Stapke Law handles all facets of state and federal public and private construction projects. We have helped public and private owners, general contractors, subcontractors and suppliers to resolve—usually without litigation—their disputes. We first address these disputes on the project level, if possible, starting with guiding project professionals on how their contracts control resolution, and if that does not work, we explore available alternative dispute resolution techniques to do so.
The reason our clients have returned to us for decades is we stress analysis, planning and budgeting of our work on the front end to control fees and costs. Just as you do, we will commit to firm budgets for our work, and tell you if changes are necessary. Too often, our competition refuses to do this, suggesting that the cost of dispute resolution is out of their control. We think that is the wrong approach, and govern ourselves by the same rules that govern our industry, with cost control as our first priority.
Stapke Law has more than 35 years of experience drafting and supplementing construction contracts to help assure good project outcomes, and we are well known in the industry as proactive problem solvers, having done more dispute resolution training of public and private owners than virtually any other firm in California. We are well known in the Construction Alternative Dispute Resolution community, if mediation or arbitration becomes necessary—which is essential, as the choice of the right mediator or arbitrator can determine if a project resolves successfully or not.
We have resolved claims, usually without court involvement, in the following categories:
• Subcontractor substitutions
• Payment disputes and prompt payment issues
• Work stoppages
• Stop notice and bond claims
• Delay and productivity claims
• Change order and extra work disputes
• Termination disputes
• Submittal, scope, and design disputes
• Differing site conditions
• Liquidated damages and delays
• False claims
• Mechanic’s liens, stop notice and payment bond claims.
• Defective design
• Loss of productivity and disruption
• Breach of warranty and construction defects