Jeffrey L. Hamera practices in the area of litigation with a focus on the construction industry. Mr. Hamera's clients include general contractors, design/builders, construction managers, subcontractors, suppliers, owners, architects, engineers and sureties. He represents clients on matters involving contract drafting and negotiation for design agreements, construction contracts, EPC contracts and design/build agreements. He also represents clients in arbitration and litigation of breach of contract claims, delay, disruption, loss of productivity, excessive change orders, out of scope work, mechanic's liens, errors and omissions, construction defects, and property damage and personal injury claims due to design errors and omissions or faulty construction.

Prior to entering the legal profession, Mr. Hamera worked as a professional engineer for clients in the nuclear power, pharmaceutical, petrochemical and manufacturing industries.

Mr. Hamera is a 1994 cum laude graduate of Northwestern University School of Law and a graduate of the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign (M.S., 1987; B.S., 1986).

Areas Of Practice

Construction Law

Representative Matters

Represented a concrete subcontractor in a claim and litigation for delay damages of $6,000,000 on a hotel project.
Represented a pipeline contractor in over $5 million in claims and liens in four counties related to payment dispute.
Defended a construction manager/designer against a $1,100,000 lost productivity claim on a chemical processing facility.
Represented an electrical/mechanical contractor on $20,000,000 in claims, arbitration and litigation arising from construction of a power plant.
Defended a general contractor against a $1,200,000 claim arising from alleged construction defects.
Obtained a judgment in excess of $2,000,000 in favor of a general contractor in litigation arising from the construction of restaurant and retail facilities in Russia.
Advised the owner of a property damaged by the 9/11 terrorist attacks during repair of the damage and remediation of environmental contamination and mold growth.
Advised a general contractor/design builder during termination for convenience of a $40,000,000 rehabilitation project.
Drafted environmental remediation contracts, advised on specifications, obtained insurance coverage, screened contractors and tracked potential work exposure for the remediation of hazardous material, construction debris and mold.
Represented an owner during the negotiation and drafting of term sheets and EPC contracts for new cogeneration plants.

Professional Activities

American Bar Association
- Construction Industry Forum
Associated General Contractors - Illinois
Chicago Bar Association
Chicago Building Congress
- Chairman, Services to the Industry Division
Chi Epsilon Society of Civil Engineers
Design Build Institute of America
Illinois Society of Professional Engineers
Illinois Road and Transportation Builders Association
National Society of Professional Engineers

Admissions

Illinois
U.S. Court of Appeals, Fourth Circuit

Education

Northwestern University School of Law, J.D., cum laude, 1994
University of Illinois - Urbana-Champaign, M.S., 1987
University of Illinois - Urbana-Champaign, B.S., 1986

Experience

Duane Morris LLP
- Partner, 2008-present
- Associate, 2006-2007
Jenkens & Gilchrist
- Counsel 2005-2006
- Associate, 2001-2006
Baker & McKenzie
- Associate, 1996-2001
Stein, Ray & Conway
- Associate, 1995-1996

Board Memberships

Chicago Building Congress

Selected Publications

Author, "2007-2008 Construction Law Update: Case Law & Legislation Affecting the Construction Industry - Illinois," Winter 2008
Co-author, "Subcontractors Dealt a Winning Hand by Nevada Legislature - Nevada's Prompt Payment Act," Construction Lawyer, Legislative Update, Spring 2007
Co-Author, "Private Funding for Transportation Project," Road & Transportation Builder, July/August 2003
Author, "New Laws and Retroactivity," Road & Transportation Builder, January/February 2003
Author, "No Good Deed ... Assisting a Subcontractor Can Release Its Performance Bond Surety," J&G Construction Law News, June 2001

Selected Speaking Engagements

Speaker, "What to Do When Construction Projects Go Bad," Lorman Education Services seminar, Schaumburg, Illinois, March 11, 2008