Diane Carol Utz

Law, and more specifically, construction litigation, is my second career.  I spent over 10 years as a member of the management teams on commercial construction projects that ranged in size from $1.5M to $125M.  I have worked on construction projects in the states of IN, IL, CO, CA, OR, and WA and held positions ranging from estimator to field engineer to project manager over the course of my field experience. I've been extremely fortunate to work on technical and complicated projects such as hospitals, jail and court facilities, winery additions, and remodels of existing structures through both competitively bid, lump sum contracts as well as negotiated, guaranteed maximum price delivery methods.

I also spent approximately 5 years prior to law school working as an in-house construction consultant for a Seattle law firm that focused on construction litigation. As a consultant, I worked with the attorneys as well as fact and expert witnesses in the development of claims and litigation strategies.

Since graduating from law school, I have continued the focus of my career on the construction industry through the representation of general contractors, owners, and sureties.  I have tried cases to juries, arbitration panels and judges and have achieved success in each forum.  When I first meet with a client, I strive to understand the client's specific goals related to the dispute as well as the overall business plan so we can collaborate on the proper strategy for the long term, which sometimes involves more creative alternatives to litigation. 

I am licensed in Colorado, Washington, Oregon and Idaho.  I am also a trained mediator and arbitrator.