Thomas P. Stevens

Tom has represented businesses and their owners as a trusted advisor for over 30 years, and when necessary, he has also represented his clients in court.

For the last 15 years, Tom has focused on representing general contractors, design-build contractors, and subcontractors. Tom has helped his clients build a suite of contracts to carry on their businesses on a day-to-day basis – from custom contracts with owners, joint venture agreements, and subcontract agreements for use in both private and public contracting.

On the litigation side, Tom has experience in the federal and state courts as well as in alternative dispute resolution forums such as the American Arbitration Association. Tom is skilled in complex construction litigation, including litigating claims submitted on public works contracts, payment claims under CASPA, and the Prompt Payment Act under the PA Procurement Code, bid protests, and claims for delays and acceleration. Tom also files mechanics’ liens for his construction clients when necessary.

Outside of the construction realm, Tom has extensive knowledge in complex commercial litigation, including breach of contract, breach of fiduciary duties, enforcing covenants not to compete, and misappropriation of trade secrets.

Additionally, Tom has frequently served as “outside general counsel” for his business clients, guiding them with all aspects of their businesses, including drafting shareholders’ and operating agreements, buy-sell agreements, and assisting with business succession planning.

Tom’s background in litigating contract matters has also proved to be an invaluable asset in drafting, reviewing, and negotiating contracts for his clients.

Tom lends his experience to the firm’s construction, commercial litigation, community associations, and construction defect practices.

Tom is licensed to practice in Pennsylvania and New Jersey.

Representative Experience

• Architectural Woodwork Contractor v. Building Owner (Mechanics’ Liens – CCP Phila..) – Prosecuted three liens resulting in payment over $1.0 million for architectural woodwork contractor client.
• Construction Management and Design Build Firms: Reworked clients’ construction contract forms for subcontractors and material suppliers. Helped develop addenda modifying those contracts for work performed in MD, DE, TN, and TX.
• Church v. General Contractor. – successful settlement of breach of warranty claims the owner brought against the contractor, stemming from alleged deficiencies with the insulation installed on the chilled water piping system in 2011, after filing suit in 2018.
• Custom Millwork Fabricator v. Adhesive Manufacturer and Distributor – Seven-figure settlement to resolve claims that adhesive failed after installation, causing claims for damages from customers to remove and replace delaminated surfaces.
• Subcontractor v. Large Facilities Maintenance Contractor (AAA – Washington, DC and Philadelphia) – successfully defended subcontractor’s multi-million dollar claim of breach of contract in AAA arbitration and obtained a defense verdict and award of attorneys’ fees and costs over $400,000.

Results may vary depending on your particular facts and legal circumstances.