Paul M. James is a Partner with the national Construction Industry Practice Group of Holland & Knight and resides in the firm's Boston office where he serves as the Regional Practice Group Leader. Mr. James concentrates his practice in construction law and litigation and alternative dispute resolution. He represents a range of construction industry clients in both the private and public sectors, with a focus on the representation of general contractors, at-risk construction managers, and design-build contractors. His practice includes: structuring project delivery methods and reviewing, structuring and negotiating construction, design and construction management contracts; advising clients on contract interpretation and contract and project administration for commercial, institutional, and public building projects and public works projects; claim avoidance counseling; public procurement laws and bid protests; construction industry labor and employment issues; OSHA matters; change order management; project close-out management; assessment, preparation and defense of claims; litigation and arbitration of construction related disputes; and providing general business advice to construction industry clients.
Mr. James has written and spoken on various construction law topics, including The American Institute of Architects contract documents, construction industry contract structuring, negotiation and drafting, construction industry dispute resolution, construction claims, construction project delivery methods, design/build and construction management, the Massachusetts public construction laws and the Massachusetts mechanic’s lien law. Mr. James has been an invited speaker on construction law and construction industry topics by Associated General Contractors of Massachusetts, Construction Industries of Massachusetts, Construction Financial Management Association, Lorman Education Services, the Massachusetts City Solicitors and Town Counsel Association, the Commonwealth of Massachusetts Division of Capital Asset Management, and Massachusetts Legal Education, Inc. He has also lectured on construction law topics for Suffolk University Law School and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology Graduate School of Civil Engineering.