Practice
Construction and lien disputes
Construction fights turn on deadlines, paperwork and who signed what. We represent property owners, general contractors and subcontractors in payment claims, liens, delays and defect cases.
What these cases usually look like
A sub who finished the work and was never paid the retainage. An owner with a leaking roof and a contractor who won't come back. A project that ran four months late, with every trade blaming the next. Lien rights and notice clauses have strict, short deadlines, so these cases reward calling early.
A worked example
A sample case: a building owner withheld the last $120,000 from its general contractor over water damage. The contractor recorded a lien. We brought in an engineer, showed that most of the damage traced to one subcontractor's flashing, and brought that sub into the case. The three sides settled for a $35,000 credit to the owner and repairs paid by the sub's insurer.
Composite example. Your facts will differ, and past results don't predict yours.
Construction work we take on
Rustam Ebrahimi, a civil engineer before law school, leads this practice.
Mechanic's liens
Recording a lien on time, foreclosing it, or getting one removed from your property.
Payment and retainage claims
Getting paid for finished work, up and down the chain of contracts.
Delay and change-order disputes
Schedules, extras and who pays for time lost.
Defect claims
Bad work, the experts who can prove it, and the insurers who may pay for it.
Questions about construction disputes
How long do I have to record a lien?
Not long, and the clock usually starts with your last day of work. The exact deadline and notice rules depend on the state and the project, so call as soon as payment stops.
Do you represent owners or contractors?
Both, though never on the same project. We check for conflicts before the first call.
Will we need an expert?
In most defect and delay cases, yes. Rustam can tell early which questions an engineer or scheduler has to answer, which keeps that cost down.
Payment stopped, or a deadline coming?
Book a first call this week. Lien deadlines are short, and we'll tell you yours.
A first call is free and doesn't make us your lawyers; a signed engagement letter does.