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John Clappison

Senior Counsel
fax +1 480.684.1186

John Clappison calls on his civil engineering education and general contracting work experience to counsel owners, contractors, subcontractors, and design professionals on effective, efficient, risk-management strategies, and to represent them in litigation and arbitration when formal disputes cannot otherwise be avoided.

John drafts and negotiates all manner of construction contracts, including lump-sum, design-build, cost-plus, guaranteed maximum price (GMP), multi-prime, and integrated project delivery (IPD) agreements, as well as various ancillary project agreements. This includes equipment leases, purchase orders, crane indemnity agreements, joint-venture and partnering agreements, project labor agreements, crane swingway agreements, project-takeover agreements, waivers, and releases.

John represents owners, contractors, subcontractors, and design professionals in litigation, arbitration, mediation, and administrative disputes involving commercial contracts, labor, employment, professional negligence, safety violations, code compliance, and claims for extra work, acceleration, delay/disruption, and differing site conditions.

Practice Areas

Education

J.D., University of Texas School of Law, Austin, Texas
B.S., University of Michigan, Michigan, College of Engineering - Civil Engineering

Memberships

American Bar Association – Forum on Construction Law

State Bar Licenses

Arizona, Michigan, California, Washington

Presentations

  • “Executing in IPD – A Full Team Plus/Delta (on the Disney Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge Project),” Lean Construction Institute, 22nd Annual LCI Congress, Virtual Presentation (October, 2020)
  • “It Must Be Done!!?? Impossibility or Impracticability as an Excuse to Performance … Or Not,” American Bar Association Forum on Construction Law, 2014 Annual Meeting, New Orleans

Publications

  • Co-Author, “It Must Be Done!!?? Impossibility or Impracticability as an Excuse to Performance … Or Not,” American Bar Association Forum on Construction Law, Course Materials for the 2014 Annual Meeting (2014)
  • Author, “Role of the Prime Contractor,” Fundamentals of Construction Law, American Bar Association Forum on Construction Law (2001 and 2013)

The Clark Hill approach is equally pragmatic and growth-minded, which is why we understand our clients’ toughest business challenges. Our multidisciplinary, global team of advisors focuses on smart legal solutions, delivered simply.

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