Pillsbury Winthrop Shaw Pittman LLP handles the full range of litigation and arbitration cases, particularly before state superior courts, as demonstrated by its representation of an energy company in a $25m litigation regarding the SalesForce Tower construction before the San Francisco Superior Courts. Elsewhere, the firm regularly represents owners, general contractors, and various other clients in breach of contract claims, builders risk insurance regarding damages, as well as advising on project close-outs. Washington DC-based Melissa Lesmes  jointly leads the team alongside Clark Thiel and Charles Conrad, who operate from the San Francisco and Houston offices respectively. Former head of the construction counselling and disputes team, John Heisse has considerable experience in the field, while head of the energy and infrastructure projects team Robert Thum advises on EPC transactions, PPPs, and solar energy projects.

Legal 500 Editorial commentary

Testimonials

Collated independently by Legal 500 research team.

  • 'Charles Conrad is the sharpest and most thorough trial lawyer I have had the privilege to work with. There is no one better.'
  • 'Charles Conrad and his team know the law. They also know how to translate that knowledge into an effective discovery strategy that resolves every case well before trial. This translates into consistently strong results at reasonable cost.'

Key clients

  • Lane Construction
  • AECOM Energy & Construction Inc.
  • Clark/Hathaway Dinwiddie, A Joint Venture
  • Clark Construction
  • Target Hospitality Corp
  • NextEra Energy Resources
  • Amec Foster Wheeler USA Corporation
  • G.T. Leach Builders, LLC/The Gray Insurance Co.
  • Renewable Energy Group, Inc.
  • GEA Systems North America, LLC
  • New Tech Global Ventures, LLC

Work highlights

  • Advised Lane Construction as outside counsel and lead the negotiation of all critical documents in negotiating the $15+ billion design-build contract for the Texas High-Speed Train rail line.
  • Representing AECOM/Hunt joint venture in steel fabricator’s US $25 million federal court lawsuit regarding the Arthur Ashe Stadium at US Tennis Center in New York.

Lawyers

Hall of Fame
The lawyers at the very top of the profession, widely known and respected by peers and clients for their longstanding involvement in market-leading work.
John Heisse
Hall of famePillsbury Winthrop Shaw Pittman LLP
Next Generation Partners
Junior partners with significant recognition from clients and peers in the market and key roles on multiple matters.

Practice head

The lawyer(s) leading their teams.

Melissa Lesmes, Clark Thiel, Charles Conrad

Other key lawyers

John Heisse, Robert Thum