Construction Design Law

CREATING Opportunities

The Construction Design Law Practice Group represents individuals and firms involved in the design aspect of construction. This includes architects, civil engineers, structural engineers, mechanical engineers, technical engineers, and landscape architects.

While many law firms, including Smith Haughey, maintain a Construction Law department, only a few provide specialized services geared to the unique legal needs of construction design professionals. Our ability to do so is grounded in decades of experience working on every facet of a construction project, from the initial spark of an idea to close out and occupancy. We combine this expertise with an in-depth knowledge of the intellectual property issues relating to architectural, design and engineering plans. This enables us to:

• Negotiate and draft contracts between design professionals and their clients.
• Represent design professionals in arbitration, mediation and litigation.
• Educate design professionals on contractual issues, raising their sensitivity to potential problems.

We can also work with other Smith Haughey Practice Groups to assist design professionals with virtually any legal need that may arise in the course of their practice – including business formation, employee relations, licensing issues, professional employment contracts, land use, real estate, zoning, and regulatory and tax issues.

With three offices throughout Michigan, we are well positioned to serve the legal needs of design professionals venturing outside their “home base.” We can also provide valuable insight into the local construction communities around Ann Arbor, Grand Rapids, and Traverse City.