William J.

Shaughnessy

Position: Partner
Office: Atlanta

Bill Shaughnessy is a partner on the Construction Team. He focuses exclusively on helping clients in all stages of construction projects, including contract review and negotiation, dispute avoidance and resolution, and litigation and arbitration.

Bill’s legal practice focuses on helping clients navigate complex construction projects from beginning to end, throughout the United States and internationally. He represents owners, developers, general contractors, design/build firms, and large-scale subcontractors, as well as equipment manufacturers, in the public and private sectors.

Bill handles matters relating to projects across a wide range of industries, including heavy civil construction, highways and related infrastructure, power plants, wind farms, solar energy, manufacturing and processing plants, hospitals, data centers, dam construction, stadiums, and large mixed-use developments.

In addition to litigation and arbitration trial services, Bill represents clients in mediation, structured settlement meetings, and dispute resolution board hearings. He also provides critical insight and advice during contract negotiation and review, helping his clients identify potential risk exposure and liabilities. Clients regularly engage Bill to serve as project advisory counsel.

Noteworthy

Experience

Represented a design-build highway contractor against a regional mobility authority in Texas responsible for the design and construction of highway expansion project in Texas. Supported the presentation of more than $100 million in claims to the dispute resolution board as established by the parties’ contract. Claims related to differing site conditions, cumulative impact, unidentified utilities, and extra work, and it involved the application of Texas law to avoid the enforcement of onerous exculpatory provisions within the parties’ contract. A successful settlement was reached for the company prior to formal litigation.
Represented the designer-builder of a $400 million highway and bridge design-build project in the Pacific Northwest. The matter involved disputes arising from complex and interrelated geotechnical and design issues that resulted in more than $50 million in additional construction and design costs and months of delay.
Represented a Fortune 500 company responsible for supplying critical equipment components for the design and construction of a $1.2 billion data center for the United States National Security Agency. The dispute involved a large, complex arbitration involving more than 15 parties and more than $100 million in claims. A successful settlement was reached for the company soon after the arbitration hearing commenced.
Represented an engineering, procurement, and construction (EPC) contractor in arbitration on a $59.5 million wind farm project located in North Dakota. As the balance of plant (BOP) contractor, the client’s scope consisted of the construction and energization of 75 wind turbines. At the conclusion of a two-week arbitration hearing, including an extensive post-hearing briefing, the client was awarded $20 million and was deemed the prevailing party, which entitled the client to recover attorneys’ fees and other costs.
Represents an international petrochemical company and its EPC contractor in a dispute involving more than $60 million in claims and counterclaims. The dispute relates to construction of a new world-class polymers production plant in Texas.
Represented a US-based private renewable energy company that owns two solar-powered electrical generation facilities currently under construction in Mexico, including advising the company regarding two EPC agreements totaling more than $100 million. Negotiated and drafted amendments to the EPC contracts that enabled the owner to reach commercial closeout with the contractor and avoid having to terminate the contractor for default. Advised the owner in all aspects of the EPC contracts, including default, termination, arbitration, and assessment of liquidated damages against the contractor.
Represents a US-based private renewable energy company on multiple projects, including several offshore wind projects located in the Southwestern United States, Canada, and Asia. Advises, drafts, reviews, and negotiates more than $2 billion in contracts on the client’s behalf.
Represents a prime contractor hired to build a $160 million dam in Texas, one of the state’s biggest water projects in the past 30 years.
Represents a large developer in preparing, drafting, and negotiating construction contracts worth more than $150 million in projects across Georgia and Florida.
Represented a global architecture and engineering firm in a matter involving more than $240 million in threatened claims from the federal government arising from the design and construction of a $1 billion military hospital.
Represents the owner of a manufacturing facility in separate pending lawsuits between a contractor and a subcontractor involving the construction and design of a large conveyor belt assembly at the facility. The disputes and pending lawsuits involve issues of design defect, contract remedies, lost profits, bankruptcy filing, and disputed invoices.
Represents a civil contractor in a dispute relating to a $20-million-plus student housing project in Virginia where the contractor performed work; defending the contractor against a suit filed by the general contractor against the client and another subcontractor for more than $7 million for delays and defective work, including lost profits and attorneys fees.
Successfully represented a national subcontractor in federal court litigation against the general contractor on a federal construction project owned by the Army Corps of Engineers. Peach State Roofing, Inc. v. Kirlin Builders, LLC, 2018 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 104662.
Successfully represented a large civil subcontractor in defending more than $6 million in delay claims asserted by the general contractor on a large multifamily construction development project.

William J.

Shaughnessy

Noteworthy

Experience

Publications

Presentations

Memberships

Education

Bar Admissions

Court Admissions

Related Practices

Related Industries

William J. Shaughnessy

Noteworthy

Experience

Publications

Presentations

Memberships

Education

Bar Admissions

Court Admissions

Related Practices

Related Industries

William J.

Shaughnessy