Michael Cowan is a litigator committed to addressing the needs of general contractors with a strategic, problem-solving approach which provides them with high-caliber advocacy, while always prioritizing their business needs. Michael’s practice involves a variety of construction issues and projects, both public and private.
Michael’s experience includes managing construction disputes, in both litigation and arbitration, across the United States, including in Colorado, Florida, Hawaii, Mississippi, New Jersey, Nebraska, and Wyoming. This experience includes prosecuting and defending delay, extra work, impact, inefficiency claims, and differing-site conditions on public and private jobs, as well as defending general contractors in multi-party disputes arising from the construction of hotels, condominiums, apartments, and commercial buildings. Michael also has significant experience representing design professionals in a wide array of construction disputes.
Prior to entering private practice, Michael served as a law clerk with Chief Justice William L. Waller, Jr. of the Mississippi Supreme Court. He earned his J.D. (summa cum laude) from the University of Mississippi School of Law, where he served as editor-in-chief of the Mississippi Law Journal. He is a member of the American Bar Association Forum on the Construction Industry, the Colorado Bar Association, and the Mississippi Bar Association.
Before attending law school, Michael worked as a learning and development specialist for Deloitte Services, LP in Nashville, Tennessee, and served in the U.S. Army Reserve as a civil affairs officer. He deployed to Iraq and Afghanistan.
Lead Attorney: Todd Bressler
Practice Area: Vertical Construction
Details: As a member of the Executive Committee of a large CA-based general contractor, provided general legal services and guidance in commercial transactions, disputes, compliance, and risk management.
Lead Attorney: Todd Bressler
Practice Area: Construction, Real Estate, Insurance
Details: Provided guidance to regional and corporate leadership regarding business and legal matters in the West Region of a top-25 ENR contractor.
Lead Attorney: Todd Bressler
Practice Area: Vertical Construction
Details: Negotiated and drafted construction agreements and advised clients on delivery methods, compliance, and procurement procedures. Developed litigation strategy and supervised over 20 attorneys, paralegals, and staff in three CA offices.
Lead Attorney: Todd Bressler
Practice Area: Vertical Construction
Details: Managed a diverse legal practice focusing on construction, insurance, and real estate disputes.
Lead Attorney: Todd Bressler
Practice Area: Vertical Construction
Details: First and second-chaired bench trials involving multimillion dollar construction disputes, and counseled clients through contract negotiations and regulatory compliance investigations.
Lead Attorney: David Frommell
Practice Area: Vertical Construction
Client Type: Home Owners Association
Details: Represented a conglomerate of HOAs over waterproofing replacement costs.
Lead Attorney: David Frommell
Practice Area: Vertical Construction
Client Type: General Contractor
Details: Bad faith insurance claim. Helping a client recover attorney’s fees based on a bad faith denial during the underlying litigation.
Lead Attorney: Scott Shea
Practice Area: Vertical Construction
Client Type: Real Estate Developer
Details: Represented client on a construction defect on a 500 unit apartment project involving a severe soil issue.
Lead Attorney: Scott Shea
Practice Area: Vertical Construction
Client Type: General Contractor
Details: Represented general contractor in a case involving payment disputes for construction of an approximately $250 million high-rise hotel/casino and renovation of an existing casino. Provided client with close project support during construction with a strategic view towards expected litigation.
Lead Attorney: Michael Cowan
Practice Area: Vertical Construction
Client Type: General Contractor
Details: Project support and mediation.
Lead Attorney: Michael Zehner
Practice Area: Vertical Construction
Client Type: Large casino
Details: Negotiated execution of $360 million cost-plus GMP agreement for new construction of conference center.
Lead Attorney: Michael Zehner
Practice Area: Vertical Construction
Client Type: Large real estate developer
Details: Successfully obtained six-figure verdict, plus trebled damages, in bench trial involving a violation of Colorado’s construction Trust Fund Statute on a real estate development project.
Lead Attorney: Henry Bangert
Practice Area: Vertical Construction
Client Type: Contractors, Construction Managers, Design-Builders
Details: Lead counsel representing contractors, construction managers and design-builders in drafting and negotiating over $200 million in claims to successful conclusion with public and private owners.
Lead Attorney: Henry Bangert
Practice Area: Vertical Construction
Client Type: Design-Builder
Details: Lead counsel representing design-builder in negotiating national design agreements with 8 of the largest design firms in North America for projects ranging in size from $10 million to $400 million.
Lead Attorney: Henry Bangert
Practice Area: Vertical Construction
Client Type: Institutional Healthcare Owner
Details: Lead counsel representing institutional healthcare owner in drafting and negotiating integrated project delivery contract for $600 million healthcare facility.
Lead Attorney: Henry Bangert
Practice Area: Vertical Construction
Client Type: Contractor
Details: Lead counsel representing contractor in negotiating integrated project delivery projects (tri-party and poly-party) for $300 million+ in themed retail facilities and attractions.
Lead Attorney: Henry Bangert
Practice Area: Vertical Construction
Client Type: Contractor
Details: Lead trial counsel representing contractor through trial and appeal in connection subcontractor default on performing arts complex.
Lead Attorney: Bret Gunnell
Practice Area: Vertical Construction
Client Type: Owner
Details: Represented owner in contract negotiations with designers and general contractor of over $500 million in hospital facilities.
Lead Attorney: Bret Gunnell
Practice Area: Vertical Construction
Client Type: General Contractor
Details: Claim against contractors and insurance company for indemnity.
Lead Attorney: Bret Gunnell
Practice Area: Vertical Construction
Client Type: General Contractor
Details: Negotated in 2013 and the dispute was in 2016. Under half a million.
Lead Attorney: Bret Gunnell
Practice Area: Vertical Construction
Client Type: General Contractor
Details: Negotiated the prime contract for construction of 472 unit construction project. The contract amount was $115 million.
Lead Attorney: Bret Gunnell
Practice Area: Vertical Construction
Client Type: General Contractor
Details: Mixed use residential/retail building, 375 units, 5 story, delay/defect claims, scope disputes, claim against owner $9 million, claim against subs $1.5 million.
Lead Attorney: Bret Gunnell
Practice Area: Vertical Construction
Details: 12 story mixed use high rise, claims of $6.7 million.
Lead Attorney: Bret Gunnell
Practice Area: Vertical Construction
Client Type: General Contractor
Details: Represented general contractor and surety against owner and subcontractors in $2 million of extra work/delay claims over construction of $18 million 8-building condominium retirement community.
Lead Attorney: Bret Gunnell
Practice Area: Vertical Construction
Client Type: General Contractor
Details: Represented general contractor against owner, insurers and subcontractors in $12 million of extra work/construction defect claims over construction of $70 million high-rise assisted living facility.
Lead Attorney: Bret Gunnell
Practice Area: Vertical Construction
Client Type: General Contractor
Details: Prevailed in arbitration over a termination and payment dispute on behalf of a general contractor against the developer of a multi-family residential construction project, which award was affirmed by the Colorado Court of Appeals in a published opinion.
Lead Attorney: Bret Gunnell
Practice Area: Vertical Construction
Client Type: General Contractor
Details: Obtained $1 million verdict (including attorneys’ fees) on behalf of general contractor against a subcontractor after two-week jury trial involving delay and defective work claims on a mountain condominium resort development, and a defense verdict on $0.5 million in counterclaims.
Lead Attorney: Bret Gunnell
Practice Area: Vertical Construction
Client Type: Major Subcontractor
Details: Obtained bad faith jury verdict, entailing double damages and attorney’s fees, against general liability carrier for its unreasonable delay and denial of coverage for damages arising out of a construction crane accident. First bad-faith verdict under new statute in Colorado.
BBG Construction Law
Beltzer Bangert and Gunnell LLP
Main: (720) 576-7225
