Kate Warner
Construction, Real Estate (Transactional/Litigation)
San Rafael, California
Personal Introduction
We are active members of industry organizations (WestCon:Nor Cal Construction Forensic Experts; CSI: Construction Specifiers Institute; AGC: Associated General Contractors of California; BASA: Bay Area Subcontractor's Association; NAWIC: National Association of Women Contractors, and several local Nor Cal building associations ( Marin Builders etc.) We love and stay on top of building science and trends. Our passion is using our legal expertise (colored by real world and practical/scientific industry insights) to aid in the achievement of good building practices. Every attorney on our team has first person and ongoing construction experience. The founder, Kate Warner, started pouring concrete at age 4, and learned to drive on a tractor, and since then has been mentored and tutored by California and the best experts in the construction business. Our appreciation for "how that's gonna actually work" gives KWCL's members a distinct advantage over lawyers whose experience and focus is merely on the legal processes, that approach construction related matters the same way as they would for a business or personal injury case. Instead, we reverse engineer from the physical and economic demands and limitations of that specific project, with the specific players, and we use the law as a tool to achieve results. Often the best, most elegant solutions have very little to do with what the law dictates. That practical and creative approach has blessed us with the very best in client and industry referrals.
Practice Composition
Transactional/Litigation
Education
Practice Summary
KWCL is a team of 4 construction lawyers, based in Northern California, with between 25 and 42 years of legal experience. Our experience with the realities of construction extends decades beyond that. We are a boutique firm and we handle all phases of any construction matters, from * starting a project (feasibility, tailored scope/expectation management and ADR in contracting, and downstream/subcontract reconciliation + insurance alignment) * to aiding and controlling "during project" issues that arise *to litigating and/or pursuing/defending breach and defect claims, and after that, * (full circle) using recovered funds or repair offers to aid in the implementation of those repairs. We do not limit our practice to any "side": we take the "RIGHT" i.e winning side, whether that is the developer, seller, buyer, contractor, sub, owner, design professional or other stakeholder/impacted party. We can do that because our cases come to us through industry experts, local building departments, design professionals, and prior clients' referrals. Usually they come to us AFTER an expert (architect/engineer/contractor or building inspector) has determined that the project needs our aid, and has already been vetted as a legitimate matter. If not, we either advise the potential claimant to go get that expert opinion first, or we enter into a feasibility assessment agreement where we aid in obtaining that, and then, based on that information, determine if we wish to proceed, once the matter has been verified as feasible ( including asset searches of targets when feasible, and even coverage assessments).
Response Time
12 hours
Personal Interests & Charitable Work
We vigilantly keep our professional and personal lives separate. However we can share that the ocean and engaging and honoring "all things nature" informs everything we do.
What is Overture?
Overture is an attorney-to-attorney referral network. Vetted attorneys refer matters they can’t take on to trusted colleagues and earn fee splits when they do, expanding what every attorney can offer their clients.