Experienced Construction Litigation Attorneys In Kansas City

In Missouri, construction disputes fall under strict state laws, which demand timely payments to contractors and subcontractors. When these rules are ignored or when defects derail a project, the situation can spiral fast. Navigating these challenges requires working with an attorney who understands construction law and can stand up for your rights.

Long & Robinson, LLC, a Kansas City-based litigation firm with a sharp focus on construction law, serves clients across Missouri, Kansas, Colorado, Oklahoma, Illinois and Iowa. With over 80 years of combined experience, our team brings a practical, down-to-earth approach to tackling your legal hurdles.

Types Of Construction Disputes We Handle

Our boutique litigation firm represents owners, contractors, subcontractors, suppliers and lenders in construction disputes across Missouri and the region, including:

Payment Delays And Statutory Payment Claims

Payment disputes often involve late payments, unpaid invoices and withheld retainage. These matters can also include payment-bond claims on public projects and claims under state prompt-payment laws. Our team moves fast to meet notice deadlines, protect bond and lien rights and pursue recovery. These disputes also often involve disputed pay applications, improper back-charges and setoffs, paid-to-date errors, lien-waiver issues, joint-check disagreements and closeout payment conflicts over punch lists, as-builts and commissioning.

Construction Defect Claims

Construction defect claims involve poor workmanship, faulty materials and hidden problems that hurt quality and value. These cases often require early site review, warranty demands and insurance notice. Our team helps clients plan investigations, work through warranty and insurance steps and pursue repairs or damages. Common issues include water intrusion and building-envelope failures, structural movement and settlement, performance problems, code disputes, product failures and disputes over who must pay among trades, designers and insurers.

Contract Interpretation And Change Order Disputes

Contract disputes often involve scope, change orders, pay-if-paid or pay-when-paid terms and other job duties. These conflicts can affect pricing, schedule and cash flow. Our team enforces contract rights, negotiates fair adjustments and takes cases to arbitration or court when needed. Common flashpoints include scope gaps, RFI and submittal delays, oral directions that clash with written change-order rules, unit-price and allowance true-ups, substitution disputes and flow-down clauses that push risk downstream.

Mechanics’ Liens And Lien Enforcement

Mechanics’ lien disputes involve filing liens, defending liens and foreclosing liens to collect payment. Priority disputes can also arise on phased projects and condominium projects. Our team builds lien strategies that support recovery and help protect closings. This work often includes lien-rights audits, deadline tracking, notice planning, lien releases for progress payments, bonding off or transferring liens to keep work moving and negotiated deals that clear title while keeping leverage.

Delay, Disruption And Schedule Claims

Delay claims often seek time extensions and money for extra costs after the schedule slips. Contractors may also claim constructive acceleration when the project team forces them to finish on the original date after a delay. Our team combines schedule analysis with legal strategy to prove entitlement and pursue recovery. These cases often involve out-of-sequence work, trade stacking, late design decisions, differing site conditions, weather and force majeure disputes, no damage for delay clauses, and exceptions and liquidated damages claims.

Termination, Suspension And Default Disputes

Termination and default disputes often start when someone ends a contract for cause or for convenience. These disputes can also involve work suspensions, cure notices and claims for completion costs. Our team helps clients document problems, evaluate risk and build strong claims or defenses. These cases often involve demands for damages, demobilization costs and completion pricing.

Bid Protests, Procurement Disputes And Public-Project Compliance

Public projects can lead to bid protests and disputes over who should receive the award. These cases often involve questions about responsiveness, responsibility and required procurement steps. Our team challenges improper awards and defends proper awards when a protest arises. Our team also advises on certified payroll, prevailing wage and recordkeeping so a compliance issue does not grow into a later dispute.

Surety, Bond And Indemnity Disputes

Bond disputes can involve performance-bond defaults, tender disputes and takeover or completion agreements. Indemnity disputes can also arise between the surety and the bonded contractor. Our team represents principals, obligees and sureties in these matters. Early notice and strong documentation often decide the outcome, so our team focuses on those steps from the start.

Insurance Coverage And Additional-Insured Disputes

Insurance coverage often shapes the outcome of a construction dispute. Coverage disputes can involve additional insured tenders, duty to defend issues, priority of coverage conflict and reservation of rights challenges. Our team presses insurers to honor coverage duties and coordinates coverage strategy with the underlying claim. This approach can increase the chances of a funded settlement or recovery.

Design, Professional Liability And Delegated Design Disputes

Design disputes can involve architects, engineers, design-build teams and delegated design duties. Delegated design often includes shop drawings, performance specs and design-assist scope. Our team analyzes the design standard of care, proves causation and addresses how parties should share responsibility. These cases often require careful coordination with technical experts.

Post-Completion, Closeout And Turnover Controversies

Closeout disputes often involve final completion, certificate of occupancy issues and final payment conditions. These conflicts can also involve punch lists, commissioning, warranty reserves and release terms. Our team helps clients reach completion, protect payment rights and resolve disputes that threaten occupancy or financing. Condo and mixed-use projects can also raise turnover document disputes, reserve, and maintenance issues and post-turnover defect and governance conflicts.

Who We Represent

We represent the full range of parties involved in construction projects, from planning and contracting through closeout and dispute resolution. No matter your role, we focus on pursuing solutions that support schedules, cash flow and long-term business goals. Our clients include:

• General contractors: Project managers, executives and contracts teams often need fast contract triage, lien, and bond strategy and retainage recovery. Claims that threaten schedules and cash flow also require decisive defense or prosecution.
• Subcontractors and specialty trades: Business owners and operations managers frequently focus on preserving lien rights and enforcing payment. Guidance on pay-if-paid flow-down terms can make a major difference, along with support in recovering for change orders or disruption without harming future work opportunities.
• Material suppliers and vendors: Credit and accounts receivable decision-makers may need to preserve bond and lien remedies quickly to protect receivables. Targeted collection strategies and practical enforcement can also help maintain long-term supply relationships.
• Commercial developers and owners: Asset managers and owners’ counsel may face defects, delay claims, contractor disputes and title or closing issues. A project-focused legal strategy can help protect project value while supporting sales timelines and lender requirements.
• Lenders, sureties and title professionals: These parties often require a clear analysis of lien priority and enforcement options. Careful attention to bond, title and funding requirements can also limit exposure and protect financing.
• Homeowner associations and property managers: Boards and managers may deal with turnover controversies, warranty claims, reserve disputes and governance conflicts after construction completion. Effective legal support can help resolve disputes while protecting the property’s long-term condition and value.

Whether you’re a small subcontractor or a large regional developer, we tailor our construction‑litigation approach to your role, risk tolerance and business objectives.

Why Choose Us?

We put you first. We are not a big-name firm charging sky-high fees. Instead, we offer premium legal support with a friendly, straightforward style. Our team has racked up multimillion-dollar wins, including 10s of millions in construction defect claims. Selected to the Super Lawyers list and recognized by the Kansas City Business Journal’s “Best of the Bar,” we blend deep legal insight with a real understanding of your business.

Our efficiency and focus mean you get high-quality guidance without the hefty price tag. Plus, with convenient evening and weekend hours, we fit into your schedule – not the other way around.

Take The Next Step Today

At Long & Robinson, LLC, we are ready to guide you through the mess and toward a solution. Call 816-708-2218 or reach out via our online contact form for a consultation in our Kansas City office.