Construction Lawyer in Pennsylvania

Philadelphia Construction Attorney also Representing Surrounding Areas

When you are in need of an experienced Pennsylvania business and trial attorney, contact the law firm of Halberstadt Curley.  We have an excellent legal team composed of skilled litigators representing design professionals, owners, contractors and subcontractors for over 25 years.  We routinely handle professional liability matters for architects and engineers, as well as risk management and claim prosecution for contractors, subcontractors and developers.  If you have been searching for a business law or trial lawyer, look no further—we may be able to help!

Pennsylvania Construction Law Attorney Representation

We have built long-term relationships with top construction industry firms across the region. Our clients range from small entrepreneurial designers and contractors to nationally ranked firms (as ranked by Engineering News-Record).  Key areas in which our clients seek counsel from us include:

1. Risk Management
2. Construction Contracts
3. Public Construction
4. Surety Bonds
5. Lien Claims
6. Construction Claims
7. Delay, Disruption and Acceleration Claims
8. Dispute Resolution

Risk Management
At our firm, the primary focus for a Philadelphia construction law attorney in consulting owners, designers and contractors is to eliminate, shift, defer or minimize business risks to each client's maximum advantage.  We take pride in rolling up our sleeves and breaking a sweat before change orders become claims.  Our risk management commitment to clients includes our pledge to:

1. Work with you to conceptualize, negotiate, draft and implement a contract
2. Audit and provide advice on your insurance and bonding issues
3. Provide "Boots on Ground" seminars—in your house and ours—to train your owners, project managers and employees on claims avoidance

Construction Contracts
The primary tool for managing risks on a project is the contract.  We provide advice pre-bid on preferred project delivery methods and contract types, including:

1. Lump Sum
2. Cost-Plus Fee
3. Guaranteed Maximum Price
4. Engineer, Procure and Construct
5. Design-Build
6. Construction Manager At-Risk
7. Construction Manager Agency
8. Multi-Prime Procurement

We regularly participate in trade organizations and are intricately familiar with form agreements such as those offered by:

1. American Institute of Architects ("AIA")
2. American General Contractors Association ("AGC")
3. Engineers Joint Contract Documents Committee ("EJCDC")
4. International Federation of Consulting Engineers ("FIDIC")
5. ConsensusDOCS
6. Design Build Institute of America ("DBIA")

Public Construction
Procurement and bidding on public projects is a complex process with many potential pitfalls.  A construction lawyer with us has experience in the following and other aspects of public construction:

1. Counseling on public bidding requirements and process
2. Advising clients on bid review and award
3. Prosecuting bid contests

Surety Bonds
We value our relationships with national sureties and brokers, and utilize our contacts to advise contractors on surety bond issues.  In addition, we may be able to help you:           

1. Prepare indemnity agreements
2. Represent sureties and contractors in payment, performance and bid bond claims

Lien Claims
We are experienced in obtaining mechanics' liens and construction liens for suppliers, subcontractors and prime contractors, as well as providing advice on lien waivers and lien bonds.

Construction Claims
Claims are an unfortunate if not inevitable aspect of construction contracting.  When the boot drops, it helps to have a construction attorney signed up who knows the difference between a change order and an equitable adjustment.  Our team includes attorneys and professionals with college degrees in engineering and practical experience in construction and design.  We have close working relationships with construction claims and design consulting firms that can assist in providing peer reviews, certificates of merit and forensic analysis for your claims. 

Delay, Disruption and Acceleration Claims
Called by some the "brain surgery" of construction claims, time related damages require the full attention of your claim team.  These claims often require expert testimony and we leverage our relationships with both local and nationally known claims consultants to prepare air-tight presentations for judges, jurors, arbitrators and mediators. Our experience includes: 

1. Delay and acceleration claims
2. Liquidated damages claims
3. Lost productivity and impact claims
4. "Eichleay" and lost overhead claims

Dispute Resolution
Our goal is to help contractors avoid disputes through effective risk management.  In today's challenging construction environment, however, occasional disputes are inevitable.  When disputes occur, contractors need a construction lawyer who can resolve them quickly and effectively.  Our group includes leading construction attorneys recognized by Pennsylvania Super Lawyers, Pennsylvania Rising Stars, Martindale-Hubbell and other independent peer reviews.  Our experience includes:

1. Acting as neutrals in mediations and arbitrations
2. Representing contractors and design professionals in mediation and arbitration proceedings
3. Litigating construction disputes in federal and state courts and courts of claims throughout our region, including Pennsylvania, New Jersey, West Virginia, Delaware, New York and Maryland