Construction

Our construction law practice intentionally focuses on serving the needs of owners and developers as they engage in a wide variety of projects, including office buildings, industrial warehouses, hotels, tenant improvements, multifamily, healthcare, private schools, condominiums, residential and land development. Construction projects where we have served as lead construction counsel for owners feature prominently in the downtown skylines of Seattle and Bellevue as well as the shores of Lake Washington.  They include two large multi-tower mixed-use condominium projects in Bellevue, the renovation of Husky Stadium, a healthcare campus in Issaquah, a healthcare campus on First Hill in Seattle, several recent office buildings in Seattle, including the second tallest Seattle office tower, and multiple office buildings in Bellevue.   

In addition to extensive experience modifying, negotiating and assembling traditional AIA-based documents for use with general contractors and architects, those of our clients active in construction and development often turn to us to generate and administer custom forms for recurring use with their contractors, subcontractors, design professionals and consultants. 

We also routinely draft preconstruction services agreements, development services agreements, construction management agreements, owner’s representative agreements, and crane swing, shoring and construction staging easements, with our clients appearing often on either side of those agreements. 

As all of our construction lawyers are also real estate transaction lawyers by training, we know how to draft contracts well and are undaunted when tasked to translate complicated or unique concepts into custom contract provisions.  Moreover, this real estate background helps us anticipate and address the requirements and considerations triggered when financing, title insurance, joint ventures, leases or dispositions, whether existing or prospective, come into play.  It also gives us the tools to better advise owners and developers on more esoteric arrangements involving joint ventures with general contractors, integrated project delivery agreements where the owner, contractor and design professionals share project risks and rewards, sales of projects in mid-construction with seller guarantying project completion, public-private partnerships involving ground leases and bond financing, and other innovative approaches to project delivery.