Heeding the Warning Signs –
Strategies for Identifying and Managing a Troubled Project
Sara Bryant, Murtha Cullina LLP
Emily Federico, Ankura
Colleen Lenz, Ankura
All projects start off with the goal of completing on time and on budget, with minimal issues along the way. But many companies and projects are not prepared with strategies or protocols when things do not go as smoothly as planned. In this breakout session, three women specializing in construction dispute resolution will assist the audience in identifying red flags to look for when a project may be in trouble. While recognizing that some disputes are unavoidable, the speakers will provide lessons learned and best practices that may be implemented to reduce risk when trouble arises, such as proper communication and use of available protocols / tools. This session will be valuable to professionals in all stages of their careers and in all facets of a construction project.
About Sara
Sara Bryant is a partner in the Boston office of the law firm Murtha Cullina LLP. She represents construction managers, owners and other construction industry clients in the trial and resolution of construction disputes on public and private projects. She handles matters involving allegations of breach of contract, defective work, mechanic’s liens and Chapter 93A violations. She also drafts and negotiates construction contracts and secures and defends lien and bond rights for her clients. Bryant is the former President and founding member of the Boston Chapter of the Professional Women in Construction and currently serves as Office Managing Partner of Murtha Cullina’s Boston office.
About Emily
Emily Federico is a Senior Managing Director in Ankura’s Construction Disputes & Advisory Group, based out of the Fairfield, CT office. She is a certified Planning and Scheduling Professional (PSP). Her over 20 years of experience in the construction industry includes schedule development and monitoring from a technical and risk management perspective as well as the preparation and analysis of various schedule delay, acceleration, loss of productivity, and cost overrun claims on construction projects in the public and private sectors. Federico has provided expert testimony in the areas of schedule delay and damages. She is Past President of the Connecticut section of AACE International and has provided numerous presentations to the construction industry regarding construction claims, project scheduling, schedule delay and forensic schedule and cost overruns analysis.
About Colleen
Colleen Lenz is a Senior Director in Ankura’s Construction Disputes and Advisory group, based out of the Boston, MA office, with more than nine years of experience in construction investigations for dispute resolution and construction advisory. Throughout her career, Lenz has assisted clients involved in construction disputes by performing detailed analyses of complex issues to identify the root-cause of project management failure on projects around the world. Her expertise includes analyzing schedule delays for construction disputes, performing in-depth issue analyses through project document review/investigation, and assessing project damages. Lenz also advises clients during the pre-development and construction stage of ongoing projects by providing services such as schedule development, monthly schedule reviews and risk assessment.