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Helping you manage construction risk in a changing world.

With construction lawyers in 40 countries, we can advise you on transactional and contentious matters covering every project type and market, utilizing our industry insight and global perspective to maximize your success.  

With the cost and complexity of construction increasing, project success can depend on the strategic advice you receive to move your plans forward and mitigate risk. We advise clients worldwide across virtually every asset type, jurisdiction, and risk profile. 

Construction projects face numerous challenges. These include disrupted supply chains, rising material and manufacturing costs, labor shortages, and regulatory pressures. Technology means disruption as well as opportunity. A new recessionary cycle could bring solvency challenges to numerous project players. Whatever the context or project, we can help. 

We’ve worked on projects in all major product types, including energy (renewables, oil and gas, nuclear), heavy civil infrastructure, transport infrastructure (road, rail, ports, airports), hotels and leisure, water and waste treatment, multi-family, distribution and cold storage facilities, stadia, industrial plants, office buildings, and mixed-use projects.  

“This team…is an extremely valuable resource for all facets of construction law…critical thinkers and strong commercial partners.”

Client, Legal 500

We advise owners, developers, investors, contractors and construction managers, multinational engineering and manufacturing firms, and governments on how to take projects forward. Our support extends from the first days of planning to contract negotiations, project advice, and resolution of claims and disputes. Our full-service integrated approach means we can call on colleagues as needed in areas including procurement, infrastructure, real estate development, finance, tax, and land use. 

Our transactional work includes not only negotiated commercial development and construction contracts, but also preparation of government bids, complex P3 structure documents, and O&M contracts.  

We also work to mitigate risks before issues become disputes. Should disputes take place, our team can advise on mediation, arbitration, and litigation. It includes first-chair trial lawyers in the US who are experienced in trying major disputes to verdict in court and to award in arbitration.

Our goal is to help you to deliver assets and infrastructure in an efficient and cost-effective manner, all the while managing risk and preventing disputes before they arise. 

Awards and recognition

  • “A valued counselor with an uncanny knack for reducing and usually eliminating the fear and stress and anxiety that underpin the reasons people reach out for legal help in the first place.” Legal 500 2024, Construction
  • “The DLA team is very knowledgeable in construction law.” Legal 500 2024
  • “The firm has a great ability to distill complex issues and solve them.” Chambers USA 2024, Construction
  • "DLA can quickly provide clear and concise options with actionable next steps." Chambers USA 2023, Construction
  • “The team is very efficient and practical when giving construction legal advice.” Legal 500 2023
  • Ranked Nationally in the US for ten years in Chambers
  • Representation in the American College of Construction Lawyers

Experience

  • AIG Global Real Estate in connection with construction due diligence, and design and construction contracts for (i) a multi-family project in Portland, Oregon; (ii) a new US$60 million apartment development in Glendale, AZ; (iii) a multi-building distribution complex in Cartersville, GA; and (iv) a new US$75 million multi-family development in the Stapleton area of Denver called Solana Central Park.

  • Angola LNG Ltd as part of a project consortium including Sonangol, Chevron, BP and Total on the USD8.5 billion development and construction of an integrated LNG project, including export facilities in offshore Angola and import and regasification facilities on the Gulf Coast of the US.

  • Atlanta Braves in negotiating all design and construction contracts on behalf of the Atlanta Braves in connection with its joint venture with Truist Financial to build a new, 250,000 square foot office building located only 300 feet behind Homeplate in the Truist Park baseball stadium at The Battery Atlanta.

  • BentallGreenOaks, an industrial developer and large international real estate investor, on the development and construction of a state-of-the-art US$500 million refrigeration, packaging, and distribution facility in Northern California that will serve the high-volume agricultural region producing vegetables for distribution all over the United States.

  • Beth Israel Lahey Health in connection with its proposed new cancer hospital to be developed on the campus of Beth Israel Deaconess Hospital in Boston, in collaboration with the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute. This US$1.6 billion project, currently in the permitting stage, will involve the construction of a major new inpatient cancer hospital by Dana-Farber, on top of a podium to be owned by BIDMC, pursuant to complex development documents and utilizing a single contractor.

  • Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Inc., a world-class teaching hospital in the heart of Boston, with its design-build contracts for the development of a 345,000 square foot, 10-story, state-of-the art, new construction inpatient hospital building for US$534 million.

  • Blackstone Real Estate Services with respect to a nearly US$600 million loan for the development and construction of a US$1 billion mixed-use development in Austin, Texas called Waller Creek. Our construction-related services included handling construction-related due diligence, with review and input on design and construction agreements, structure of the deal proposed by the borrower and risk management factors involved in making the loan for what will be the tallest building in Texas.

  • Children’s Hospital (Boston) in the development, design, and construction of a new children’s hospital with a budget in excess of US$1 billion, including drafting agreements for design, construction management, various consultants and well as counsel in connection with the procurement of an owner-controlled insurance program.

  • Chinese contractor in bringing an SIAC arbitration against the Employer, with the arbitration seated in Singapore, in respect of a coal-fired power station (built pursuant to an EPC Contract governed by English law). The dispute relates to various claims including non-payment of project milestones and alleged defects.

  • Dragados and ACS in connection with the Port of Miami expansion project. The US$435 million project involves a public-private partnership (P3) involving the construction of 6 new berths to further grow Miami-Dade’s cruise industry.

  • Dubai-based developer on a UNICITRAL arbitration concerning a USD500 million construction dispute relating to a large retail development in Dubai.

  • Equinix on the construction and extension of a data center near Paris, including advising on planning issues and the drafting and negotiation of the construction contracts.

  • Fallon Company in connection with the construction/development of a major new mixed-use project on 30 acres of city land adjacent to the new Titans’ stadium in Tennessee. The Fallon Company beat out major national and international developers including Tishman Speyer and Hines in the selection process and we will begin work immediately on this years-long project.

  • Hyundai Engineering in connection with the development and construction of a US$5.5 billion state-of-the-art electric vehicle and battery manufacturing facility for Hyundai Motor Group at a 2,923-acre megasite located in Bryan County, Georgia.

  • International consortium BAM PPP/Eiffage/Berger Bau on its successful participation in the tender for the expansion and operation of a motorway section in Bavaria, Germany with a value of more than EUR1 billion.

  • Jefferson Regional Medical Center in Arkansas with respect to design and construction agreements for a US$160 million replacement hospital facility.

  • Main works contractor on a delay, disruption and final account claim in relation to the design and construction of an offshore wind farm, using a novel foundation design for offshore wind farms.

  • Mass General Hospital in negotiating the architect and construction contracts for the MGH Cambridge Street Construction Project including the construction of a new building (approximately 1,050,450 square feet, new clinical facilities and 94 net new beds). The new building will be a sustainable, energy efficient facility. We will represent the client in both phases of the project with phase 1 of the project anticipated to open in 2027. Construction of both phases is expected to cost approximately $1.7B.

  • Merlin Entertainment as sole legal provider for construction advice, including advising on all construction projects in the UK, Europe, Middle East and Asia Pacific. Our remit includes advising on all of Merlin’s new resorts, hotels and other brand attractions.

  • Ministry of Transport of an Eastern European government in relation to an ICC arbitration arising from a FIDIC contract for the construction of a new airport. Issues involved variations, delay, disruption, extension of time, alleged compromise and conflict between the FIDIC form of contract and the local law.

  • Multinational construction and engineering joint venture contractor in numerous adjudications and arbitrations (ICC Rules, seated in Singapore), arising out of a multibillion-AUD mega LNG project in northern Australia. The mandate comprised a diverse range of disputed issues including claims for scope changes, time and compensation under a reimbursable target costs regime. Multiple DLA Piper offices were engaged in proceedings, which included large-scale arbitrations, related court proceedings, and a long running and highly successful security of payment adjudication campaign.

  • Nashville SC in connection with its US$190 million stadium. Advising with respect to all project agreements between the team and the Metropolitan Government of Nashville and Davidson County for the development and operation of the stadium and associated infrastructure; negotiating all construction-related agreements; negotiating general and stadium finance documents for the stadium.

  • Semco, a Denmark-based engineering and contracting company, in negotiating O&M (Operating and Maintenance) contracts in relation to its 800 MW Vineyard Wind 1 offshore wind project, located 15 miles off the coast of Martha’s Vineyard.

  • Sunset Time. We represent the owner and investors of the US$400 million Sunset Time (Pendry Hotel and Residences) development in West Hollywood, California. The Project includes the most expensive condominium building in Los Angeles, sitting on top of the hills of West Hollywood, along with a five-star Pendry Hotel that includes a rooftop social club.

  • Webuild S.p.A, CPB Contractors Pty Ltd, GS Engineering and Construction Pty Ltd and China Construction Oceania Pty Ltd, as the Design and Construction Contractor forming part of the Spark Consortium, on successfully reaching financial close on the AUD11.1 billion North East Link Primary Package PPP – the largest PPP in Australia.

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