Construction

“George is one of the most knowledgeable, creative and tenacious mediators I have encountered. I highly recommend him for even the most difficult and complex multi-party cases.”

Greg Dillion, Esq.
Newmeyer & Dillion
Newport Beach, California

George Calkins is an expert in assisting parties, and lawyers in their development of construction claims avoidance and risk management techniques. He has a reputation for assisting sophisticated public agencies, hotel entities and developers in implementing construction claims avoidance techniques involving a mixture of maximizing insurance, customer service and quality control measures. He has resolved hundreds of disputes involving construction means and methods, construction defect claims, and real estate development as well as cases involving complex structural, mechanical, geotechnical and electrical engineering issues. He has creatively resolved disputes involving major real estate developments, condominiums, hotels, shopping centers, office complexes, single and multi-family residential projects, school and university buildings, industrial facilities, and other commercial and public buildings.

George Calkins is recognized for his ability to resolve multi-party disputes involving the engineering of infrastructures such as utilities, freeways and roadways, bridges, water and sewage system facilities and drainage systems. He is a highly sought settlement officer for closing complex multi-million dollar construction projects that present complicated delay, disruption and work quality issues. Such cases often involve complex overlapping and interrelated, accounting, technical, construction, management and design issues. George Calkins has been a leader in effectively concluding closeouts of public works and commercial projects.

George Calkins has successfully mediated and arbitrated construction cases involving:

• Structural engineering
• Electrical engineering
• Soil and geology issues
• Mechanical engineering
• Seismic and structural claims, such as sizing of beams, adequacy of connections
• Adequacy of pre-engineered and manufactured items incorporated into projects, as well as adequacy of wood and metal framing, and the quality of structural connections among beams, columns and other structures
• Plumbing
• Landscaping and erosion control systems at residential and commercial projects
• Scheduling and delay claims
• \Infrastructure projects
• Freeze shoring technology as to sewer replacement project under Los Angeles Harbor
• Roadway projects of all kinds, including paving and substrate issues and road structures
• Ceramic tile, cabinets, patio areas, foundations, concrete hardscape structures
• Plumbing methods, techniques and applications in hotels, shopping centers, condominiums, office buildings
• Construction accounting, record keeping and project management procedures
• Project abandonment, termination claims
• Window/wall systems
• Sophisticated HVAC systems
• Electrical distribution systems
• Mechanical systems
• Mass grading/infrastructure and utility related systems
• Civil engineering disputes over grading balance, and grading quantity and quality
• Construction contract closeout, delay, and extra work disputes on commercial and public projects
• Construction and design of sewer, storm drain and water distribution systems
• Roof systems
• Subterranean leaks
• Waterproofing
• Mold and asbestos cases, including property damage and bodily injury issues

Experience as Counsel:

• Construction
  • San Bernardino Hilton Hotel
  • Rancho Cucamonga Medical Center
  • Irvine Company, MacArthur Court buildings
  • Numerous roadway and freeway structural projects
  • Highway Patrol Weigh Station project (Saugus)
  • L.A. Union Station
  • Senior Living facility

What other experts say…

"George is terrific at softening the hard edges of a multi-faceted complex construction dispute into a settlement. His extensive factual and legal knowledge of construction issues, combined with his insightful probing of litigants, enables him to bring the parties to common ground and settle cases where others have failed. Many talk the talk, but George actually delivers results. A true master of the craft."

Joe Potocki, Esq.
Balestreri, Pendleton & Potocki
San Diego, California

“George has a wealth of knowledge of the construction industry from his many years of experience as a lawyer practicing in the field. Combine this background with a sense of humor and an ability to see alternative paths to resolution, and you have a recipe for a successful mediation."

Craig A. Ramseyer, Esq.
Procopio, Cory, Hargreaves & Savitch LLP
San Diego, California

"One of only a few really skilled mediators, George is committed to going the extra mile to reaching a practical settlement."

John Darling, Esq.
Hunt, Ortmann, Palffy, Nieves, Lubka, Darling & Mah, Inc.
Pasadena, California

"George and I butted heads many times over the years, always on opposite sides, so I had my doubts when I was brought into a matter shortly before a mediation in which George had already been selected as mediator. He did a terrific job, however, in settling that case and several others since then. He is creative, is comfortable in complex cases and has a great ability to keep people talking to one another. He is most definitely on my list of top construction mediators."

Douglas C. Purdy, Esq.
Morris, Polich & Purdy LLP
Los Angeles, California