About The Blog

Ahead of Schedule focuses on legal matters critical to the construction industry, offering insights, analysis, tips and updates regarding the law of project development, design and construction. The authors have well over 100 years combined experience in construction litigation and contract negotiation, along with prior office and field experience in engineering, construction and accounting. Stoel Rives' work includes all types of contracting scenarios and litigation, from $50,000 liens to mega-million dollar disputes. Reporting from 10 offices across the western United States, Ahead of Schedule shares our recent experiences and the latest industry developments with you, along with our passion for the industry and the ever-changing legal landscape.

Thank you for your interest. We hope you enjoy Ahead of Schedule and the unique depth of insight that it offers!

Eric Grasberger
Chair of Stoel Rives' Construction and Design Section

Dick Alexander

Dick Alexander is a partner of Stoel Rives LLP practicing in the Construction and Design group. Dick represents public and private owners, major design professionals and prime contractors in the construction and design field. His practice includes negotiating agreements and litigation, arbitration and claims work on major construction projects. He has lectured extensively to industry groups and lawyers on construction and design law issues.

Lou Ferreira

Lou Ferreira is a partner of Stoel Rives LLP where his practice focuses on providing advice on insurance coverage, risk transfer in contracts, obtaining insurance coverage for construction risks (including but not limited to OCIP, OPI, and CCIP issues), prosecuting and defending construction defect cases, professional malpractice by design professionals, and prosecution coverage disputes on behalf of insureds. He has extensive experience defending parties involved in construction site accidents including OSHA type actions, toxic tort exposures and wrongful death cases, and also handles all types of environmental issues that may arise on a construction job site.

Eric Grasberger

Eric Grasberger is a partner of Stoel Rives LLP practicing in the Construction and Design group. Eric has extensive experience in development and construction law, including major project contract negotiations, claims resolution through negotiation, litigation and arbitration, development risk and insurance analysis, and the formation of condominiums and other residential and commercial owner associations. Eric has represented numerous public and private owners and developers, as well as contractors and joint venture partnerships, in all facets of development and construction law. He is a frequent lecturer to the development industry and the Oregon Bar. Eric joined the firm in 1991. He is Chair of Stoel Rives Construction and Design Section and Co-Chair of Stoel Rives Sustainable Real Estate Development Team. Eric also chaired the Oregon Construction Claims Task Force in 2007, a nine-partner committee appointed by the State of Oregon to investigate and recommend solutions to the construction defect and insurance crisis.

Karl Oles

Karl Oles is a partner of Stoel Rives LLP practicing in the Construction and Design group. Karl has experience in complex commercial litigation, including representation of owners, architects, engineers and contractors on major construction disputes involving technical engineering issues, critical path scheduling, and project cost accounting. Karl has experience drafting and negotiating design and construction contracts for public and private clients on major commercial and alternative energy projects. He has represented a wide variety of clients with commercial disputes outside of the construction context.

Guy Randles

Guy Randles is a partner of Stoel Rives LLP practicing in the Construction and Design group. With extensive contract negotiation, claims, litigation, and mediation experience, he concentrates his practice principally on construction, contract and public procurement matters. Guy has successfully represented a full range of clients on major claims relating to construction, government contracting and business matters. Guy is in high demand as a mediator and arbitrator to resolve third party disputes. He has represented clients in the negotiation and representation of contracts for high visibility projects throughout the area.

D.J. Williams

D.J. Williams is a partner of Stoel Rives LLP practicing in the Construction and Design group. In this capacity, D.J. handles a variety of federal and state court cases for general contractors, subcontractors, real estate developers, and other clients. He also advises contractors on Utah-specific contract drafting, and he consults with home developers and subcontractors regarding construction and lien issues.

Lane Tucker

Lane Tucker is a partner of Stoel Rives LLP with more than 20 years of experience in federal government contracts, construction litigation and white collar litigation. Lane focuses her practice on all aspects of government contracting including Contract Disputes Act, False Claims Act and bid protest litigation, dispute resolution, audit and compliance issues, and internal investigations. She has handled to resolution hundreds of contract claims, bid protests and fraud investigations on a wide variety of matters and has extensive experience in construction disputes.

Kip Childs

Kip Childs is Of Counsel in the firm’s Construction and Design group. Kip has extensive trial experience and has been heavily involved in both prosecuting and defending construction defect, delay, impact, design and lien claims. He regularly participates in mediations and settlement conferences, and assists clients with negotiating and drafting construction and design contracts. Kip also has significant experience in bankruptcy, commercial and debtor-creditor law. He has represented both secured and unsecured creditors in bankruptcy reorganizations and has extensive experience litigating bankruptcy preference, lien avoidance, priority and plan confirmation disputes. Kip has spoken at numerous conferences and written extensively on construction and bankruptcy issues.

Stephen Kelly

Stephen Kelly is Of Counsel in the firm’s Construction and Design group. Steve represents owners, contractors and design professionals in construction and development matters. His practice focuses on contract drafting and negotiation, construction-related litigation and regulatory compliance. Before joining the firm, he served for nine years as staff attorney for the Confederated Tribes of Grand Ronde, acting as lead counsel on many construction and development projects and representing the Tribes regularly in tribal and state court.

Sean Gay

Sean Gay is an associate in the Construction and Design Group. Before joining Stoel Rives, Sean worked in the construction industry in Alaska, Hawaii and Washington. He has worked on wide range of construction projects, including retail, parking, multi-family and single-family residential, industrial, office and high technology buildings. Sean’s legal practice includes construction litigation, drafting and negotiating contracts, lien and bond claims, and public contracts. He is a frequent lecturer on construction law and has authored several related books and articles on various construction-law related topics.

Ian Crawford

Ian Crawford is an associate in the Litigation Group and has worked as an associate in the Corporate, Securities and Finance Practice Group, working with private and public companies in their arbitration, insurance, securities and corporate matters. Ian concentrates his litigation practice on insurance coverage and environmental matters. In his corporate practice, Ian has assisted clients in the Nevada commercial construction industry with debt financings and sales of limited liability company interests. He has also assisted with advising clients on securities law matters in condominium developments. Ian has lectured on limited liability entities and recent developments in Oregon business law.