Marisa Bavand, Mike Grace, and Allison Murphy have joined Dorsey & Whitney’s Seattle office as partners in its Construction and Design and its Government Contracts practices. Additionally, attorneys Tamara Comeau, Christian Ferrin, and Emily Yoshiwara joined Dorsey, along with two staff members. All of these new additions to Dorsey’s Seattle office were formerly with Seattle-based Groff Murphy PLLC, which is ceasing operations following the move.

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Dorsey adds 6 construction law and government contracts lawyers in Seattle, including partners Marisa Bavand, Mike Grace, and Allison Murphy (left to right) (Photo: Business Wire)

“Dorsey continues to build on our success in complex construction disputes, expanding the footprint of the practice across the country,” said Jocelyn Knoll, Dorsey’s Construction and Design Practice Group Leader. “The clients we serve nationally and internationally will benefit from the addition of this talented group, and we look forward to better serving them.”

Marisa Bavand is nationally recognized for her experience in construction litigation and government contracts. She provides counsel to construction industry and government contracts clients and has served in contracting and dispute roles in national and international projects. Her practice includes representing public and private owners, general contractors, and engineers with pre-project planning and risk assessment, contract drafting, claim management and preservation, and litigating disputes. She provides strategic advice and litigation representation on a variety of projects including heavy civil, light rail, highway, bored tunnels, universities, production facilities, fire stations, mixed use commercial projects, and various vertical construction projects. She has also represented clients nationally in contract disputes involving the United States Navy, Army Corps of Engineers and Department of Energy projects. Marisa also has extensive experience defending clients in United States Department of Justice investigations and False Claims Act litigation.

Mike Grace provides counsel and litigation services to contractors, developers, design professionals, and other construction industry clients. He drafts and negotiates a wide variety of contracts and agreements, helping clients resolve issues during all phases of the construction process. Mike is experienced in resolving different types of construction claims and disputes, including bid protests, change order and extra work disputes, claims for defective design and construction, as well as claims for delay, acceleration, impact, and lost productivity. He is well versed in construction insurance and surety bonds, and he regularly assists clients with solving coverage disputes.

Allison Murphy focuses her practice on government contracts, construction law, and complex commercial litigation. She has handled litigation in state and federal courts and has participated in mediations and arbitration hearings involving complex construction and government contract disputes. She has also navigated a wide range of disputes, including contractor delay and impact claims, claims involving the False Claims Act, and claims involving the complexities of the Small Business Act and Federal Acquisition Regulation. Allison has also advised contractors on bidding, contract negotiation and formation as well as general compliance issues.

“Dorsey provides an ideal platform for our practice,” said Marisa Bavand. “It has strong capabilities in all key practice areas and industries to perfectly meet the needs of our clients. We are thrilled to bring our experience handling complex construction and government contracts disputes to the team.”

Bill Stoeri, Managing Partner of Dorsey, said, “We are committed to building a robust Construction and Design team that provides our clients across the globe with the business solutions they are seeking. This group of attorneys is an excellent fit with our already strong team, and also brings additional government contracting experience to our firm.”

About Dorsey & Whitney LLP

Clients have relied on Dorsey as a valued business partner since 1912. With locations across the United States and in Canada, Europe, and the Asia-Pacific region, Dorsey provides results-oriented, grounded counsel for its clients' legal and business needs. Dorsey represents a number of the world's most successful companies from a wide range of industries, including banking & financial institutions; development & infrastructure; energy & natural resources; food, beverage & agribusiness; healthcare & life sciences; and technology.

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