Matthew Millis

Practice Areas

Matt is a construction lawyer who helps developers, contractors and design professionals navigate the complexities of the construction process. He provides day-to-day counsel from project inception to completion and guides his clients through dispute resolution when problems arise on the job. The bulk of Matt’s practice involves drafting and negotiating complex construction contracts for high dollar projects around the country, including mixed-use, multi-family, industrial, office, medical, logistics, and commercial. Matt’s practice also includes litigating or arbitrating construction and real estate disputes, advising construction clients, drafting and negotiating construction contracts, pursuing and defending mechanic’s lien and bond claims, and counseling clients on default, termination and project management issues. Matt has handled both bench and jury trials and resolved many cases through mediation or arbitration.

- Matt provides ongoing construction related counsel to most of the Midwest's largest (and many of the nation’s largest) developers and construction companies, including risk management, contract drafting and negotiation, and dispute resolution.

- Since 2020, Matt has negotiated more than $1 billion worth of construction and design contracts for projects across the country.

- Matt represents 12 of the top 25 Indiana commercial developers and 10 of the top 25 Indiana commercial construction contractors according to the 2024 Indiana Business Journal Book of Lists.

- In 2024, Matt represented a developer/builder in a high-dollar arbitration against a concrete subcontractor over allegations of construction defects in the concrete podium on a $40+ million multi-family development. Just prior to the final arbitration hearing, and after months of discovery, Matt navigated his client through a novel non-binding arbitration process, the result of which led to a swift and favorable settlement.

- From 2021 – 2024, Matt represented a design-build contractor through protracted AAA arbitration involving the project owner and multiple subcontractors. The case involved issues relating to delays, liquidated damages, and allegations of design and construction defects. The matter settled on favorable terms.

- In 2024, Matt represented a national multi-family developer in a dispute with a general contractor involving delay claims, and design and defect issues.

- Since 2021, Matt has represented one of the nation’s largest developers of industrial office parks and logistics centers. He drafted a suite of contract forms and now provides ongoing counsel for the negotiation of those forms on projects across the country.

- In 2023, Matt negotiated the design and construction contracts for a $50+ million mixed-use Project in Avon, IN.

- Since 2017, Matt has drafted and negotiated all construction and design contracts for a multifamily developer and builder with projects in the Indianapolis, Pittsburgh, Kansas City, Dallas, Phoenix, and Tampa / St. Petersburg metropolitan areas ranging in size from $20 million to more than $60 million.

- Since 2018, Matt has provided ongoing contract drafting and construction counsel to a developer with multifamily projects in Indianapolis, Kansas City, and Louisville.

Career

Matt joined Easter & Cavosie in 2020 and has served as the managing partner since 2021. Prior to joining the firm, Matt honed his construction law skills as an associate at Fredrickson & Byron, a large regional firm in Minneapolis, and as a partner and head of the construction law group at Wooden McLaughlin, a mid-size firm in downtown Indianapolis that has since become part of Dinsmore & Shohl.

In addition to his legal practice, Matt also serves as an outside director on the Board of Directors for Force Construction, Inc., an employee-owned, commercial and heavy-civil construction company headquartered in Columbus, Indiana.

Professional Memberships

ABA Forum on Construction Law;

Indiana State Bar Association - Construction & Surety Law Section;

Force Construction, Inc. - Board of Directors

Licensed in all Indiana state and federal courts

Education