Celebrating Over 75 Years of Serving Nevada’s Legal, Business, Government, and Civic Communities
Construction Law & Litigation
Practice Areas
Rated Tier 1, Band 1, and Best Lawyers in Construction Law & Litigation
McDonald Carano has been an active participant in shaping Nevada’s construction industry for decades. We serve the transaction and litigation needs of Nevada, regional, national, and international clients involved in private and public works projects throughout Nevada.
Owners, developers, investors, design professionals, general contractors, engineering professionals, subcontractors and suppliers all turn to us to ensure that their construction projects remain viable and successful. Our comprehensive construction law experience includes dispute resolution (arbitration, mediation, litigation, pre-litigation counseling); project planning and advice (selection of project delivery method, bidding strategy and process); contracts and contracting (plan, structure, draft, negotiate construction contract documents); and project execution (compliance, permitting, insurance, bonding, performance, payment).
Our team has experience resolving every type of construction dispute and litigation matter, ranging from pre-construction counseling and negotiation to mediation, arbitration, litigation, trial, and appeal. We have handled construction cases before state and federal courts and state and federal administrative agencies encompassing all types of claims, including design and construction defects, work performance and quality, changed or unforeseen conditions, delays, disruptions, loss of productivity, acceleration, payment disputes, back charges, and bid protests and disputes. Our deep bench of experience allows us to ably navigate and overcome even the most problematic and potentially expensive construction challenges.
McDonald Carano understands the construction industry, construction companies and construction projects, including the unique aspects of building in Nevada. By identifying potential obstacles early on, our construction attorneys work with clients to assess and mitigate risk and potential claims. We have been known to favorably resolve even the most hotly contested disputes outside of court and with minimal delay and expense.
We also provide clients with helpful resources, including educational seminars, to help train their employees and maintain a knowledgeable workforce. For example, we annually provide seminars for members of the Associated General Contractors of Nevada titled “Nevada Mechanic’s Lien Law Seminar,” “Key Contract Terms,” “Nevada Prompt Pay Act,” and “Legislative Recap: New Laws that May Impact Your Business.” We are also the annual updates author for “Construction Laws and Customs: Nevada State Q&A,” a Thomson Reuters Practical Law publication.
McDonald Carano is an annual premier level sponsor of the Nevada Chapter of the Associated General Contractors (for which we serve as outside general counsel) and we both sponsor and donate to the fundraising activities of the Construction Leadership Council.
Our Construction Expertise Awards, Recognitions and Rankings
- Construction Lawyer of the Year Awards
Our Reno lawyers and Las Vegas lawyers are rated among the best construction attorneys by Best Lawyers In America®. Best Lawyers® recognizes only the top 5% of practicing lawyers. In the 2026 edition of Best Lawyers, McDonald Carano celebrates our 16th Lawyer of the Year award in Construction Law and Construction Litigation. - Best Construction Law Firm
Our Construction Law & Litigation Practice is ranked in the highest Tier 1 category in the 2026 edition of Best Law Firms. As Best Law Firms® explains, “achieving a tiered ranking signals a unique combination of quality law practice and breadth of legal expertise.” Firms that receive the Tier 1 designation reflect the highest level of respect a firm can earn among other leading lawyers and clients from the same communities and practice areas. - Highest Band 1 Ranking in Construction Litigation
Construction Litigation attorney George Ogilvie received the highest Band 1 ranking in Chambers USA: America’s Leading Lawyers for Business. The 2025 edition of Chambers USA is the 13th consecutive year that George has been prominently ranked in Construction Litigation. Chambers’ research includes interviews with clients to assess legal ability, client service, team depth, commercial astuteness, professional conduct, and diligence. - Construction Lawyers Society of America
The Construction Lawyers Society of America is an invitation-only association of construction industry lawyers limited to 1,200 practicing Fellows. Three McDonald Carano attorneys are members – George Ogilvie is a Charter Fellow, Matt Addison is a Fellow, and Phil Mannelly is an Associate Fellow. McDonald Carano has more CLSA members than any other law firm in Nevada.
Special Qualifications of Our Construction Law & Litigation Team
- Matt Addison, a Partner in our Reno office and Co-Chair of our Construction Law & Litigation Practice, has served as an Administrative Law Judge for the Nevada State Contractors Board. Matt has earned three Lawyer of the Year awards in Construction Litigation (2026, 2024, 2016) and one Lawyer of the Year award in Construction Law (2025) from The Best Lawyers in America. Matt is a Fellow member of the Construction Lawyers Society of America. Matt’s construction law experience also includes clients in the mining sector. For example, Matt assists a major gold-producing complex with the negotiation and finalization of its supply chain and construction contracts. He also served as Nevada legal counsel for a copper mine advising on over $10 million in mechanic’s liens involved in the mine’s bankruptcy proceedings, including potential litigation of lien-related adversary matters.
- George Ogilvie, Firm Managing Partner of McDonald Carano and Managing Partner of our Las Vegas office, is ranked in the highest Band 1 category in Construction Litigation in Chambers USA: America’s Leading Lawyers for Business (2012-2025). He has received three Lawyer of the Year awards in Construction Law (2026, 2024, 2020) and two Lawyer of the Year awards in Construction Litigation (2026, 2019) from The Best Lawyers in America. George is a Charter Fellow member of the Construction Lawyers Society of America. In Vegas Inc. magazine’s list of “Top Lawyers,” George is the only lawyer listed in Construction Law in 2024 and 2022, and one of only two in 2023.
- Phil Mannelly, a Partner in our Reno office and Co-Chair of our Construction Law & Litigation Practice, serves as outside general counsel to the Nevada Chapter of the Associated General Contractors. He also is a gubernatorial appointee to the Public Works Board for the State of Nevada. Phil is an Associate Fellow of the Construction Lawyers Society of America. Phil is the annual updates author for “Construction Laws and Customs: Nevada State Q&A,” a Thomson Reuters Practical Law publication. Phil is recognized in Nevada Business Magazine’s list of “Top Rank Attorneys” (2022-2024) and “Best Up & Coming Attorneys” (2022-2023). He is also recognized in Construction Law in The Best Lawyers in America (2026).
- William Magrath, a Partner and co-chair of our Complex & Commercial Litigation Practice, received four “Lawyer of the Year” awards in Construction Litigation (2023, 2019, 2015, 2012) from The Best Lawyers in America, two “Lawyer of the Year” awards in Construction Law (2023, 2021), and five “Lawyer of the Year” awards in Bet-the-Company Litigation (2023, 2020, 2018, 2016, 2013).
- Leo Bergin, a Partner in our Reno office and former Managing Partner of McDonald Carano, received an SIR (Skill, Integrity, Responsibility) Award from the Nevada Chapter of the Associated General Contractors and has received Martindale-Hubbell’s highest AV Preeminent Peer Review rating since 2003.
- James Bradshaw, a Partner in our Reno office, received a “Lawyer of the Year” award in Construction Litigation (2021) from The Best Lawyers in America and has received Martindale-Hubbell’s highest AV Preeminent Peer Review rating since 2006.
Our Comprehensive Scope of Services
Our team has advised on and resolved issues pertaining to the full array of construction transactions and construction disputes.
- Bid protests and disputes
- Changed or unforeseen conditions claims
- Change orders and extra work claims
- Contract drafting and negotiation
- Construction contract disputes
- Construction management issues
- Construction manager at risk (CMAR) projects
- Delays and disruption damage claims
- Design-build projects
- Design and construction defect claims
- Loss of productivity and impact damage claims
- Mechanic’s liens and bond claims
- Payment disputes and back charges
- Prompt payment claims
- Stop work procedures
- Termination of contracts
- Unforeseen circumstances and differing site condition claims
- Work performance and quality claims
Practice Area News
McDonald Carano Receives 24 “Tier 1” Practice Group Awards in Best Law Firms 2026
Tier 1 Practice Groups McDonald Carano proudly announces that 24 areas of expertise in our Reno and Las Vegas offices received the highest Tier 1 ranking in the 2026 edition…
26 Reno Office Lawyers Recognized in The Best Lawyers in America 2026
McDonald Carano proudly announces that 22 of our Reno office lawyers have been selected by their peers for inclusion in the 2026 edition of The Best Lawyers in America and four lawyers…
17 Las Vegas Office Lawyers Recognized in The Best Lawyers in America 2026
McDonald Carano proudly announces that 16 of our Las Vegas office lawyers have been selected by their peers for inclusion in the 2026 edition of The Best Lawyers in America and one…
Our Construction Law & Litigation Group
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