Are you involved in a dispute on a construction project? Do you need an attorney to assist you with the litigation process?
Our attorneys handle a wide array of construction disputes, and we can probably help you with your case. We have represented owners, general contractors, subcontractors, sureties, design professionals, and a variety of other participants on a construction project.
The litigation process can be quite complex. When combined with construction, it is easy to imagine how incredibly complex certain issues in construction litigation can be. Some disputes have many moving wheels, which poses a heavy task for the lawyers who have to wade through all of the facts and the law.
As part of their tasks, our lawyers participate in all phases of litigation from preventative measures such as contract negotiations and drafting to project execution and advising mid-project to post-project litigation such as collection work and bond claims.
It is imperative for limited liability companies and corporations involved in the construction industry to have a lawyer who specializes in construction litigation as Missouri courts require that construction companies, if they are incorporated, must be represented by a lawyer.
Why can an individual not represent an entity in court?
An individual, even a member or manager of the limited liability company (“LLC”) is not permitted to represent the LLC because it would constitute the unauthorized practice of law by a non-attorney.
Accordingly, construction companies that are incorporated, or held by an entity, must retain counsel in order to present a defense. If counsel is not retained, the construction company will have a default judgment taken against it and would then have to hire an attorney to file a motion to set aside the default judgment.
This is not an outcome that you want to face as a business owner because additional work means additional billing by the attorney. The most economical solution in dealing with a construction law dispute is to nip the problem in the bud by addressing it head on. That does not suggest that it should be addressed with a hard head.
Instead, the mantra should be an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure. Get your attorney involved from the beginning of the project, so you can avoid failing into the litigation sandpit.