Construction

Adams and Reese advises every type of client in the construction industry on a wide range of matters that impact their business. We advise on the negotiation and drafting of design, engineering and constructions contracts; compliance with construction codes and regulations; disputes arising from construction; engineering and design defects; building code violations; product failure; warranty claims; breach of contract claims and allegations of fraud. We have handled complex bid protests at the local, state, and federal levels, as well as multi-party disputes regarding the design and development of roadways, industrial facilities, hospitals, commercial properties and residential and public-private construction projects.

Adams and Reese Chambers logo The Adams and Reese Construction Practice is ranked Band 3 in Alabama and Texas, and Band 5 in Florida by Chambers USA.

Our team is also included on the list of The Top 50 Construction Law Firms™ as ranked by Construction Executive (CE) magazine, and maintain a national ranking in Construction Law in U.S. News – Best Lawyers Best Law Firms ranking (U.S News & World Report and Best Lawyers® by BL Rankings, LLC).

Beyond the project-specific advice Adams and Reese provides, we help clients grow and protect their businesses and their employees with licensing support; tax and transactional advice; government advocacy; employment, labor, workplace safety and OSHA expertise; and license defense.

Adams and Reese is a global leader in advocacy for the roofing industry. We serve as General Counsel to the National Roofing Contractors Association (NRCA), the National Slate Association, and dozens of other regional, state, and provincial associations. We are the only North American voting member of the International Federation for the Roofing Trades (IFD).

Consider this recent experience:

Roofing Contractor. We defended a roofing contractor in a $53-million-dollar dispute involving construction and materials defect claims. The litigation involved more than a dozen parties and navigating a variety of insurance claims and defenses, resulting in a favorable settlement for the client.
Industrial Contractor. We advised one of the largest industrial contractors in a dispute involving the demolition and disassembly of an acid plant.
Engineer. Adams and Reese construction litigators represented the structural engineer of a 40-story commercial building with alleged defects in design related to cladding material. In pre-trial discovery, our team confirmed that the engineer had included specifications regarding the appropriate expansion grout which the contractor had not implemented in the construction process. The engineer was found not responsible for any of the $5 million remediation costs.
Design-build contractor. Our team successfully defended a design-build contractor in a two-week final arbitration hearing against claims in excess of $100 million arising out of the design and construction of a large industrial warehouse.
General contractor. Secured a less-than-policy-limit settlement in a challenging excess exposure case for the general contractor of a high-rise beach condominium. The contractor had installed 360 replacement windows and 240 sliding glass doors in the building. Our defense of the contractor took an initial $14 million demand and resolved the case for less than policy limits.
Landscape architect. Secured dismissal prior to trial of a case involving a landscape architect who designed a sprinkler system for a municipality. The sprinklers brought water on a roadway which caused a fatal motor vehicle collision. We demonstrated that the municipality’s maintenance workers had damaged the sprinkler system which then caused the flow of water to the roadway.
Framing Contractor. Assisted a framing contractor in a multimillion-dollar dispute regarding the framing of a subdivision.
Underground utilities. Our team represented a city in a $10-million-dollar litigation against a publicly-traded contractor. The multi-year dispute involved significant liquidated damage claim analysis, delay damage and acceleration claim defense, and claims based on underground utility conflicts.
Building materials. We represented an international product manufacturer in pre-suit construction defect claims and resulting litigation and arbitration regarding two high-profile government healthcare projects. Total claims exceed nine figures.
Green construction: Represented a publicly traded construction company in its $500 million renewable energy retrofit project.
OSHA. We defended a contractor against OSHA in a fatality investigation involving multiple willful citations and one of the largest fines ever assessed for an employer. Our representation included crisis management assistance for management.
Bid protest. Represented a concrete paving company in a bid protest by a competitor firm over a $1 million contract for road repairs awarded to our client by the City of New Orleans.

We make sure that we fully understand our client’s business goals, and we manage our work to those goals. Also, we pride ourselves on being hyper-responsive to client inquiries, with a call-back the same day.
– David Toney, Construction Practice Leader

Summary

We represent the full range of actors in the construction industry: contractors, subcontractors, product manufacturers, materials suppliers, private landowners, municipalities and other political subdivisions, public utilities, developers, buyers and sellers, lenders, architects, engineers, and trade associations.

The team has unique expertise in the building products industry, and most specifically in windows, doors, exterior cladding, HVAC, and roofing materials.

The Adams and Reese Construction Team includes AAA and Florida-certified arbitrators and construction mediators who have served in numerous construction disputes. Out of more than 100,000 lawyers in Florida, our team includes nine of the only 400 attorneys who are Board Certified in Construction Law by The Florida Bar Board of Legal Specialization and Education. Our team also includes two Florida certified general contractors. With these skilled professionals and a team tightly integrated across our regional footprint, we are able to quickly mobilize people who know the local and state environment, the latest regulatory requirements and the proper defense, ADR or appellate strategies to bring disputes to resolution.

Core Services