Structural Steel
Our Steel Team brings together the collective experience of lawyers who represent steel fabricators of all sizes around the country, giving clients an advantage nationwide. With fabricators’ issues occurring in environmental compliance, employment, intellectual property and more, our approach is multidisciplinary and makes the most of our unique, 50 state, full-service platform.
Litigation is a major focus. We litigate complex claims in arbitration, state and federal courts, and other dispute resolution forums.
Our attorneys have assisted numerous structural steel fabricators and other members of the industry with the collection of outstanding amounts owed for labor and materials, claims for additional compensation, and for payment of outstanding contract amounts. Our most active and high-impact areas of dispute resolution include:
- Collection of outstanding amounts owed
- Defects delays and acceleration claims
- Disputes with downstream subcontractors and vendors
- OSHA violations and other
Within the industry, we are known for resolving sophisticated disputes on large projects, such as stadiums, bridges, convention centers, metropolitan rail systems, hotels and other commercial buildings.
Our commitment to the structural steel industry includes ongoing webinars and education customized to the specific challenges of steel fabricators. GRSM’s Steel Team shares tips, insights and experiences to help steel fabricators and others in the construction industry better prepare themselves for disputes and litigation.
Collection of Outstanding Amounts Owed
- Assisted numerous structural steel fabricators and other members of the structural steel industry with the collection of outstanding amounts owed for labor and materials provided to various projects located around the country.
- Assisted structural steel fabricators with claims for additional compensation arising from changes in connection with design complexity, changes to or errors in the structural design drawings, and impacts and delays arising from changes to fabrication and erection schedules.
- Obtained payment of outstanding contract balances on behalf of contractors, subcontractors and material suppliers.
- Negotiated settlement on behalf of client in lawsuit brought in relation to one project under the Miller Act, and successfully resolved ongoing disputes on related projects, including resolution of delay claims and claims asserted by other parties.
- Successfully defended client on summary judgment sought on back charge claim related to time and materials contract on stadium project.
Defects Delays and Acceleration Claims
- Defended a steel fabricator in a multimillion-dollar claim for alleged defective fabrication.
- Obtained summary judgment on behalf of client in relation to constructive acceleration claim asserted by sub-fabricator on stadium project.
- Negotiated settlement on behalf of client in relation to paint dispute.
- Negotiated settlement on behalf of client involving a cracked intumescent fireproof coating on the structural steel.
- Represented structural steel fabricator and reached settlement in case involving a default claim in a bridge construction case.
Contract Drafting and Negotiation
- Drafted and negotiated multimillion-dollar contracts on behalf of steel fabricators with contractors and joint ventures.
- Drafted numerous downstream subcontracts between structural steel fabricators and their erectors, detailers, structural engineers and vendors.
OSHA Violations and Other
- Defended numerous structural steel fabricators from OSHA citations arising from fabrication ship and jobsite fatalities, welding fume citations, and other OSHA Subpart R citations.
- Obtained summary judgment for a large construction company, which resulted in the dismissal of personal injury claims covered by workers compensation insurance.
- Defended a client in an OSHA dispute, resulting in OSHA withdrawing all of the citations and penalties originally assessed against the client.
- Negotiated settlement of insurance claim involving crane collapse, obtaining full reimbursement to client.
- Represented client and negotiated settlement in employment/non-compete dispute.
- Represented client in the successful resolution of a discovery dispute arising from subpoenas issued in an employment dispute.
- Represented structural steel fabricator in relation to a subpoena issued in relation to project and challenged subpoena without production of documents by client.