Construction Law

Construction Law attorneys at Bowles Rice are experienced in the wide range of industry-specific issues that arise at every phase of a construction project.

An Experienced, Recognized Construction Law Team
Bowles Rice has represented developers, planners, public and private owners, builders, commercial and residential contractors, subcontractors, architects, engineers, suppliers, sureties and insurance companies and financial institutions. When disputes have arisen, we have represented our construction clients in arbitration, mediation and litigation in state and federal courts. We have assisted clients with projects ranging from single-family homes to multi-million dollar commercial developments, including wastewater treatment plants and distribution systems; airport runways and taxiways; highway and bridge construction projects; construction of public schools and state and federal government facilities; industrial projects; and power generation projects, including renewables.

Our Construction Law attorneys strive to avoid costly delays and possible litigation by working proactively with our clients to plan and document the role and responsibilities of all parties. Bowles Rice lawyers are experienced mediators and arbitrators, and have successfully provided those services in a wide range of construction-related disputes.

Several members of our construction team are recognized by The Best Lawyers in America® for their work in Construction Law and/or Construction Litigation. In addition, U.S. News & World Report's Best Law Firms features regional rankings of our firm's work throughout West Virginia and Western Pennsylvania.

Design-Build Construction
A Bowles Rice partner was instrumental in drafting the West Virginia Design-Build Procurement Act and served as chairman of the West Virginia Design-Build Review Board from its inception until 2018.

Among the areas in which Bowles Rice has Construction Law experience are:

Construction Project Services 

• Project financing
• Public/private projects
• Preparation and evaluation of bid documents
• Bid protests and other disputes involving bidding and awarding of contract
• Assistance with competitive bidding process for public projects
• Assistance with the Design-Build Review process
• Drafting programs for use in Design-Build construction process
• Schedule impact analysis
• Insurance/bonding
• OSHA Compliance
• Contract negotiations and preparation of contracts
• Review, evaluation and drafting of proposed contracts
• Space planning
• Construction management assistance

Construction Litigation

• Claims for additional cost or time
• Collections
• Mechanic’s liens
• Bankruptcy adversary proceedings
• Mediation and arbitration
• Litigation in state and federal courts involving jury and non-jury cases 
• Professional negligence claims involving engineers, architects, geotechnical engineers and contractors

A Strong, Regional Resource
The attorneys on our Construction Law Team have significant knowledge and experience in real estate and land use development, tax law, bond and security issues, labor and employment law, energy and environmental law, litigation, contracts, bankruptcy proceedings, public utility and regulatory issues, and government relations. Bowles Rice attorneys are licensed to practice law in West Virginia, Pennsylvania, Ohio, Kentucky, Virginia, Maryland and surrounding states.