Practice Areas & Industries: Porter & Hedges, L.L.P.

Practice/Industry Group Overview

You worry about the cost and uncertainty of litigation

You know that litigation is time-consuming and stressful, always involves costs in legal fees and personal time, and may not provide a satisfactory result. You want to see “justice” done in any dispute over your personal or business vital interests, but would be just as happy not going to court. Your real definition of winning is to achieve your objectives and protect what you've worked hard to achieve—too hard to jeopardize it in a winner-take-all lawsuit.

Services Available

You need Porter & Hedges

All of our trial lawyers have represented clients in arbitration and mediation, and are effective advocates on your behalf in presentations to arbitration neutrals and in negotiations with the help of a mediator. Several of us serve on the construction and commercial panels of the American Arbitration Association and have conducted arbitrations for the International Chamber of Commerce. In addition, our lawyers conduct private arbitrations when requested by counsel for the parties in a dispute. Some have also presided over and participated in such dispute resolution forums as summary jury trials and mini-trials.

Several of our lawyers are trained third-party neutrals who provide mediation and arbitration services. Our neutrals have conducted arbitrations and mediations of disputes pending in state court, federal court and before the United States Board of Contract Appeals and the Court of Claims. We have also conducted mediations at every stage of litigation—before, during and after trial, and on appeal.

Types of disputes arbitrated and mediated

• Construction claims by owners, contractors and subcontractors over payments, extra work, wrongful termination, delay and site condition differences.
• Claims against various municipalities, counties, school districts and municipal utility districts.
• Residential disputes involving construction defect claims under the Residential Construction Liability Act and Deceptive Trade Practices Act.
• Legal malpractice claims.
• Claims involving personal injury.
• Securities claims before the National Association of Securities Dealers and the Municipal Securities Rulemaking Board.
• Contract and commercial disputes, including trade secret claims.

Representative examples of the solutions we provide

• Arbitration and mediation of disputes between owners, contractors and subcontractors regarding payment claims, extra work claims, wrongful termination claims, delay claims and differing site conditions claims against various municipalities, counties, school districts and municipal utility districts.
• Arbitration and mediation of residential disputes involving construction defect claims under the Residential Construction Liability Act and Deceptive Trade Practices Act.
• Arbitration of legal malpractice claims.
• Arbitration and mediation of claims involving personal injury.
• Arbitration involving securities claims before the National Association of Securities Dealers and the Municipal Securities Rulemaking Board.
• Arbitration of a wide range of contract and commercial disputes.
• Arbitration of trade secret claims including electronic products before the International Chamber of Commerce.

Litigation is personal and emotional, but the ultimate goal in any dispute is to achieve your objectives. We want to see your interests protected the best way possible, and are able to look past the emotion of going to court to pursue alternative settlements that will produce the best results.