Michelle I Rieger

Practice Areas

Construction

Career

With more than 30 years of experience in construction law, Michelle is widely recognized for her in-depth understanding of the legal concerns of our lender, owner, and developer clients and how their business interests are key considerations in the resolution of construction matters. She concentrates her practice on a broad range of construction issues, with a particular focus on drafting and negotiating design and construction contracts for large, complex construction projects.

Michelle is Board Certified in Construction Law by the Texas Board of Legal Specialization and has significant experience in dealing with the complexity of various delivery methods utilized in the construction industry. She advises clients in both construction litigation and transactional matters.

Construction Transactions: Michelle has extensive experience structuring and negotiating complex consulting, design, and construction contracts for elite projects in Texas and across the country. With a particular focus on airport, hospital, and public/private projects, she also has substantial experience in providing legal advice to owner and developers of commercial and multi-family projects. Michelle knows how to integrate her clients’ business objectives into comprehensive, yet practical, agreements. She regularly provides legal advice on interpretation and construction of contract clauses and the interaction of insurance and surety bond products in those contracts.

Construction Controversies: With a background in construction litigation and arbitration, Michelle regularly advises clients in the resolution of contract and construction issues. Typically representing owner/developer clients with large multifamily or commercial portfolios, Michelle has successfully resolved claims arising out of contractor defaults, terminations, breach of contract, defective construction, design and engineering errors/deficiencies, delays, scheduling, change order, and payment issues.

Professional Memberships

State Bar of Texas (Construction Law Section: Chair, June 2008-June 2009; Former Vice-Chair, Treasurer and Secretary)

Dallas Bar Association (Construction Law Section)

American Bar Association (Tort and Insurance Practice Section, Forum on Construction Law, Construction Litigation Subcommittee)

Publications

The Best Lawyers in America, (BL Rankings, LLC), 2007-2025

The Best Lawyers in America, "Lawyer of the Year" - Construction Litigation, (BL Rankings, LLC), 2018

Chambers USA Guide to America, Chambers & Partners Publishing, 2006-2015, 2017-2025

Texas Super Lawyers, Thomson Reuters, 2004-2024

The Best Lawyers in Dallas, D Magazine, 2007

Winstead's "We Strengthens Me" Award, 2005 (given annually to one shareholder for excellent service and dedication)

Experience

Airlines/Aviation/P3

Structuring/drafting/negotiating design, consulting, and CM @ Risk agreements for public/private transactions to modernize airport terminals and related infrastructure projects at metropolitan airports in Texas, California, Arizona, and Florida

Preparation/negotiation of design and CM @ Risk agreements for commercial airline hangar and other proprietary projects in Colorado, Texas, Arizona, and Florida and provide construction-related input on lease structure for facilities

Prepare/negotiate design and CM @ Risk contracts for airline client for campus building construction and related infrastructure

Counseling long-term aircraft manufacturer client to structure, draft and negotiate various design and construction contracts relating to multiple projects, including headquarters building, multiple flight training center locations, additional campus facilities, and new-build industrial product

Advise multi-faceted investment firm on construction and design contracts and related development agreements with respect to investment in P3 projects including:

-Preparation/negotiation of a design-build agreement, construction contract for restaurant space, and continuing advice concerning completion of a convention center/hotel development

-Preparation/negotiation of construction/design contracts for construction of single-family build-to-rent, light industrial warehouse and mid-rise office buildings on the former campus of Brooks Air Force in San Antonio, Texas

Healthcare/Life Sciences

Represent JV in connection with development, design, and construction of $5B pediatric hospital complex in Dallas, Texas, engaging with client to draft and negotiate complex contracts while advising on design and construction issues in planning and development of project

Represent public health system in drafting and negotiating consulting agreements, design professional services contracts, and Design-Build, Construction Manager at Risk and construction agreements for a variety of improvements to the system’s $1.2B master-planned campus project

Draft suite of design/construction contracts for pediatric healthcare system for use with ongoing expansion/modernization of existing and new medical center campus facilities, including ER and OR buildouts

Provide legal advice on various construction contracts, subcontracts and related construction issues to large not-for-profit health care system with a network of acute care hospitals and related healthcare projects throughout the Dallas-Fort Worth area

Prepare suite of design-build/CM @ Risk/construction and design contracts to assist in implementation of public health system’s master plan of construction activities at existing campus in Fort Worth, Texas

Drafting various design and construction contracts and providing ongoing advice concerning construction activities undertaken by large pediatric hospital system

Draft design-build and several CM @ Risk contracts for construction of new campus facilities for public hospital system to include acute care hospital, clinics, logistics center, central utility plant and parking structure

Construction issue counseling for major Texas healthcare system relating to ongoing construction activities

Real Estate

Represent developer client in preparation and negotiation of design and construction contracts for new AAA commercial office building in the Dallas area

Represent financial services company in preparation and negotiation of a suite of design and construction contracts to assist in build-out of office space for new headquarters building and various banking locations throughout Texas

Preparation/negotiation of design and construction contracts for multi-year design and construction activities on iconic office campus for private equity fund client

Extensive representation of large private equity fund in drafting suite of construction and design contracts for use with various office, industrial, retail, and office properties on national basis

Long-term representation of multifamily real estate developers and counseling on the ever-changing construction landscape in Texas, providing advice on various contracting terms and resolving conflicts as they arise

Michelle served four terms on our board of directors and more than a decade as chair of the firm's Construction Practice Group, working to build and expand our core competencies to best serve our clients now and in the future.

Education