Whether you are a private or public owner, general contractor, subcontractor, supplier, surety, liability insurer, architect or engineer, Gurley & Associates offers the full spectrum of legal services needed for the delivery of a successful project. Our lawyers are uniquely capable of providing expert legal counsel for the resolution of construction defaults and error and omission design claims. Our lawyers have real world project management experience and educational backgrounds in construction and architecture.
Gurley & Associates construction attorneys provide advice and counseling on a broad range of topics including:
- claim avoidance and resolution
- project delivery systems
- contractual risk assessment
- project documentation
- bonds and insurance
- project scheduling issues
- changes in scope
- design issues
- construction liens
- contract default and termination
Gurley & Associates has established a long and successful record of advocating the interests of owners, contractors, subcontractors, suppliers, material manufacturers and design professionals. The projects we are involved with range from luxury high rise condominiums to theme parks, resort hotel complexes and hospitals to multi-billion dollar energy generation facilities. We have represented industry participants in all forms of construction, design and governmental disputes, including: defective construction claims, errors and omissions design claims, default terminations, impact (delay and acceleration claims), OSHA actions and building code disputes before state and federal courts and panels of the American Arbitration Association.
Our lawyers counsel clients from the conception to completion of a construction project. During the pre-construction stage, we anticipate the types of risks that will arise and determine appropriate means of allocating or resolving the risks throughout the contracting process. This proactive approach enables all parties to deal with financial and technical contingencies prior to construction which can result in significant cost savings. Some of the services that we provide in the pre-construction stages of a project include:
- Identifying the most appropriate project delivery method such as design/build, traditional general contracting or construction management (at risk/not at risk) that will best achieve an owner’s goals
- Drafting, reviewing and negotiating construction and design contracts
- Counseling clients on matters of claims avoidance, risk allocation/management and scheduling issues
During construction, issues of contract administration having far reaching legal and financial impacts can arise. Handling these issues on a “real-time” basis will nearly always result in a more cost-effective and amicable resolution, rather than waiting until the end of a project when positions have hardened. The hands-on experience and depth of our legal staff enables us to react quickly and with confidence to address and resolve such matters. The tools we may employ to accomplish this result include:
- Assisting our clients in documenting problems or positions
- Providing advice on likely judicial interpretations of contract provisions
- Negotiating fair change orders and contract adjustments
- Providing on-site training for personnel in the timely, practical settlement of contract management issues
When problems cannot be prevented or resolved through planning or negotiation, the firm is prepared for the aggressive prosecution or vigorous defense of our clients’ legal rights. In representing a party in a construction dispute, we continue to adhere to the principles of providing the client with cost-effective and practical advice using budgets and litigation risk analysis techniques to guide our approaches to the case.
The Gurley & Associates team of attorneys, paralegals and legal assistants knows the complexities of construction law and litigation. Our professionals stay abreast of developments within the industry through their participation in legal and trade associations such as the American Bar Association Forum Committee on the Construction Industry, American Institute of Architects, Associated General Contractors and Associated Building Contractors.