Tom practices in the Construction Law and Litigation Groups.
He primarily practices in the areas of construction litigation, government contracts, surety law and complex commercial litigation. Tom handles a variety of public and private construction matters for contractors, materialmen, owners, sureties and design professionals. He regularly litigates construction and surety-based claims in federal and state courts throughout the Mid-Atlantic region and before the Pennsylvania Board of Claims.
Tom's practice encompasses all phases of the construction process, including pre-construction contract negotiation, bid disputes, mechanic's liens, construction and design litigation, surety bond claims, and claim negotiation. He has experience litigating, arbitrating and mediating delay, defect, acceleration, inefficiency, unforeseen site conditions and change order claims, as well as payment and performance bond claims. In addition, Tom has experience litigating and negotiating federal and state contractor disciplinary and debarment actions.
Tom has successfully represented his clients in an array of complex commercial litigation matters including surety and public contracting and procurement litigation, business tort claims, transactional disputes and commercial real estate litigation matters.
Tom regularly appears in the state and federal court systems and has also represented clients before various administrative and regulatory agencies of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania such as the Department of State, Bureau of Professional and Occupational Affairs, the Department of Health, the Department of Transportation and the Pennsylvania Board of Claims.
Awards
Philadelphia Magazine "Pennsylvania Super Lawyer - Rising Stars" December 2006. A listing of the top five percentage of attorneys in the Commonwealth who are 40 years of age or younger or have been practicing for less than 10 years.
Professional Articles & Publications
Construction Alert - May 2012
"What you need to know – OSHA Fall Protection for Residential Construction "
Construction Alert - Winter 2010
"Recent Changes to the AIA Payment/Performance Bond Forms"
Construction Alert - Fall 2010
"Pennsylvania Construction Workplace Misclassification Act"
Construction Alert - Winter 2007
"Major Changes to the Pennsylvania Mechanics' Lien Law"
Professional Presentations
Co-Presenter, “Contract Construction Issues for the Preservation of Immunities from Employee Actions and Indemnification from Other Contracting Parties,“ for a seminar sponsored by MidAtlantic Builders Exchange, June 20, 2008.
Presenter, “Defending and Prosecuting Construction Claims: From “Qui Tam” Actions to Recovery of Affirmative Claims on Federal Projects,” 21st Construction Superconference, San Francisco, CA, December 2006.
Presenter, “Making a Claim Against a Project’s Architect/Engineer: Bilt-Rite v. The Architectural Studio,” ABC Attorney Seminar Series, July 2005.
Presenter, “Confessions of Judgment and Deficiency Judgments in Pennsylvania,” PBI Seminar, Mechanicsburg, PA 2003.
Presenter, “OSHA Update,” APC/PennDOT Safety Conference, Harrisburg, PA, 2003.
Presenter, “New Doctor Program,” Pennsylvania Chiropractic Association, Annual Meeting, Somerset, PA, 2002-2005.
Presenter, “Presentation of Potential Liability Issues,” American Society of Industrial Security Specialists, Annual Meeting, Harrisburg, PA 2001.
Presenter, “Elements and Issues of Sovereign Immunity,” Municipal Supervisors, Officers and Solicitors, Continuing Education, Harrisburg, PA 1999.