Matthew Ryan has extensive experience with construction disputes, including serving as lead counsel and appearing in federal court, as well as arbitration, administrative proceedings, and considerable mediation experience.  Since 2006, Mr. Ryan has served as an Adjunct Professor at the University of Texas School of Law, having taught a three-hour upper level course on Construction Law and currently teaching a two-hour seminar on Construction Litigation.  He is a member of the Board of Directors for the Austin Chapter of the American Institute of Architects, and he is the current Treasurer of the Construction Law Section of the State Bar of Texas.

Matthew Ryan regularly represents design professionals in disciplinary and registration proceedings at the Texas Board of Architectural Examiners and Texas Board of Professional Engineers, and he lectures and focuses extensively on lien and bond claims, AIA form contracts, design professional disciplinary actions, and claims before the Texas Department of Transportation and the State Office of Administrative Hearings.  In addition, Mr. Ryan’s experience includes construction claims, contract drafting and negotiations, and other areas of commercial and civil law, focusing on helping his clients build and maintain strong foundations for their businesses.

Super Lawyers, a Thomson Reuters business, is a rating service of outstanding lawyers from more than 70 practice areas who have attained a high degree of peer recognition and professional achievement. The annual selections are made using a rigorous, multi-phased process that includes a statewide survey of lawyers, an independent research evaluation of candidates, and peer reviews by practice area.  The Super Lawyers lists are published nationwide in Super Lawyers magazines and in leading city and regional magazines across the country. Super Lawyers magazines also feature editorial profiles of attorneys who embody excellence in the practice of law. For more information about Super Lawyers, go to superlawyers.com.

The first Super Lawyers list was published in 1991, and by 2009 the rating service had expanded nationwide. In February 2010, Super Lawyers was acquired by Thomson Reuters the world’s leading source of intelligent information for business and professionals.   For more information, please visit www.superlawyers.com.

About Allensworth & Porter, L.L.P.

Founded by William R. Allensworth in 1995, Allensworth & Porter, LLP, is one of the leading construction law firms in Texas, representing clients in all facets of the construction industry, including architects, engineers, contractors, owners, developers, municipalities, utilities, subcontractors, and suppliers.  Based in Austin, Allensworth & Porter’s attorneys have extensive experience in serving the legal and business needs of their clients, with an emphasis on cost-efficient solutions and personal relationships.  For more information, please visit www.aaplaw.com.

William Allensworth is an Austin construction lawyer with some skins on the wall. When I put the question to him, he was initially puzzled. He’d never handled such a “light trespass” case before. Nor could he call one to mind. So he did what any smart guy with skins on the wall would do: he had some junior associate do a whole bunch of work for him to try to figure it out. Allensworth was kind enough to send me a report on his findings. You can read the whole thing. But here’s the upshot:

Full article>>

The Rising Star nomination process asks lawyers to nominate the best attorneys who are 40 or under, or who have been practicing for 10 years or less. They are instructed to nominate lawyers they have personally observed in action — whether as opposing counsel or co-counsel, or through other firsthand courtroom observation.  The lawyers are ranked by point totals and those with the highest point totals are named to the Rising Stars list. No more than 2.5 percent of the lawyers in the state are named to the list.

Joe Basham’s practice focuses almost exclusively on construction law, and construction litigation including arbitrations and mediations. He represents owners, developers, general contractors, EPC contractors, subcontractors, architects, and engineers, focusing on dispute avoidance, management, and resolution.

Mr. Basham graduated from Texas A&M University, cum laude, in 1998, with a Bachelor of Science degree in Construction Science. While at Texas A&M, Mr. Basham was a charter member of Tau Sigma Delta, the international honor society for Architecture and the Allied Arts, and a member of Sigma Lambda Chi, the international honor society for Construction.  Joe Basham graduated from Texas Tech School of Law Order of the Coif, magna cum laude, in 2002, and was a member of the Texas Tech Law Review and the Technology Editor, 2001-2002, then joining our firm as an Associate in 2002.

Super Lawyers, a Thomson Reuters business, is a rating service of outstanding lawyers from more than 70 practice areas who have attained a high degree of peer recognition and professional achievement. The annual selections are made using a rigorous multi-phased process that includes a statewide survey of lawyers, an independent research evaluation of candidates, and peer reviews by practice area.  The Super Lawyers lists are published nationwide in Super Lawyers magazines and in leading city and regional magazines across the country. Super Lawyers magazines also feature editorial profiles of attorneys who embody excellence in the practice of law. For more information about Super Lawyers, go to superlawyers.com.

The first Super Lawyers list was published in 1991 and by 2009 the rating service had expanded nationwide. In February 2010 Super Lawyers was acquired by Thomson Reuters the world’s leading source of intelligent information for business and professionals.   For more information, please visit www.superlawyers.com.

About Allensworth & Porter, L.L.P.
Founded by William R. Allensworth in 1995, Allensworth & Porter, L.L.P., is one of the leading construction law firms in Texas, representing clients in all facets of the construction industry, including architects, engineers, contractors, owners, developers, municipalities, utilities, subcontractors, and suppliers.  Based in Austin, Allensworth & Porter’s attorneys have extensive experience in serving the legal and business needs of their clients, with an emphasis on cost-efficient solutions and personal relationships.  For more information, please visit www.aaplaw.com.

The case concerns whether and to what extent architects performing contract or construction administration are responsible to third guests injured by purely construction defects.

Allensworth & Porter drafted an amicus brief in the Austin Court of Appeals on behalf of the Texas Society of Architects and the Texas Council of Engineering Companies, Inc.

Although a three-judge panel of the Austin Court of Appeals initially held that the architect owed a duty to a house guest injured by a construction defect, the entire Court later reversed itself on rehearing, holding that the architect owed no such duty.

If the Supreme Court hears the case, it will undoubtedly have a significant impact on the extent of the legal duties owed by design professionals to the public.

The new statute prohibits broad-form indemnity agreements on construction contracts entered into on or after January 1, 2012.

Under the old statute, construction project participants could agree to indemnify each other even for those damages arising solely out of the negligence of the indemnitee.

Under the new statute, such agreements are unenforceable, with some exceptions, the most notable being that construction participants may still agree to indemnify others for any injuries or death to the indemnitor’s employees.

The new clause will fundamentally change the way risk is allocated on construction projects, and construction industry participants are encouraged to discuss with their attorneys how to best protect themselves in this shifting legal environment.

Questions?  Contact Will Allensworth.

The amendment removed a controversial provision which permitted plaintiffs to join defendants to law suits even after the applicable statute of limitations had expired.  The new provision, however, prohibits defendants from naming any responsible third parties that the defendant has not timely disclosed to the plaintiff.

The new statute therefore imposes on the defendant the responsibility to identify, potentially early in the litigation, parties who may be liable to the plaintiff; failure to comply will preclude the defendant from submitting to the jury the comparative fault of any potentially responsible third parties.

Construction participants who have been sued on or after September 1, 2011 should discuss with their attorneys practices and procedures for timely disclosing any responsible or potentially-responsible third parties.

Questions? Contact Will Allensworth.

Super Lawyers, a Thomson Reuters business, is a rating service of outstanding lawyers from more than 70 practice areas who have attained a high degree of peer recognition and professional achievement. The annual selections are made using a rigorous multi-phased process that includes a statewide survey of lawyers, an independent research evaluation of candidates, and peer reviews by practice area.

The Super Lawyers lists are published nationwide in Super Lawyers magazines and in leading city and regional magazines across the country. Super Lawyers magazines also feature editorial profiles of attorneys who embody excellence in the practice of law. For more information about Super Lawyers, go to superlawyers.com.

The first Super Lawyers list was published in 1991 and by 2009 the rating service had expanded nationwide. In February 2010 Super Lawyers was acquired by Thomson Reuters the world’s leading source of intelligent information for business and professionals.   For more information, please visit www.superlawyers.com.

Prior to joining Allensworth & Porter, Ms. May served as the staff attorney for the Texas Civil Justice League, and was responsible for drafting, analyzing, and tracking civil justice and business-related legislation during the 82nd Legislative Session.  In her position at the TCJL, she also drafted and submitted an amicus brief to the Texas Supreme Court and worked on legislation for clients in neighboring states.  In addition, Ms. May worked with probate, oil and gas, and real property law issues as a clerk for the law office of Harry M. Whittington.

Ms. May received her J.D. from the University of San Diego School of Law in May 2010.  She served as an Executive Member of the Appellate Moot Court Board and competed in various moot court competitions, earning a Best Brief award in the Paul A. McLennon Constitutional Law tournament.  In 2005, Ms. May received her B.A. in Political Science from the University of Colorado at Boulder, graduating with distinction.

While in law school, Ms. May clerked for Walsh McKean Furcolo L.L.P., where she gained valuable experience in insurance defense, construction defect, and professional liability litigation.  She was also an extern for the Honorable Dana M. Sabraw of the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of California and a clerk for the U.S. Attorney’s office.  Before entering law school, Ms. May spent two years in Washington D.C as Coordinator for Senior Executive Actions at the U.S. Department of Homeland Security under Secretary Michael Chertoff.

A native of Austin, Ms. May is licensed by the State Bar of Texas and is a member of the Austin Bar Association and Austin Young Lawyers Association.  She also volunteers her time to provide pro bono legal services to Austin’s Volunteer Legal Services.  William Allensworth, founder of Allensworth & Porter, L.L.P., said “We are delighted to have Whitney join our firm, and we are confident she will be an excellent addition to our team, bringing value to our clients throughout the construction industry.”

About Allensworth & Porter, L.L.P.

Founded by William R. Allensworth in 1995, Allensworth & Porter, L.L.P., is one of the leading construction law firms in Texas, representing clients in all facets of the construction industry, including architects, engineers, contractors, owners, developers, municipalities, utilities, subcontractors, and suppliers.  Based in Austin, Allensworth & Porter’s attorneys have extensive experience in serving the legal and business needs of their clients, with an emphasis on cost-efficient solutions and personal relationships.  For more information, please visit www.aaplaw.com.

Nothing attracts a Bisnow reporter like a party with Tito’s being served. So we crashed the housewarming party for construction law firm Allensworth & Porter, which moved into new digs at 100 Congress Ave this fall. There, we snapped attorneys Joe Basham, Chad Simon (a new addition to the firm), and founding partner William Allensworth as they showed guests their new home. William was recently named Austin Construction Lawyer of the Year for 2012 in peer review pub Best Lawyers.   Full Story>>

This is an extraordinary achievement for Allensworth & Porter. U.S. News Media Group and Best Lawyers® 2011-2012 “Best Law Firms” national first-tier rankings showcase 9,633 different law firms ranked nationally in one or more of 75 major legal practice areas and in metropolitan or state rankings in one or more of 119 major legal practice areas. The national first-tier rankings are featured in U.S.News & World Report’s November 15, 2011 issue and the national and metropolitan first-tier rankings are featured in the “Best Law Firms” standalone publication, distributed to 30,000 general counsel and 58,000 private practice lawyers worldwide. 

“We are extremely honored to have been selected…” noted Willam Allensworth, Founder and Managing Partner, “… and believe it reflects our commitment to serving one of the most vital construction markets in the country”.