Construction Law

Gates & Adams is well known for its history of pre-litigation and litigation services to the construction industry. Its regular clients include general and specialty contractors, developers, municipal owners, and design professionals. Our areas of service include contract drafting and negotiation, project conflict management, claims and other contract litigation, mechanics liens and bond claims, public bidding and regulatory issues, and labor relations issues including those involving the New York State Department of Labor and the National Labor Relations Board. The firm is a longtime associate member of the Associated General Contractors of America and its New York affiliate, the General Building Contractors Association.

In construction, an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure, so we are frequently called upon to draft and/or negotiate contract documents for our clients in advance. Increasingly, too, our clients involve us in potential claims and other project disputes before they become litigation, often while they can still be managed.

When payment disputes arise, Gates & Adams' attorneys are well versed in New York's mechanics lien and payment bond requirements. We are also experienced at prosecuting and defending claims for delay, extra work, breach of contract, wrongful termination, and defective construction or design.

In the area of labor relations, our attorneys have significant experience representing contractors in prevailing wage investigations by the New York Sate Department of Labor, and in unfair labor practice cases before National Labor Relations Board. We have also had success in litigation challenging the use of project labor agreements in public work, and we have represented contractors in grievance arbitration under collective bargaining agreements.