For the past 30 years, Frank's law practice has focused exclusively on construction law matters, including the counseling of public and private owners, general contractors, construction managers, equipment suppliers, trade contractors, material suppliers, manufacturers, sureties, and real estate developers in dispute avoidance, as well as the representation of construction industry participants in complex construction disputes. Frank is an active national lecturer and writer in the field of construction dispute avoidance and construction contract law, and a senior member of the firm's Construction Practice Group.
Frank routinely counsels clients in the review, negotiation and drafting of all types of construction contracts, including design-build agreements, EPC contracts, equipment purchase on rental agreements, multi-prime arrangements, construction management agreements, takeover and reprocurement agreements, and design contracts. Frank spends much of his time counseling clients on "best practices" approaches to avoiding contract claims and disputes. He is the principal author of a project documentation practice manual for contractors and owners, and leads in-house workshops on the development and implementation of good documentation practices and early dispute resolution techniques.
An active participant in all types of ADR proceedings, as an advocate, arbitrator and mediator, Frank's experience allows him to guide clients efficiently through the disputes resolution process when claims and disputes prove unavoidable. He has practiced before the U.S. Court of Federal Claims in Washington, various Federal Boards of Contract Appeals, and in state and federal courts across the country.
Frank's construction law practice is national and international. He has advised clients, and resolved client disputes, on a myriad of construction projects, including airports, power plants, wastewater treatment plants, hospitals, hotels, resorts, industrial facilities, prisons, office buildings, sports facilities, highways, military bases, golf courses, schools and infrastructure projects. Frank serves in positions of leadership in the construction industry, and is an active participant in the Construction Financial Management Association, the ABA's Forum Committee on the Construction Industry, the ABA Section of Public Contract Law, the Design-Build Institute of America, the CPR Institute, the American Arbitration Association and the Dispute Resolution Board Foundation. Frank is a past Director of the Construction Law Division of the Atlanta Bar Association, and a past Co-Chair of the Bonding and Insurance Committee, as well as the Subcontracts Committee, of the ABA Section of Public Contract Law.
Representative Experience
Lead legal advisor to a utility in connection with drafting and negotiation of major equipment purchase agreements.
Lead counsel to Florida city government in the successful defense against a multi-million dollar extra work and delay claim by the general contractor on a large wastewater treatment plant addition and renovation project.
Lead legal counsel to a construction equipment dealer in connection with equipment sales contracts and related disputes.
Arbitration counsel to Atlanta condominium developer in the successful effort to recover from an insurance company more than $3 million in costs incurred in rebuilding a fire-damaged historic cotton mill property.
Litigation counsel to Atlanta-based global hotel company in pursuing construction defect claims against a contractor on hotel projects in Atlanta and Philadelphia.
Litigation counsel to a large Midwestern electric utility in connection with performance issue disputes, delay claims and defective design claims arising out of construction projects at this Midwestern state's largest coal-fired generating units.
Litigation counsel in multiple representations for three of the top ten U.S. specialty contractors as ranked by the Engineering News-Record.
Lead counsel to several resort developers in contract negotiations, construction contract monitoring, and ADR proceedings for large development projects in the Caribbean.
Lead contract and litigation counsel for a manufacturer and installer in connection with a national soccer stadium project in Canada.
Lead counsel to several general contractors in contract negotiations and dispute resolution proceedings involving major construction projects at Florida's Disney World and Epcot facilities.
Litigation counsel to the owner of a children's hospital in the mid-Atlantic states in the prosecution of more than $30 million in delay and defective work claims against multi-prime contractors.
Lead counsel in multiple representations of owners and general contractors in federal government contract matters, including construction contract and service contract matters, and including trials before various federal agency boards of contract appeals and the U.S. Court of Federal Claims.
Litigation counsel to a large general contractor in prosecuting and defending claims arising out of the construction of a storage and treatment facility for nuclear waste at the DOE's Idaho Nuclear Technology and Engineering Center.
Counsel to Middle Eastern royal family member in connection with a real estate development and construction project in the southeastern United States.
Litigation counsel to a coalition of general contractors and subcontractors in the successful pursuit of a multi-million dollar extra work and delay claim against an airport authority.
Legal advisor to a utility in connection with the drafting and negotiation of dozens of coal-fired power plant additions and retrofits.
Publications
Practical Steps To Help Subcontractors Weather Economic Hard Times, Construction Financial Management Association (March/April 2009).
Material Escalation: Allocating the Risks, Construction Briefings, Federal Publications (December 2006).
Practical Recommendations For Documenting And Demonstrating Extra Work Costs, CFMA Building Profits (January/February 1997 and January/February 2004).
Subcontract Termination: Ten Rules For Managing The Risks, Construction Accounting and Taxation, published by the Construction Financial Management Association (July 2003).
National Editor, LienLaw Online, a comprehensive on-line resource covering lien laws in 50 states, published by LienLaw Online, Inc. (2002).
Financial Management and Accounting For The Construction Industry (Release #10), Chapter 11-Practical Recommendations for Documenting and Demonstrating Extra Work Costs, CFMA, (July 1998).
Georgia Construction Law: A Legal Perspective, co-author, Lorman Publication (1998-1999).
Owner Damages, ABA Forum On The Construction Industry, (1985).
Project Checklists: A Practical Approach to Avoiding Pitfalls, co-author with Thomas J. Kelleher, Jr., (1992).
Avoiding Environmental Risks, Dixie Contractor, (April 1996).
Default Termination Checklist, State Bar of Texas Construction Law Newsletter (Spring 2001).
Managing Payment Risks: Navigating the Lien Law Maze, CFMA Building Profits (January/February 2002).
How To Make The Best Use Of Your Construction Lawyer, CFMA Building Profits (March/April 2005).
Presentations and Speaking Engagements
Speaker, Owner Damage Claims, Annual Meeting of the ABA Forum on the Construction Industry (1985).
Speaker, Georgia Construction Law, Lorman Business Center, Inc. (1997-1999).
Speaker, Georgia Construction Law, Federal Publications, Inc. (1996-1997).
Speaker, Fundamentals of Construction Law-Learn The Basics From The Pros, ABA Forum of the Construction Industry, Atlanta (2002 and 2006).
Speaker, Construction, Mechanics and Materialmen's Liens, Institute of Continuing Legal Education in Georgia (2003, 2005).
Visiting Lecturer, Southern Polytechnic Institute, Graduate Construction Law courses (2002-2003).
Moderator, American Bar Association Construction Forum Committee Seminar, Sticks & Bricks (Atlanta 2007).
Speaker, The 2007 AIA A201 General Conditions Document, Georgia AGC (2007).
Program Moderator, Construction Administration By Design Professionals and Agency Construction Managers, ABA Forum On The Construction Industry, Fall Meeting (2007).
Speaker, Managing The Risk of Material Price Escalation, Construction Financial Managers Association, Georgia Chapter (2007).
Speaker, Georgia Lien Law, Georgia Bar Association ICLE Program (2007).
Moderator, Building Hotel and University Projects, 2008 Associated Owners and Developers National Conferences, Atlanta and Miami (2008).
Speaker, 2009 Georgia Lien Law Changes, Construction Financial Management Association, Georgia Chapter (2009).
Speaker, 2009 Georgia Lien Law Revisions, Atlanta Bar Association, Construction Law Section (2009).
Other Distinctions
Named the Best Lawyers' 2012 Atlanta Construction Law Lawyer of the Year.
Recognized as one of America's Leading Lawyers for Construction by Chambers USA (2009-2012).
Recognized in The Best Lawyers in America in Construction Law (2007-2013).
Named to the Top Rated Lawyers Guide to Energy/Environmental/Natural Resources Law (2012).
Selected as a Super Lawyer in Construction/Surety by Law & Politics and Atlanta Magazine (2004-2013). Ranked on list of top 100 lawyers in Georgia (2004-2012); Selected for inclusion in the May/June 2010 Law & Politics' Super Lawyers, Corporate Counsel Edition.
Frank Riggs has achieved Martindale-Hubbell's highest rating for legal ability and ethical standards.
Work Experience
Partner, Troutman Sanders LLP, 2005-Present
Partner, Smith, Currie & Hancock LLP, 1980-2005
Associate, Smith, Currie & Hancock LLP, 1974-1979
Memberships
· Atlanta Bar Association, Construction Law Section, Member; Past Board of Directors
· American Bar Association, Section of Public Contract Law, Subcontracts Committee, Past Co-Chairman,
· American Bar Association, Section of Public Contract Law, Bonds and Insurance Committee, Past Co-Chairman
· American Bar Association, Forum on the Construction Industry, Steering Committee of Division 5, Division 5 Liaison to the Technology Committee and Liaison to the Publications Committee
· Construction Financial Management Association, Member and publications author
· Construction Financial Management Association Representative on the Consensus DOCS Contract Advisory Council (CCAC)
· Design/Build Institute of America, Board of Directors, Vice-President and Executive Committee, Southeast Region
· The Dispute Resolution Board Foundation, Member
· Closure ADR Group, Arbitration and Mediation Panelist
· American Arbitration Association, Past Construction Panel Member
· Georgia Associated General Contractors of America, Legislative Committee
· Associated General Contractors of America, National Committee Member, Industry Liaison Committee and Project Delivery Committee; Member of the AGC Task Force
· Fellow of the American Bar Foundation