Attorney Richard L. Reed's Legal Cases

Construction and development

Defended a general contractor

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OUTCOME:

Defended a general contractor against multiple building construction defect claims asserted by a government owner. By coordinating an early mediation process, the client was able to avoid major multi-m ... illion dollar liability. Settlement of all claims left the client with virtually no out-of-pocket loss, and without a single deposition being taken. Appreciative of the favorable results, the client’s insurer agreed to reimburse the client’s out-of-pocket legal costs to secure a pre-litigation settlement.

Construction and development

Served as the Chair of the Dispute Review Board

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OUTCOME:

Served as the Chair of the Dispute Review Board for a convention center project valued at $300 million. Resolved several disputes by rendering formal preliminary determinations that resolved the disput ... es without appeal to the full Board and without further litigation.

Construction and development

Defended a siteworks subcontractor

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OUTCOME:

Defended a siteworks subcontractor as a co-defendant in litigation involving multiple claims for damages due to site drainage issues on a large multi-family apartment complex project. The claims were ... asserted by the owner and the general contractor. The client subcontractor was a co-defendant with the architect, civil engineer, and all the other subcontractors. Monitored the case in collaboration with insurance defense attorneys, and developed legal arguments that succeeded in obtaining a favorable summary judgment on behalf of the general contractor and subcontractors, dismissing all claims and enabling the client and its insurer to successfully negotiate in mediation a favorable nominal settlement to end the litigation.

Construction and development

Defended a general contractor

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OUTCOME:

Defended a general contractor and its surety against a suit brought by a government owner over a failed paving project. By asserting the owner had committed spoliation of evidence in refusing to permit ... the contractor to obtain samples of the failed pavement, and proceeding to repair and alter the paved surface, a settlement was successfully negotiated to avert an imminent trial. The general contractor client recovered nearly 90% of its unpaid contract balance.

Construction and development

Represented a large mechanical contractor

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OUTCOME:

Represented a large mechanical contractor, successfully recovering most of its contract balance for completed work on a remodeling project for a major internet servicing and data center facility, inclu ... ding a retrofit of the facility’s air conditioning system.

Construction and development

Represented a general contractor

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OUTCOME:

Represented a general contractor whose subcontractor installed a defective light pole that collapsed across the owner’s building. A manufacturing defect, not installation, was the clear cause of the co ... llapse. The manufacturer went bankrupt, but the owner’s property insurer still sued the general contractor (the client) and its subcontractor, alleging they were strictly liable under Texas law as “sellers” of a “defective product.” Persuaded the subcontractor’s insurer to assume the cost of defense for the client and convinced all parties to non-suit the case against the client to allow early mediation of all claims. After briefing the law to establish the general contractor could not be a “seller” of a product, and thus was not liable as a matter of law, the general contractor client successfully avoided all liability and all costs of defense.

Construction and development

Represented a construction contracto

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OUTCOME:

Represented a construction contractor in a dispute relating to a defective design specification issued by a public owner. Although the client had raised the issue in writing, the owner insisted the spe ... cification had to be followed, later leading to significant construction defects. Unable to reach settlement in a failed mediation handled by prior counsel, careful legal research enabled the client to present a very strong position in a resumed mediation that the owner should bear full responsibility for failing to correct its defective design specifications. The client’s position was so strong that the owner agreed to accept the client’s first settlement offer previously rejected at the first failed mediation.

Construction and development

Represented a construction company

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OUTCOME:

Represented a construction company as independent counsel to assist in monitoring the defense of a multi-million dollar wrongful death case that threatened to expose the client to liability in excess o ... f the client’s limits of insurance coverage under its primary and excess liability insurance policies. Evaluated coverage issues in connection with the matter, and demanded the client’s insurer honor its duties of defense and indemnification, ultimately helping the client to achieve settlement of the matter at mediation within the client’s policy limits.

Construction and development

Utilized an early mediation

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OUTCOME:

Utilized an early mediation to reach a settlement to avoid extensive discovery and litigation costs on behalf of a client whose commercial storage facility flooded as a result of the improper redevelop ... ment of commercial facilities on the adjacent property.

Construction and development

Represented former and subsequent owners of a commercial facility

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OUTCOME:

Represented former and subsequent owners of a commercial facility damaged by a hurricane. The remediation contractor refused to accept the property insurer’s offer to pay for the repairs, and challeng ... ed the contractor’s billings as unjustified and unsupported by any backup documentation. The contractor filed suit against the client owners to foreclose its statutory and constitutional lien claims against the property. Convinced the Insurer in an early mediation to fund a settlement that covered the client’s legal costs and end the dispute with the contractor, who released its lien claims.

Richard L. Reed's Legal Cases (19)

Defended a general contractor

Served as the Chair of the Dispute Review Board

Defended a siteworks subcontractor

Defended a general contractor

Represented a large mechanical contractor

Represented a general contractor

Represented a construction contracto

Represented a construction company

Utilized an early mediation

Represented former and subsequent owners of a commercial facility