Steve represents businesses up and down the construction contract chain—from owners and developers and lenders and sureties to contractors and subcontractors to architects and engineers—helping them deal fairly with other parties and protecting their rights when those other parties fail to meet their obligations.
Steve is the consummate outside construction counsel, drafting, reviewing, and negotiating contracts for clients ranging from large corporations to small closely held companies, but primarily litigating disputes in state and federal courts and mediation and arbitration proceedings throughout the country.
He regularly advises clients on issues involving breach of contract, lien and bond claims, defects, defaults, complex commercial foreclosures, lease disputes, liquidations, bankruptcy preference, and fraudulent transfers.
And though a client may need to engage in bet-the-company litigation, facilitating a quick and just resolution may be more desirable for restoring relationships and reputations than an all-out war.
Besides his exceptional lawyering and advocacy skills, clients appreciate Steve’s candor and straightforward approach. He’s not a “yes man” afraid to deliver bad news; instead, he accurately assesses every situation and tells it like it is. To Steve, being a good attorney means building long-lasting, trust-based relationships with his clients.
News
Published In
- "Wolters Kluwer Construction Law Update," Chapter 6, Midwest Region (Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Ohio, Wisconsin)
- "Mechanics Liens Handbook, 2019, Updated 2023," Chapter 12 - Miscellaneous Remedies, Illinois Institute of Continuing Legal Education
- "State Law Still Matters When Drafting Contractual Limited Remedies Provisions," State Bar of Wisconsin, Business Law Blog, Co-Published in the Wisconsin Business Law Blog, May 7, 2019. Available here.
- "No Good Deed ... Court Holds that Financial Contribution to Construction Project does not Confer Standing," Building Knowledge: The Newsletter of the ISBA's Section on Construction Law, Vol. 10, Issue No. 1, 2019
- "Sienna Court: Minton Overruled and no Implied Warranty of Habitability against Subcontractors without Contractual Relationships," Building Knowledge: The Newsletter of the ISBA's Section on Construction Law, Vol. 9, Issue No. 5, 2019
- "Court of Appeals: Clear Communication Reduces Risk of Unnecessary Litigation," State Bar of Wisconsin, Construction Blog, Published by the Construction and Public Contract Law Section. July 13, 2017. Available here.
- "Previous Waiver of the Implied Warranty of Habitability Bars Claim by Subsequent Purchaser," Building Knowledge: The Newsletter of the ISBA's Section on Construction Law, Vol. 7, Issue No. 1, 2016
- "Clarifying "the amount due from the owner to the Contractor" under Section 30 of the Mechanics Lien Act: GX Chicago, LLC v. Galaxy Environmental, Inc.", Building Knowledge: the Newsletter of the ISBA's Section on Construction Law, Vol. 6, Issue No. 3, 2015
- "Improving the Seventh Circuit's Approach to Illegal Reentry Prosecutions with a Constructive Discovery Standard and Fast Track Sentencing," 5 SEVENTH CIRCUIT REV. 532, 2010
- "Arbitration Preferred in Domain Name Disputes," In the Alternative: The Newsletter of the ISBA's Section on Alternative Dispute Resolution, November 2006
- "Arbitration: Why Some General Counsel Have Mixed Feelings," In the Alternative: The Newsletter of the ISBA's Section on Alternative Dispute Resolution, September 2006
Speaking Engagements
- Presenter, "When Mega Projects Come to Town: To JV or Not to JV," The Builder's Exchange of Central Ohio, September 2023
- Panelist, "Arbitration v. Litigation: Thoughts on Binding Dispute Resolution Clauses in Construction Contracts," Illinois State Bar Association's Construction Law Section Council, Chicago, Illinois June 25, 2019
- Panelist, "When It All Goes South: Disputes at the End of a Construction Project," State Bar of Wisconsin Construction and Public Contract Law Section, Contractual Indemnity Clauses, Milwaukee, Wisconsin, March 22, 2018
- Panelist and Mock-mediation Participant, "How to Handle a Construction Case Mediation," Illinois State Bar Association's Construction Law Section Council and ADR Section Council, Chicago, Illinois, January 12, 2018
- Speaker, "Extra-Contractual Remedies in Illinois," Society of Illinois Construction Attorneys Lunch and Learn, Chicago, Illinois, September 19, 2017
- Speaker, "Recent Changes to the Illinois Mechanics Lien Act: Bonding Over Lien Claims and Section 38.1", Association for the Advancement of Cost Engineering International, Chicago Midwest Section, Chicago, Illinois, April 2016
- Speaker, "Effective January 1, 2016: Section 38.1 of the Mechanics Lien Act-"Bonding Over Lien Claims," DuPage County Bar Association's Civil Law and Practice Section MCLE Meeting, Wheaton, Illinois, May 2016
- Moderator, "Chicago Bar Association Mechanics Liens and Construction Claims," Chicago, Illinois, December 2015
- Speaker, "Construction Extras and Change Orders," Chicago Bar Association, Chicago, Illinois, December 2014