Firm Overview

City, Hayes & Dissette, P.C., established in 1978, is a general civil practice with a non-exclusive specialization in construction law. In addition to its specialization, the firm has an active practice in both insured and self insured defense work, primarily property damage and products liability under general liability and builder's risk coverages, and personal injury defense work. Attorneys in the firm also are actively engaged in real estate, tax, general corporate work, and sophisticated commercial transactions.

Our construction work encompasses contract negotiating and drafting, state and federal bid protests, claim formulation, claim presentation through litigation and/or dispute resolution boards and other ADR mechanisms including conciliation, mediation, arbitration and references to masters, and further includes peripheral administrative proceedings such as OSHA trials, wage disputes, employment issues, and age and race discrimination claims. A very significant portion of our construction work is public work governed by state and/or federal statutes. We believe we are particularly well versed in the Massachusetts public construction statutory scheme. Through our representation of minority/woman owned/disadvantaged business enterprise contractors, we have significant expertise in prequalification and requalification with the State Office of Minority and Women's Business Assistance (SOMWBA). We participate in administrative law appeals on behalf of contractors on projects funded by state agencies such as HEFA, MHFA, etc. We also provide general corporate, tax and commercial law representation in connection with acquisitions and mergers.

The firm represents a number of self insured and insured product manufacturers and has litigated products liability cases, both personal injury and property damage claims, in jury and non-jury actions. The firm is actively involved in complicated insurance issues, including declaratory judgment coverage actions, and representing, e.g., a Lloyds syndicate on a public offering officers and directors liability policy. In connection with our construction practice, we have litigated errors and omissions claims with respect to architectural professional liability policies. We have worked with and for virtually every major property and casualty insurer through clients of the firm who have expressly requested that we be retained to represent the insured on covered claims. We have extensive experience with CGL and builder's risk policies, so called "wrap-up" project policies, E and O coverage, pollution coverage, subrogation, workmens compensation, and third party claims. We maintain a working library of construction and insurance industry publications and periodicals in addition to the usual law firm library.

While the concentration of representation of our construction industry clients is with general contractors and major subcontractors, we have also been specially retained to act as owner's counsel in construction litigation and we are currently representing several registered professional engineers with respect to professional liability claims. Based upon our relationships with our clients and our day to day involvement in the construction industry, we have developed broad knowledge of CPM scheduling, delay and disruption analysis, construction drawings and specifications reading and terminology, field procedures, construction forms and construction means and methods.

The information you obtain at this site is not, nor is it intended to be, legal advice. You should consult an attorney for individual advice regarding your own situation.

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