Colm Nelson

Colm Nelson serves as the chair of Stoel Rives' Real Estate Industry Group and co-chair of the firm’s Construction and Design Group. He represents public owners, private owners and developers, general contractors, subcontractors, suppliers, design professionals, brokers, and lenders in a wide variety of construction transactions, construction litigation, procurement, and real estate matters. He has nearly 20 years’ experience in the construction industry and negotiates complex construction and design contracts for public and private owners. Colm represents clients in disputes over bid protests, construction defects and property damage, extra work and delay claims, errors and omissions in design documents, tenant improvements, breach of warranty, insurance coverage against insurance companies, and mechanic’s liens. He also has substantial experience handling procurement issues for public, quasi-public and private entities and related projects with respect to construction, services, and goods.

Colm enjoys developing a deep understanding of his client’s particular business and then partnering with that client to create forms, procure the appropriate insurance, and establish procedures that are both practical and effective in reducing his client’s risk. In situations where disputes are unavoidable, Colm has experience in redirecting the tone and direction of discussions and resolving matters through favorable settlements before litigation ensues. He has also carefully created and implemented litigation strategies that are designed to navigate his clients through each step of a complex lawsuit and tailored to meet that client’s particular needs and budget. Colm has experience representing clients in various levels of state court and federal court and in multiple arbitration forums.

- American Bar Association, Construction Law Forum

- Government Affairs Committee, National Association of Industrial and Office Properties Washington State Chapter; member, Seattle Subcommittee