Michael M. Suga

Senior Partner

Michael Suga has extensive experience representing contractors, subcontractors, developers, and design professionals in litigation concerning public and private construction projects and engineering services.  Michael has represented clients in various state and federal courts and in ADR mediation and arbitration proceedings.  Additionally, Michael has provided advice and representation to clients during contract negotiations and during project execution in order to protect and preserve client rights, while minimizing or avoiding claims and disputes.

REPRESENTATIVE EXPERIENCE

• Successfully represented Tri-venture in disputes concerning the construction of a Federal intelligence community data center.
• Successfully represented an ENR Top 10 Design Firm in a dispute concerning engineering services at a port facility.
• Successfully represented a general contractor and surety engaged in a dispute with the U.S. Corps of Engineers concerning the construction of a lock and dam project located in Arkansas. 
• Successfully represented ENR Top 10 contractor engaged in a dispute with the project owner concerning the engineering and construction of a 600 MW petroleum coke-fired CFB power plant.
• Successfully represented ENR Top 10 contractor engaged in a dispute with the project owners of two 1,100 Mw combined cycle power plant in Michigan and in Arizona, which resulted in separate arbitrations, both of which resulted in substantial affirmative awards for the contractor. 

PUBLICATIONS & PRESENTATIONS

• Co-Presenter / Panelist – Society of Construction Law, June 24, 2024, “Forensic Investigation of Failures: Road Map & Key Steps Through the Lens of Case Studies”
• Co-Presenter / Panelist - AAA Construction Conference, March 21, 2024, “New Construction Tools: The Use of New and Improving Technologies on Construction Projects and in ADR”
• Co-Presenter – ABA Forum on Construction Law, October 14, 2021, “Effective Project Management & Strategies: Turning Hindsight into 20/20 Foresight”
• Contributing Author:  American Bar Association, Federal Government Construction Contracts, 3^rd Edition (2017)
• Author: "Leave Me Out of It: Practical Considerations for the Use of 'Trade-to-Trade' Dispute Provisions on Multi-Prime Projects," From the Ground Up, Summer 2005, page 6
• Co-Author, "Contesting and Defending Liquidated Damages Provisions," Construction Briefings, May 2005.