Litigation & Alternative Dispute Resolution

The construction industry uses various innovative processes for dispute resolution short of formal litigation. Pacifica’s construction lawyers have been lead counsel in hundreds of such innovative proceedings, including non-binding mini trials, Dispute Resolution Board (DRB) proceedings, multi-party mediations, and arbitrations.

We also believe that old fashioned direct negotiations with the adverse party can be highly successful, and encourage clients to use this approach due to its intrinsic benefits. When formal litigation is necessary (or required by the applicable contract), we zealously advocate for our clients and do so with transparency and accountability in our legal fee budgets.

Pacifica’s litigation and ADR practice covers a wide variety of disputes and claims. Our recent representative matters include:

  • Representation of claims arising out of construction of the Seattle’s waterfront tunnel project.
  • Representation of a municipality in multi-million dollar claims arising from construction and failure of cantilevered soldier pile retaining walls.
  • Representation of a school district in a multi-million dollar delay and impact claim arising out of construction of middle school.
  • Representation of the owners of a Seattle core district hotel in delay and impact claims arising from construction of hotel.
  • Representation of a Washington municipality in delay and impact claims arising from construction of pedestrian bridge over railroad right of way.
  • Representation of a county in claims arising from construction and failure of a 3,100 linear foot combined sewer overflow (CSO) conveyance line located in the City of Seattle.
  • Representation of a water/wastewater district in claims arising from micro-tunneling dispute in Covington, Washington.
  • Representation of a water/wastewater district in claims arising from an auger boring dispute in Kenmore, Washington.
  • Representation of port district in claims arising from horizontal directional drilling project under the Snake River in volcanic ballast deposits.
  • Representation in critical path schedule disputes at a federal Veteran Administration facility.

Practice Attorneys

John Parnass

John Parnass

OF COUNSEL
Kai Smith

Kai Smith

PARTNER
Zak Tomlinson
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