T: 415.954.4498
F: 415.954.4480
sdouglass@fbm.com
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B. Scott Douglass, Partner
Scott Douglass focuses on construction and surety law. He has a background in engineering and construction, and uses this experience in a variety of cases representing developers, owners, general contractors, subcontractors, and a major Asian-based steel fabricator in the context of private, public, and public-private-partnership construction projects.
Recent projects include State Route 125, a 12.5-mile toll road public-private-partnership project in San Diego involving nearly $1 billion in claims and counterclaims, the Carquinez Suspension Bridge - a first-of-its-kind suspension bridge in the U.S., the Bay Bridge's new signature span and temporary by-pass structure, airports, cogeneration and other power facilities, desalination plants, state-of-the-art laboratories, hospital facilities, schools, earthen dams, ordnance disposal site closures, wastewater treatment plants, prisons, manufacturing plants, golf courses, commercial office buildings, high-rise hotels, and various residential projects involving multi-million dollar homes or multi-unit facilities.
Mr. Douglass' representations on these types of projects primarily involve contract negotiation and drafting, contract administration and performance, risk avoidance, and the resolution (through litigation, arbitration, dispute review boards, mediation or negotiation) of breach of contract claims, mechanics' lien claims, stop notice claims, and claims for extra work, delay, disruption and loss of productivity oftentimes involving various damage-calculation methodologies and complex legal, scheduling and technical issues.
Prior to pursuing his legal career, Mr. Douglass practiced geotechnical engineering at a major international engineering and construction consulting firm.
Mr. Douglass conducts client seminars on construction law issues and has taught classes on construction law in California through Lorman Educational Services, Federal Publications Seminars, Strafford Publications, and as a lecturer at Golden Gate University School of Law. Mr. Douglass publishes articles in construction-related periodicals, such as Builder & Developer and the ABA Construction Forum's Under Construction, and is a contributing author to LienLawOnLine, a website that details lien laws throughout the country.
Mr. Douglass is admitted to the State Bar of Illinois and the State Bar of California and is active in various bar-related activities including serving as the founding chairperson of the Bar Association of San Francisco's Barristers Club Construction Law Committee.
Reported Cases
Platte Anchor Bolt, Inc. v. IHI, Inc., 352 F.Supp.2d 1048 (N.D. Cal. 2004).
Arntz Builders v. Superior Court, 122 Cal.App.4th 1195 (Cal. App. Ct. 2004).
Elling v. State Farm. Mut. Auto. Ins. Co., 291 Ill.App.3d 311, 683 N.E.2d 929 (Ill. App. Ct. 1997).
Quinn v. Jewel Food Stores, Inc., 276 Ill. App.3d 861, 658 N.E.2d 1225 (Ill. App. Ct. 1995).