Gfeller Laurie LLP’s Construction practice group offers a wide range of legal services to those operating in the construction industry. We routinely counsel stakeholders along the entire chain of construction, including property owners, developers, construction managers, general contractors, subcontractors, and design professionals, as well as the manufacturers of building products. We counsel our construction clients on risk management and litigation avoidance matters that might otherwise lead to future liability (and the costs associated with defending such claims) if left unaddressed.
Our construction attorneys routinely represent owners, contractors, and design professionals in catastrophic construction accident cases in many jurisdictions from pre-suit through appeal. With a strong network of investigators and experts at our disposal, we are often asked to serve as part of a client’s “rapid response” team following a catastrophic construction accident.
We regularly represent clients in complex construction litigation. Our strategy is simple – we fully investigate matters early in the process, often by retaining the appropriate experts and work with our clients on a resolution strategy, whether by filing a successful dispositive motion, or by leveraging our knowledge and experience to obtain an early favorable settlement. In the event that negotiations break down, we aggressively represent our clients’ interests at trial, and during the appellate process, when necessary.
We have long understood the importance of creative solutions to resolving challenging construction disputes, and we appreciate that due to the significant costs of litigation, many complex construction disputes are eventually resolved through alternative dispute resolution. Our attorneys understand how to aggressively develop our clients’ defenses in preparation for mediation or settlement negotiations, without undermining the settlement process as a whole.
Our representation of construction industry clients is not limited to those clients already prosecuting or defending against claims. A significant portion of our practice is counseling our construction clients in risk management and the avoidance of litigation. Our experience in litigating construction claims provides us with a unique insight as to how such claims could have been avoided, and to that end, we proactively conduct risk assessments and help our clients develop and implement risk-based measures. We frequently draft or revise contracts and help our clients develop internal processes to minimize their risk of liability. This proactive process helps our clients limit their exposure, mitigate future risk, and realize long-term cost-savings.