COMMERCIAL REAL ESTATE AND CONSTRUCTION

Metz Lewis lawyers have a diversified set of legal and practical skills in the real estate acquisition, development, construction and engineering industries. We understand the issues that our clients face with the purchase, sale, development, leasing, and financing of real property, and the difficulties which may arise with each new and existing construction project.

COMMERCIAL REAL ESTATE

CONSTRUCTION

Metz Lewis construction lawyers understand the broad landscape of legal and industry issues that its clients face with each new and existing construction project. Our lawyers have a diversified set of legal and practical skills, as well as experience in the construction and engineering industries. On a daily basis, we serve a wide base of industry participants, including owners, contractors, subcontractors, suppliers, design professionals, construction managers, developers, insurers and sureties.  We assist our clients with their legal affairs at all stages of a project, including pre-construction, design development, bidding, bonding, insurance, contract negotiations, zoning, onsite project negotiations, payment, change order negotiations, delay and inefficiency analysis, claims, dispute resolution, litigation and related matters.  Our members actively participate in all aspects of public and private construction engagements, such as commercial, industrial, school, university, stadium, prison, steel erection and fabrication, earth moving, mining, bridge, sewer, plumbing, electrical, concrete, HVAC and utility projects.

Contract Negotiation and Drafting
Well-drafted contract and project documentation are at the heart of a successful construction project.  When parties clearly understand their obligations to one another, projects run smoothly and enable the parties to realize their anticipated profits with a project completed on budget and within schedule.  Among other things, we prepare, review and negotiate contracts, subcontracts, purchase orders, bonding agreements, change orders, releases and project closeout documentation.  With the right documentation and consultations along the way, our clients are positioned to avoid undesirable and costly disputes.

Counseling and Transactional Oversight
The Construction Group realizes that our clients have general construction-related concerns that often arise during a project.  In addition to the legal experience offered by the various Metz Lewis practice groups, the Construction Group offers counseling and direction in the following areas:

• Bid protests and/or withdrawals
• Payment claims
• Design-build issues
• Project delays, inefficiencies, disruption and acceleration
• Federal, state and local government regulations
• License and registration requirements
• Labor and employment
• Indemnification issues
• Surety and insurance issues
• Scheduling issues

Dispute Resolution and Litigation
We realize that the demands of litigation interfere with our clients’ business interests, which is why we focus on resolving disputes efficiently, expeditiously and effectively.  However, often our clients’ best interests may only be served by pursuing or defending claims through litigation, and our lawyers have a vast breadth of experience in handling litigation claims.  Our lawyers practice before state and federal courts, the federal and Pennsylvania Boards of Claims, and the American Arbitration Association.  A sampling of the types of claims prosecuted and defended by our Group includes:

• Delay, disruption, inefficiency and acceleration claims
• Scheduling claims
• Bid protests
• Payment disputes
• Extra work claims
• Differing site condition claims
• Owner-contractor claims
• Owner-design professional claims
• Contractor-subcontractor/supplier claims
• Design professional and construction management claims
• Performance and payment bond claims
• Mechanics’ liens
• Defective work/warranty claims
• Project coordination matters
• Insurance claims
• Disputes on multiple prime projects

Our experience has also brought us to state and federal appellate courts.

Metz Lewis attorneys are also experienced in alternate dispute resolution.  We have negotiated settlements and resolutions in numerous mediation, arbitration and other settlement-focused proceedings in an effort to achieve cost effective resolutions without the need for full-blown litigation.

Sureties and Bonding
The complexities of suretyship and bonding issues often arise in construction-related disputes.  The lawyers at Metz Lewis have a broad knowledge of and experience with surety bond claims and other bond-related matters.  We represent surety companies’ interests, as well as prosecute claims arising under payment or performance bonds.

Back to top