Marine Contracting

Contractors who engage in marine construction must confront one of the last great unknowns, the underwater environment, on a daily basis. In an ever-changing and impermanent world, the marine contractor must bring order and permanency to successfully complete a project. Whether it is dealing with destructive natural events, or attempting to implement a defective design, the need for the services of an experienced and knowledgeable legal professional often becomes paramount. The lawyers at Payne Hackenbracht & Sullivan have handled many matters over the years for marine contractors working on the east, gulf and west coasts, as well as on the inland waterways of the United States. These experiences have ranged from construction projects involving pilings, bulkheads, and stone jetties, to large and small harbor improvement projects. Through our efforts, marine contractors have recovered significant additional payments for their efforts, been exonerated following unwarranted terminations for default, and have been compensated when hampered by constructive changes, defective specifications, and differing site conditions. In one instance, through our efforts, a contractor on the Gulf Coast escaped liability for massive environmental damage when a dike failed on a disposal area. In another instance, a contractor working in the Caribbean recovered substantial compensation for the impacts of defects in the design of a government project where bulkheads shifted during construction and where conflicts with existing structures and overhead power lines precluded access to the worksite. On a project on the west coast, a client received a significant settlement for the unanticipated impacts on its construction activities of wave propagation within a man-made boat harbor.