CONSTRUCTION

Our Mission

From single-family dwellings to the largest sports stadiums, planning, designing, and building a successful project from conception to close out is a complex endeavor. It requires incredible coordination of specialized skills, knowledge, experience, applied sciences, and a lot of hard work and determination.

The same is true of the industry’s legal work. Overcoming construction’s distinct legal challenges requires an experienced, hard-working, coordinated team with focused skills and knowledge of the laws, regulations, standards, risks, customs, and practices unique to development and construction. To excel in the field, you need a legal team devoted to handling construction’s complex and peculiar issues. Our team is here to help your business achieve success.

Our Clients

From companies with hundreds of employees headquartered inside and outside Indiana performing work across the United States and abroad to local start-up businesses, we work with clients in the construction and development world of all shapes and sizes. We believe that a diverse client base allows us to better serve each of our clients by giving us multiple perspectives on the issues our clients frequently face. We work with owners, developers, architectural firms, engineering firms, other design firms and consultants, design-builders, general contractors, construction managers, owner’s representatives, subcontractors, suppliers, and others who play a role in the industry.

Our Strengths

Selecting the right legal team to fit your needs is critical. We know our competition and can definitively say that we stand apart. Here are just a few of the reasons:

• Experience in Construction Law – Our team is backed by significant years of experience focusing on construction law and specifically serving clients in the construction and development industry. We have a deep understanding of the laws, regulations, standards, risks, customs, and practices unique to the industry and how to help client navigate them and excel.
• Relationships – Our clients are like family. The relationships we build are the driving force in our work. We measure our success by your success and the results speak for themselves.
• Customized Services – Like most construction projects, we tailor our services to fit each individual client’s needs and goals.
• Efficiency – We recognize that our services need to fit the needs of an industry dominated by competitive bidding and tight margins. Our experience handling construction-specific issues allows us to focus efforts where it matters and run lean when the job calls for it.
• Coordination and Collaboration – We frequently work with other attorneys throughout Indiana, across the United States, and abroad, serving as lead counsel, as local counsel, and in other roles requiring collaborative efforts.
• Innovation – Like the construction world, new technologies and methodologies are reshaping the way legal services are delivered. We push the envelope and take an open-minded approach to implementing changes that improve the quality of services we can offer clients while keeping cost in check.

Our Approach

In construction, results matter. We approach legal work like our clients approach their projects: We pride ourselves on getting the job done and doing it in a timely and cost-effective manner.

We believe a phased-approach to legal work achieves optimal results:

• Understand Client Needs and Goals – Like any construction project, the first step is understanding the big picture. We work with clients to develop a strong understanding of the client’s specific needs and goals.
• Design Strategic Options – There is almost always more than one avenue to achieve a client’s goals. We develop strategic options designed to fulfill those needs and achieve those goals.
• Aligning Goals with Budget – We work with clients on budgeting to determine what options supply the most benefit for the cost.
• Implement the Plan – We work hard to get the job done by implementing the final plan.

Our Services

Our scope of services is both focused and expansive. We want to serve our clients in as many ways as possible when it makes sense and is cost-effective for us both. The following is a non-exhaustive list of services we commonly provide:

Pre-Project Services

• Land Acquisition and Development Services
• Project Financing
• Government Regulation – Licensing, Permitting, and Other Regulatory Issues
• Project Design
• Bidding
  1. Public Projects
  2. Private Projects
  3. Bidding Mistakes
  4. Bid Challenges
• Project Planning, Delivery Methods, Pricing Arrangements, and Financing
  1. BIM
  2. Integrated Project Delivery
  3. Public-Private Partnerships
• Governmental Regulation: Licensing and Permitting
• Construction Contracts – Negotiating, Drafting, Reviewing, and Analyzing and Allocating Risks

During-Project Services

• Notices to Proceed
• Material Supply and Procurement
• Construction Management
• Contract Interpretation and Other Risk Management: Advising on Risks as they Arise
• Claims
  1. Changes and Extras
  2. Differing Site Conditions
  3. Delay, Suspension, Acceleration and Disruption
  4. Delay Damages
  5. No Damages for Delay Clauses
  6. Liquidated Damages
  7. Work Stoppage
• Securing Payment: Getting Paid for Work
  1. Pay Applications and Progress Payments
  2. Pay-If-Paid and Pay-When-Paid
  3. Mechanic’s Liens
  4. Payment Bonds
  5. Impoundment Claims
  6. Other Security
  7. Prompt Payment Laws
• Labor and Employment
  1. Unions
  2. Employee Handbooks and Contracts
  3. Discrimination Claims
• Jobsite Safety
  1. OSHA
  2. Safety Manuals and Training
  3. Oversight
• Contract Breach
  1.  Notices
  2.  Supplementation
  3.  Termination
  4. Remedies and Damage Measures
•  Disputes
  1. Informal Negotiations
  2.  Mediation
  3.  Arbitration
  4.  Litigation
  5. Other forms of Dispute Resolution
• Inspection, Punch List, Acceptance, Substantial Completion, and Final Completion

Post-Project Services

• Closeout
• Retainage and Final Payments
• Warranties
• Indemnity, Contribution, and Insurance
  1. Completed operations
  2. Subrogation
• Selling a Project
• Completed Project Maintenance and Management
• Construction Defects

Other Non-Construction-Specific Services

• Corporate
  1. Mergers and Acquisitions
  2. Other Corporate Transactions
  3. Noncompete
  4. Nondisclosure
• Interstate and International Projects
  1. Coordination with Local Counsel
• Client Education
  1. Presentations
  2. Reference Materials

Contact our experienced attorneys today to review your needs and to assist you through your construction needs.

To schedule a free consultation, fill out our Free Consultation form, or call us at (317) 296-5294