OverviewLauren is leader of the firm’s Construction Law Section and a Partner in the firm’s Real Estate Practice Group. With over fifteen years of experience, Lauren provides strategic guidance to clients in the construction industry, including contractors, subcontractors, design professionals, and owners, among others. Specifically, she delivers pragmatic advice and representation through matters involving:
- Complex construction disputes in arbitration or litigation, including those involving design and construction defects, change order requests, and scheduling delays;
- Guiding clients through risk avoidance procedures and strategies;
- Advising construction industry professionals on methods and tactics for collection of unpaid costs and fees, including perfecting lien claims; and
- Drafting and negotiating construction contracts for general contractors, subcontractors, construction managers, architects, engineers, consultants, and other professionals.
Lauren also assists the firm’s real estate developer clients with quiet title actions and restrictive covenant litigation, including injunctions and temporary restraining orders.
In addition to leading the firm’s Construction Law Section, Lauren is also the chair of the State Bar of Wisconsin’s Construction and Public Law Section Board. Experience
- Recovered over $2,000,000 in an American Arbitration Association proceeding involving a payment dispute between a material supplier and an installer.
- Achieved pre-trial settlement totaling over $1,000,000 on behalf of a farm owner for the repair of defects in the design and construction of a waste storage pond.
- Obtained a nearly $700,000 pre-trial settlement on behalf of the City of Ashland for the repair of certain engineering and construction defects in the newly-constructed 6th Street West project.
- On behalf of a general contractor, successfully recovered nearly $1,000,000 in damages and fees required to repair damaged radiant heating system in two multifamily complexes.
- Successfully defended a mechanical subcontractor from a $2,000,000 delay damages claim by an electrical subcontractor on the UWM School of Freshwater Sciences (published as Mech., Inc. v. Venture Elec. Contrs., Inc., 2020 WI App 23).
- Drafted and negotiated architect and general contractor agreements for Ascendium Education Group’s new $34,000,000 headquarters facility.
- Drafted and negotiated architect and general contractor agreements for two new dormitories on Lakeland University’s Plymouth, WI campus.
- Drafted and negotiated general contractor agreement for Milwaukee Tool’s $32,000,000 headquarters expansion in Brookfield, WI.
- Drafted and negotiated general contractor agreement for Milwaukee Tool’s Chicago office located in the Old Post Office Building.
Honors & Recognitions
- “Lawyer of the Year” (Milwaukee, WI), Construction Law, The Best Lawyers in America©, 2023
- Best Lawyers®, Women in the Law (Milwaukee, WI), Banking and Finance Law, Construction Law, Litigation – Construction, and Real Estate Law, 2022-Present
- The Best Lawyers in America©, Banking and Finance Law, Construction Law, Real Estate Law, 2020-present
- The Midwest’s Best Lawyers©, Banking and Finance Law, Construction Law, Real Estate Law, 2021-present
- Women in Construction, The Daily Reporter, 2019
- “Up and Coming Lawyer,” Wisconsin Law Journal, 2015
Professional Activities
- Member, American Bar Association’s Forum on Construction Law, State Bar of Wisconsin
- Chair, State Bar of Wisconsin, Construction and Public Law Section
- Member, State Bar of Wisconsin
- Participant, Women in Commercial Real Estate Wisconsin (WCREW)
- Participant, Commercial Association of Realtors Wisconsin (CARW)
- Participant, National Association for Women Lawyers in Construction (NAWIC)
- Participant, Association for Women Lawyers (AWL)
- Participant, Wisconsin Underground Contractors Association (WUCA)
- Member, American Bar Association
Related NewsEvent October 24, 2024 News August 15, 2024 Event April 23, 2024 News August 17, 2023 Event February 15, 2023
|