Blackwell, Michael S.

Mr. Banks is the principal attorney at Banks & Associates, PLLC, a Houston-based law firm focused on meeting the needs of government and construction contractors throughout Texas. He is a trusted advisor for licensed professionals, CEOs and managers in construction firms, and government contractors. Mr. Banks was licensed as a CPA in 2003 and has more than 20 years of experience as a lead accountant and CFO for successful government contractors. He earned his B.B.A. degree with a double major in Accounting and Finance from the Bauer College of Business at the University of Houston and secured his J.D. degree from South Texas College of Law. Mr. Banks is a member of the State Bar of Texas, the Association of Corporate Counsel and the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants (AICPA). He is a member of the Construction Law Section of the State Bar of Texas.

Mr. Blackwell represents a variety of clients, ranging from general contractors, subcontractors, owners, developers, insurers, and sureties in construction and labor issues, to companies involved in sales, acquisitions, corporate governance matters, commercial disputes, and other challenges arising in the commercial arena. He has engaged in significant contract negotiation; corporate formation, structuring, and governance matters; sales and acquisitions of assets and ownership interests; contract negotiation and drafting; construction disputes involving delays, terminations for default, payment, asset seizure, fraud, labor and employment issues; and a variety of other disputes that arise during construction. Mr. Blackwell regularly lectures on matters affecting construction clients, on ethics and liability for engineers, and on changes in Louisiana construction law for construction managers. 

Mr. Ferrini has served as lead construction contract writer and negotiator for private, corporate, and institutional projects, ranging from school district facility upgrades to the restoration of historic and iconic buildings, new multiuse developments of up to $500 million, and first-of-their-kind buildings in the New York City area. He has developed novel agreements and strategies to assist owners in moving their projects forward and has resolved complex claims that have paved the way for major new projects in multiple metro locations. Clients benefit from his extensive trial and appellate court experience and his cross-disciplinary approach in addressing their issues. Mr. Ferrini also has extensive dispute-resolution experience, resolving wide-ranging construction disputes in and out of court, including delay, construction defect, change orders, and lien foreclosure claims, as well as issues regarding mistakes, concealed conditions, bid challenges, and design professional malpractice. He taught Construction Law in the LL.M. program at New York Law School and has authored numerous articles on construction and design industry topics. In addition, he serves as a fellow of the Construction Lawyers Society of America, an invitation-only construction lawyer honorary society with membership limited to 1,200 practicing fellows from around the world. Mr. Ferrini has his own practice, but is also Of Counsel at Olshan Frome Wolosky, LLP.

Ms. Robinson’s primary areas of practice include construction contracts and litigation, surety law, insurance defense, zoning and planning, trademark prosecution and litigation, and general litigation. Ms. Robinson’s degree in Civil Engineering adds to her technical understanding of these practice areas. She represents general contractors, subcontractors, suppliers, owners, and sureties on a range of construction related issues including: 

• Drafting, reviewing, and negotiating construction contracts;
• Advising landowners regarding zoning, permitting, subdivision, and variances;
• The Louisiana Private Works Act and Louisiana Public Works Act;
• Complex construction claims for payment, default, delays, and defective work
• Contractor licensing

Mr. Vicknair worked as a software engineer for a major medical manufacturer and as an electrical engineer for a major chemical manufacturer prior to entering law school. He graduated from Louisiana Tech University with a BS degree in both Electrical and Biomedical Engineering and obtained his law degree from Loyola Law School in New Orleans. Mr. Vicknair has taught Louisiana Construction Law at Loyola law school as an assistant adjunct professor. He is licensed to practice law in the states of Louisiana, Texas and New York and is a licensed patent attorney. Mr. Vicknair regularly uses his prior work experience as a part of his legal practice. He is one of the founding partners at D’Arcy | Vicknair, L.L.C. His primary practice areas include construction law, construction litigation, surety law, and all phases of intellectual property, including litigation, prosecution, and transactional matters. Mr. Vicknair also practices in commercial litigation and claims related to construction defects, payment disputes, subcontractor claims, owner claims, and claims by general contractors. He lectures on construction law topics such as Louisiana lien law and general Louisiana construction law as well as intellectual property law topics, including trademarks, patents and copyrights.

Mr. Abraham leads the Firm’s Complex Litigation practice group, and is a member of the Firm’s Banking & Financial Services, Redevelopment and Life Sciences practice groups.  Equally skilled in the board room and the court room, He counsels his clients in a wide variety of practice areas and across industries.  Banks, pharmaceutical companies, developers and business owners all rely upon Mr. Abraham’s legal advice to solve their most difficult problems.  In the development and redevelopment practice areas, Mr. Abraham draws on a wealth of experience in environmental law, land use law, regulatory/administrative law, and construction law to solve his client’s most pressing problems.  Mr. Abraham’s assignments have included high-profile redevelopment projects in New Jersey’s largest cities, disputes relating to water and sewer resource allocation for new developments, complex construction defect suits, and environmental remediation suits.  He received his law degree from Seton Hall University School of Law and graduated cum laude.  During law school, he served as an editor of the Seton Hall Law Review.  Mr. Abraham is a graduate of Franklin & Marshall College.

Mr. Banks is the principal attorney at Banks & Associates, PLLC, a Houston-based law firm focused on meeting the needs of government and construction contractors throughout Texas. He is a trusted advisor for licensed professionals, CEOs and managers in construction firms, and government contractors. Mr. Banks was licensed as a CPA in 2003 and has more than 20 years of experience as a lead accountant and CFO for successful government contractors. He earned his B.B.A. degree with a double major in Accounting and Finance from the Bauer College of Business at the University of Houston and secured his J.D. degree from South Texas College of Law. Mr. Banks is a member of the State Bar of Texas, the Association of Corporate Counsel and the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants (AICPA). He is a member of the Construction Law Section of the State Bar of Texas.

Mr. Blackwell represents a variety of clients, ranging from general contractors, subcontractors, owners, developers, insurers, and sureties in construction and labor issues, to companies involved in sales, acquisitions, corporate governance matters, commercial disputes, and other challenges arising in the commercial arena. He has engaged in significant contract negotiation; corporate formation, structuring, and governance matters; sales and acquisitions of assets and ownership interests; contract negotiation and drafting; construction disputes involving delays, terminations for default, payment, asset seizure, fraud, labor and employment issues; and a variety of other disputes that arise during construction. Mr. Blackwell regularly lectures on matters affecting construction clients, on ethics and liability for engineers, and on changes in Louisiana construction law for construction managers. 

Mr. Ferrini has served as lead construction contract writer and negotiator for private, corporate, and institutional projects, ranging from school district facility upgrades to the restoration of historic and iconic buildings, new multiuse developments of up to $500 million, and first-of-their-kind buildings in the New York City area. He has developed novel agreements and strategies to assist owners in moving their projects forward and has resolved complex claims that have paved the way for major new projects in multiple metro locations. Clients benefit from his extensive trial and appellate court experience and his cross-disciplinary approach in addressing their issues. Mr. Ferrini also has extensive dispute-resolution experience, resolving wide-ranging construction disputes in and out of court, including delay, construction defect, change orders, and lien foreclosure claims, as well as issues regarding mistakes, concealed conditions, bid challenges, and design professional malpractice. He taught Construction Law in the LL.M. program at New York Law School and has authored numerous articles on construction and design industry topics. In addition, he serves as a fellow of the Construction Lawyers Society of America, an invitation-only construction lawyer honorary society with membership limited to 1,200 practicing fellows from around the world. Mr. Ferrini has his own practice, but is also Of Counsel at Olshan Frome Wolosky, LLP.

Mr. Vicknair worked as a software engineer for a major medical manufacturer and as an electrical engineer for a major chemical manufacturer prior to entering law school. He graduated from Louisiana Tech University with a BS degree in both Electrical and Biomedical Engineering and obtained his law degree from Loyola Law School in New Orleans. Mr. Vicknair has taught Louisiana Construction Law at Loyola law school as an assistant adjunct professor. He is licensed to practice law in the states of Louisiana, Texas and New York and is a licensed patent attorney. Mr. Vicknair regularly uses his prior work experience as a part of his legal practice. He is one of the founding partners at D’Arcy | Vicknair, L.L.C. His primary practice areas include construction law, construction litigation, surety law, and all phases of intellectual property, including litigation, prosecution, and transactional matters. Mr. Vicknair also practices in commercial litigation and claims related to construction defects, payment disputes, subcontractor claims, owner claims, and claims by general contractors. He lectures on construction law topics such as Louisiana lien law and general Louisiana construction law as well as intellectual property law topics, including trademarks, patents and copyrights.

Shareholder with Fabyanske, Westra, Hart & Thomson, P.A. in Minneapolis
Mr. Becker is a leading construction lawyer recognized for his skillful advocacy and professionalism in resolving his clients’ most challenging construction-related disputes or negotiating their most significant construction contracts. In 2020, Mr. Becker was recognized by Who’s Who Legal as a Future Leader partner in Construction Law, one of only three attorneys in the United States to receive this honor. His experience and practice focus in innovative early mediation methods of dispute resolution sets him apart from other lawyers with a traditional litigation-centric focus.

Mr. Blackwell represents a variety of clients, ranging from general contractors, subcontractors, owners, developers, insurers, and sureties in construction and labor issues, to companies involved in sales, acquisitions, corporate governance matters, commercial disputes, and other challenges arising in the commercial arena. He has engaged in significant contract negotiation; corporate formation, structuring, and governance matters; sales and acquisitions of assets and ownership interests; contract negotiation and drafting; construction disputes involving delays, terminations for default, payment, asset seizure, fraud, labor and employment issues; and a variety of other disputes that arise during construction. Mr. Blackwell regularly lectures on matters affecting construction clients, on ethics and liability for engineers, and on changes in Louisiana construction law for construction managers. 

Member of Kushnick Pallaci PLLC, Bohemia, NY
Mr. Lhuillier joined the firm as an associate in 2012 and became a member in 2019. He has immersed himself in the world of construction and construction litigation and leads the firm’s mechanic’s lien filing, prosecution and defense of lien foreclosure actions practice groups. With a practice that is heavily focused on construction, Mr. Lhuillier has been named a “rising star” by Super Lawyers Magazine multiple times since 2014. He has represented contractors, developers, owners, subcontractors, vendors and other material suppliers in a wide array of claims across various counties in New York.

Mr. Manion is Co-founder of Manion Stigger, LLP, a law practice devoted to representing and advising construction professionals. Prior to his legal career, Mr. Manion. was educated as an engineer and worked in project management for an ENR 100 contractor. Before Manion Stigger, he was part of the national construction practice of an AMLAW 200 firm and a law clerk in the United States District Court. His three decades’ experience in construction includes prosecuting and defending large payment claims in a variety of construction contexts, drafting and negotiating hundreds of construction-related transactions, and working closely with clients to manage operational risk. Mr. Manion brings to each task the combined lessons of an engineering education, MBA education, project management background, experiences as an advocate. Manion Stigger represents general contractors, construction managers, design-builders, and specialty contractors throughout the United States. 

Mr. Martin’s practice focuses on the construction industry, particularly in the areas of contract negotiation, procurement, project performance and claims, arbitration and litigation. He has conducted more than 100 construction-related trials. Mr. Martin is a Fellow of the American College of Construction Lawyers and has been an active member of the Associated General Contractors of America (AGC) and AGC of Massachusetts for 20 years. He has served as a lecturer on construction law at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and at Northeastern University.

Mr. Blackwell represents a variety of clients, ranging from general contractors, subcontractors, owners, developers, insurers, and sureties in construction and labor issues, to companies involved in sales, acquisitions, corporate governance matters, commercial disputes, and other challenges arising in the commercial arena. He has engaged in significant contract negotiation; corporate formation, structuring, and governance matters; sales and acquisitions of assets and ownership interests; contract negotiation and drafting; construction disputes involving delays, terminations for default, payment, asset seizure, fraud, labor and employment issues; and a variety of other disputes that arise during construction. Mr. Blackwell regularly lectures on matters affecting construction clients, on ethics and liability for engineers, and on changes in Louisiana construction law for construction managers.