposure, mass closings of big box retailers, noise pollution, commercial, banking, bankruptcy and financial litigation. He is admitted to practice before the fede...
For the past 17 years, Benjamin R. Grau (Ben) has maintained a diverse litigation, transactional, and insurance coverage practice extending across state and federal courts of Louisiana and Texas, as well as other jurisdictions around the country. Ben has wide-ranging experience spanning across multiple practices areas, including defending premises liability actions, negotiating commercial contracts, and trying a multi-million construction defect and product liability class actions. Ben is par...
Mr. Kern received his undergraduate degree from Washington and Lee University in 1973, and his Juris Doctor degree from Tulane Law School in 1976. Prior to entering private practice in 1979, Mr. Kern was a Staff Attorney, and subsequently an Assistant Attorney General with the Louisiana Department of Justice, where he served primarily in the Construction Litigation Section of the Civil Division, representing the State and other governmental entities as owner on public works construction proje...
Mr. Landis' commercial litigation practice focuses primarily on bankruptcy, construction and antitrust disputes. He is a member of the roster of commercial arbitrators of the American Arbitration Association and is Co-Chair if the firm's Bankruptcy Practice Group. Mr. Landis joined Stone Pigman in 1977.
Christopher K. LeMieux is a founding partner of the firm. Prior to starting the firm, Chris served as general counsel and an executive committee member for a regional design builder. During his seventeen-year career, Chris has represented contractors, architects, engineers, owners, sureties, insurers and subcontractors in litigation, arbitration, claims, disputes and negotiations and drafting of construction contracts for a variety of projects, including design build, integrated project deliv...
Dan practices in the area of construction litigation with a focus on construction and surety litigation. He represents general contractors, major subcontractors, sureties, public and private owners, and wireless telecommunications carriers and owners of telecommunications infrastructure. Dan also serves nationwide as a construction mediator and as a construction arbitrator through Perry Dampf, and arbitrations only through the American Arbitration Association. Outside of the courtroom, Dan re...
With more than 30 years of experience, James Prather quickly evaluates a case, sees the end game, then develops a litigation strategy to achieve the desired outcome. Sometimes that means obtaining an early settlement; other times it requires taking the matter to trial. James has the experience and skills to do both, always aligning his strategy with his clients’ business goals. James started his practice with a focus on property and casualty defense litigation and has grown his practice...
Ms. Puente is a commercial litigator practicing primarily in the areas of construction and surety law. She has represented both contractors and owners in negotiations and drafting of construction contracts for a variety of projects, including condominiums, hotels, apartment buildings, parking garages, industrial facilities and mixed residential/use facilities. Ms. Puente has also litigated numerous public bid dispute cases. She has represented contractors before the Louisiana Licensing Board ...
Richard Richter is a Member of the Sher Garner Cahill Richter Klein & Hilbert law firm in New Orleans, Louisiana. His practice primarily includes real estate law, construction and development, zoning and regulatory matters, governmental relations, commercial finance and business transactions. Mr. Richter has an educational background in engineering and in law. He attended Tulane University and received a Bachelor of Science in Civil Engineering Degree (BSCE) in 1968. He pursued graduate E...
Mr. Schneider is Co-Chair of the firm's Real Estate Practice Group and is a member of firm's Management Committee. He has extensive experience in the area of sophisticated commercial real estate transactions in Louisiana and elsewhere. He has been involved in many of the major commercial real estate transactions and gaming developments in the region. Mr. Schneider joined Stone Pigman in 1984.
H. Bruce Shreves, heads the construction/surety practice group in the firm. He is a graduate of the College of the Holy Cross and Georgetown Law School. Prior to entering private practice, he served with the U. S. Department of Justice, Criminal Division, and the U. S. Army Judge Advocate General Corps. He is admitted to the bars of South Dakota and Louisiana, and is a member of the New Orleans, Louisiana State and American Bar Association. Mr. Shreves has lectured and written on numerous occ...
Howard Sinor has extensive trial and appellate experience spanning more than three decades. He has handled hundreds of cases at all levels of the federal and state judicial systems, up to and including the United States and Louisiana Supreme Courts. He is also experienced in alternative dispute resolution including arbitration, mediation, and summary trials. Howard's experience in the practice of commercial litigation is broad and deep, and includes class action, multi-district, and other com...
John's experience includes the trial of environmental, toxic tort, insurance and construction claims, along with the representation of architects, engineers, doctors and lawyers in the defense of malpractice claims. Prior to his practice, John was the manager of the New Orleans District of the Associated General Contractors of Louisiana. John publishes a construction newsletter semiannually, titled the Construction Law Update. To receive this newsletter either by standard mail or email, click...
Kelly Theard is a construction lawyer representing general contractors, subcontractors, architects, engineers, program managers and material suppliers in a variety of construction related litigation including construction defect, design and professional liability, and third-party injury claims. She also assists her clients in contract negotiations and pre-claim disputes. Ms. Theard currently serves as the firm's Managing Partner as well as Head of the Construction Practice Group. While Ms. Th...
Fishman Haygood Partner Paul Thibodeaux has thrived in some of the most complex commercial litigations in the country for nearly 20 years. His practice includes environmental, energy, and construction law; products liability; mass tort and class action litigation; and intellectual property matters for both plaintiffs and defendants. He maintains a diverse practice, representing business interests, as well as individuals and landowners. Paul has successfully taken a lead role in many high-prof...
Richard Tyler is a partner on the Construction Team. He regularly serves as lead counsel in complex, high-stakes construction disputes. Rich joined Jones Walker in 1982 and is a former practice leader of the firm’s Construction Practice Group. Widely acknowledged as one of the nation’s top construction attorneys, over the past decade Rich has served as lead counsel in disputes involving more than $500 million in aggregate claim value across the country. He has received top ratings...
Prior to entering law school, Andrew Vicknair worked as a software engineer for a major medical manufacturer and as an electrical engineer for a major chemical manufacturer. Andrew regularly uses his prior work experience as a part of his legal practice. He is now a partner in D’Arcy| Vicknair. Andrew has over 18 years of litigation experience. His primary practice areas include all phases of intellectual property including litigation, prosecution, and transactional matters. Andrew hand...
Douglass F. Wynne Jr., a partner of the firm, was born in New Orleans, Louisiana in 1982. He graduated from Tulane University in 2005 with a Bachelor of Arts degree in History. He received his Juris Doctor degree in 2008 from Loyola University New Orleans College of Law. Mr. Wynne has been listed as a Louisiana SuperLawyers “Rising Star" in Construction Litigation since 2015 and is recognized by Best Lawyers for his work in Construction Law and Construction Litigation .
Chris Cazenave is a partner on the Construction Team. He focuses on construction litigation and alternative dispute resolution. Chris advises clients in all facets and at every step of construction-related disputes, including early dispute avoidance, pre-litigation counseling, settlement, mediation, arbitration, pre-trial strategy development, and trial. He understands that disputes on a project can lead to costly delays or threaten successful outcomes altogether, and works closely with clien...
Juan Miranda is a partner in the Construction department of the firm’s New Orleans office. Juan defends architects, engineers and other construction-industry clients in matters related to construction defects and professional liability claims. Prior to joining Deutsch Kerrigan, Juan practiced in various areas of law including environmental law, commercial litigation and insurance defense. Juan’s diverse practice allowed him to gain first-hand experience across a wide array of indu...
Brian Schaps provides legal guidance to contractors, engineers, architects, and surveyors and represents these clients in all manners and stages of construction litigation. Brian provides attentive, diligent, and cost-effective representation to help his clients manage risks, evaluate potential liability and exposure, and achieve favorable resolutions to construction-related disputes. Brian consults with clients regarding front-end issues related to contracts and risks, assists clients in man...
Elliot is a partner in the firm’s New Orleans office. He represents sureties in all manner of disputes and regularly negotiates and litigates performance bond claims, payment bond claims, bad faith claims, and claims against indemnitors. He often gets involved in matters before a lawsuit is filed and takes a business approach to resolve matters early on and in creative ways. Elliot thinks the best solutions to a client’s problems are not always the most obvious and that in order t...
Trey practices primarily in the area of construction litigation and represents clients ranging from general contractors, subcontractors, owners, developers, and design professionals, including architects and engineers. Trey has represented clients in a wide variety of construction cases involving contract disputes, professional negligence, bid protests, open accounts, and property damage from construction vibrations. He also has experience with construction claims on both private and public p...
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