Matthew D. Menghini Equity Partner

Matt Menghini practices construction law. He has thirty years experience handling all aspects of the construction law practice. He is primary counsel for a number of the major general contractors in the St. Louis area.

Matt’s construction representation falls into three discrete categories:

1. Construction contract preparation and negotiation. A substantial part of Matt’s practice is devoted to preparing construction contracts and assisting his clients in contract negotiations. Matt is well versed in the key issues that must be addressed in construction contracts, whether they be between Owner and General Contractor, or between General Contractor and Subcontractor or Supplier, and whether they be traditional lump sum, guaranteed maximum price, time and materials, or design-build.

2. Day to day advice during a construction project: Matt devotes a considerable amount of his time to addressing and analyzing the recurring issues that arise during the course of a project, helping resolve same at the time they arise, or alternatively where the issues cannot be resolved taking the necessary actions to best position his clients for dispute resolution.

3. Dispute resolution: Matt has tried numerous major construction cases to verdict in court or to award in arbitration. On an annual basis, he typically tries 6-12 arbitrations or trials to completion.

In 2001, Matt obtained a jury verdict in St. Louis County in favor of a paving subcontractor prosecuting a delay claim against a general contractor and its bonding company for more than $1,600,000. Missouri Department Of Transportation ex rel PR Developers, Inc. v. Safeco Ins. Co., 97 S.W.3d 21 (Mo. App. 2002). This case established major precedents for contractors prosecuting delay claims in Missouri, including the rule that an Owner is obligated to provide the contractor with a site to work on.

In 2005, Matt was primary trial counsel for Clayco Construction in a major arbitration for Clayco against THF Carondelet, which after more than 13 weeks of arbitration resulted in an arbitrator’s Award in Clayco’s favor for more than $9,000,000, with the Award including the rejection of hundreds of claims for tens of millions of dollars brought by THF against Clayco.

Since the early 1990′s Matt has regularly published materials and delivered seminars several times a year to the St. Louis construction community on recurring topics of the construction practice.