John Giffune

Practice Areas

-Construction

-Litigation & Trial

-Construction Litigation

-Professional Liability & Licensure

Career

Through his decades of legal service to the construction industry, John has cultivated a practical approach to solving complex problems. John's clients include contractors, subcontractors, design professionals, material suppliers, and developers, as well as both public and private project owners. John's clients rely on his efficiency, common sense, and results-oriented approach to solve their legal problems.

In more than 20 years representing clients in construction disputes, John has litigated, arbitrated, and mediated in the state and federal courts of New England and beyond. With an engineering background, he is well-suited to dealing with contractors, architects, and engineers, and the complex technical issues arising in construction litigation. John has litigated complex construction disputes involving changed conditions, delay and inefficiency, force majeure, design malpractice, and construction defects. He also has extensive experience counseling public and private project owners, contractors, and design professionals in the area of design and construction services procurement including bid protests, and drafting and negotiating design and construction contracts.

John also represents businesses, financial institutions, bankruptcy trustees, fiduciaries, and individuals in complex commercial disputes (in state, federal and bankruptcy courts) involving business torts, breaches of fiduciary duties, fraudulent transfers, enforcement of security agreements, insurance coverage issues, Uniform Commercial Code matters, and commercial foreclosures.

John holds a Bachelor of Science in mechanical engineering and is a patented inventor (Patent No. 5,248,244).

Professional Memberships

-Member, Cumberland County Bar Association

-Member, American Bar Association Forum on Construction Law

Public Service:

-Board of Directors, Cumberland Bar Association (2007-present; past President)

-Board of Directors, Cromwell Center for Disabilities Awareness (2018-present)

-Member of Board of Directors and Building Committee Chair, Animal Refuge League of Greater Portland (2005-2014)

Publications

Alerts:

-"New Rules for Apprentices on Energy Projects Come with Uncertainty for Contractors and Developers" -Verrill

-"Massachusetts COVID-19 Essential Services as they Relate to the Construction Industry" -Verrill

-"Is the Coronavirus Pandemic a Force Majeure?" - Verrill

-"Trick or Treat? Popular AIA 2007 Design and Construction Contracts No Longer Available After October 31, 2018" -Verrill

Personal

John now lives in Cumberland, Maine, with his wife and two sons. When not in his office, he can be found enjoying Maine's woods and waters with his family.

Expert in these Jurisdictions

John is admitted to the Maine and Massachusetts bars.

In addition, John is admitted to the following courts:

-U.S. District Court for the District of Maine

-U.S. District Court for the District of Massachusetts

-U.S. Court of Appeals for the First Circuit

Languages Spoken

English

Education

Awards