Protecting Property Owners

At Zeidel & Associates, we have extensive experience representing property owners with their construction projects. We craft and negotiate contracts of engagement with members of the design and construction team, always with a focus on protecting the owner and completing the projects on time and on budget. We handle all aspects of contract development and negotiations with architects, interior designers, engineers, project managers, contractors, consultants, maintenance companies, and other service providers engaged in construction projects.

Zeidel & Associates is retained on all types of projects, from ground-up project development to renovations, for hotels, office buildings, multi-family developments, industrial buildings/warehouses, retail, schools, mixed-use, and others. For hotels, in particular, the firm handles projects such as property improvement plan (PIP) work and prototype development.

The Firsthand Understanding of Property Owner Concerns

Our team understands the complexities of these projects and the necessary language to include in the agreements to protect our owner-developer clients. The firm founder, Robin Zeidel, is a former Assistant General Counsel of Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide, Inc., and knows firsthand the pressures owners experience in the development process. As such, Zeidel & Associates attorneys are known for developing contracts that exceed industry standards in the protection of owners.

The success of any construction venture starts and ends with the contracts. That is why our goal is to ensure that an owner’s contractual rights mitigate any potential risks, liabilities, delays, and costs. We focus on including terms that provide remedies for common issues like delays, deficiencies, and failures to perform. Other concerns for property owners and developers that we account for include:

• Ownership of intellectual property (IP) rights
• Protecting against unexpected charges and change orders
• Quality control
• Rights and responsibilities related to unanticipated contingencies
• Risk allocation for third-party liability claims (i.e., construction defect, jobsite injury, and subcontractor payment claims)
• Scheduling and coordinating professional service providers, contractors, and subcontractors
• COVID-19 and force majeure issues

We also leverage our vast experience and understanding of the interrelated facets of a project by addressing leasing issues in our contracts. This ensures that design and construction agreements are properly coordinated with work letters, other lease-related documents, and associated rights and obligations of both landlords and tenants.