Construction, design, and real estate clients rely on Dan's decades of experience and valuable in-house perspective when they face big challenges and big opportunities. He offers them a true 360-degree view of the construction and real estate business, from litigation and dispute resolution, to contracts and joint ventures, to labor negotiations, to compliance and insurance coverage.
Prior to joining Much, Dan served as senior vice president and general counsel for McHugh Enterprises Inc. During his time at McHugh, Dan handled all manner of legal issues for billions of dollars in construction, design, and development projects. While Dan was at McHugh, the company was a large general contractor that constructed infrastructure and general building projects around the country, from building massive bridges to 101-story buildings. The company was also a prominent self-performing concrete contractor and was a licensed structural engineering company.
When it comes to disputes, Dan is an able litigator. He has tried multiple cases to judgment in various courts, including first-chairing several large multi-week construction and real estate trials. Dan is also experienced in alternative dispute resolution, having led a variety of arbitrations and mediations. Whether a complex scheduling and payment dispute matter or large design or construction defect case, Dan has successfully tried such cases to conclusion. Dan has a client's appreciation for the cost and difficulties that litigation and disputes cause and is committed to minimizing those pain points for his clients whenever possible.
In terms of transactions, Dan counsels clients in a variety of agreements related to the construction, design, development and real estate industries. Dan regularly drafts and negotiates all manner of contracts and has prepared suites of contract templates for a variety of both contractors and owners. Dan’s experience in the industry allows him to focus upon the issues that truly matter to his clients’ business teams.
Beyond disputes and contracts, Dan has developed several niches in the industry:
- He assists companies buying or selling construction and design companies. In particular, Dan assists in the due diligence and risk analysis for such transactions.
- He advises contractors and others on union labor-related issues tied to construction and design. Dan served on the board of directors of one of the largest pension funds in the country. He has negotiated with a variety of multi-employer construction unions and is familiar with grievance and other union considerations.
- He advises government contractors in the construction and design industries on a variety of issues including compliance and disputes. Dan has particular experience assisting clients in addressing disadvantaged business entity issues, including assessing commercially useful function considerations.
- He leads all types of industry participants in structuring and drafting joint venture agreements for both private and public projects.
- He has spent decades advocating for policyholders in insurance matters. Dan has assisted clients in recovering hundreds of millions of dollars under all manner of insurance policies.
Dan was recognized by the National Law Journal as a trailblazer in the area of construction law. He is an elected fellow of the American College of Construction Lawyers and the American College of Real Estate Lawyers. He is also an elected member of the Society of Illinois Construction Attorneys and currently serves as president of the society. Dan is a longtime and frequent speaker and author on a variety of construction, design, real estate, and insurance issues.