Overview

Jean focuses her practice on construction law (both public and private), real estate law, insurance coverage, surety bonds and commercial litigation.

She has litigated more than 150 disputes in various U.S. District Courts, State Courts, and arbitration forums throughout the United States including the prosecution and defense of delay, disruption and loss of efficiency claims, and post-acceptance design, defect and deficiency claims. She has successfully represented owners, contractors, and sureties in the defense and prosecution of default termination claims and default takeovers. She has extensive motion practice experience in both litigation and arbitration proceedings, successfully prosecuting and defending various substantive and procedural motions to narrow the disputed issues resulting in favorable settlements and judgments on behalf of her corporate clients. Jean’s successful motion practice has resulted in several reported and unreported opinions that clarify the law and bring greater certainty for decision-making by her corporate clients. She also has extensive appellate practice, briefing and arguing to affirm and reverse decisions before Ohio state and federal appellate, district and supreme courts.

Jean’s litigation and appellate practice benefit from her extensive transactional experience drafting and negotiating various construction-related agreements on behalf of owners, developers, contractors, design professionals, and construction managers related to every type of project delivery method, including engineering, procurement and construction (“EPC”), integrated project delivery (“IPD”), design-build, fast-track and traditional design-bid-build. She has extensive experience serving as project counsel for both public and private owners throughout the United States advising on project delivery methods, financing, contract negotiations, bidding and contract award, construction progress, documentation, and close-out and post-occupancy issues related to design and construction. Clients are advised during the course of the project as disputes arise about how to document claims, mitigate damages and understand their legal rights, obligations and remedies in the jurisdiction where the project is located. Claims that cannot be resolved are prosecuted or defended through negotiation, mediation, arbitration, and/or litigation.

Experience

Credentials

Education

The Ohio State University, 1981, B.A.
Cleveland State University College of Law, 1990, J.D.
  • Moot Court Team
  • Law Review
  • cum laude

Clerkships and Bar Admissions

Ohio
U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Ohio
U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Ohio
U.S. Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit

More

  • Member, American Bar Association, Construction Section
  • Member, Ohio State Bar Association, Construction Section
  • Member, Cuyahoga County Bar Association
  • Member, Cleveland Metropolitan Bar Association