J. Greg Easter

Construction Experience

Greg’s focuses his practice on the negotiation and drafting of design and construction contracts and the evaluation, mediation and arbitration of construction-related disputes on all types of projects located throughout the United States – from small commercial projects to large distribution facilities and public infrastructure projects. As a member of the American Arbitration Association’s Panel of Neutrals, Greg also serves as an arbitrator to determine construction-related disputes.

Greg serves a wide variety of construction industry participants including developers and private owners; publicly-owned and custom builders; contractors, construction managers, and design-builders; architects, engineers and other design professionals; specialty and other subcontractors; and material and equipment suppliers. He has successfully closed over $2-3 billion-worth of development and construction contracts for several clients on projects located throughout the United States.

• Since 1989, Greg has acted as primary outside construction counsel for one of the country’s largest industrial REIT’s – He prepared and periodically updates the client’s “family” of design and construction contracts and forms, assists with the negotiation of contracts throughout the United States, and helps the client when the inevitable dispute arises.
• Since 1990, he has acted as outside Indiana counsel for a handful of the nation’s largest publicly-owned residential builders – The disputes he helps resolve range from small subcontractor and homeowners claims to complex HOA and governmental issues.
• Since 2002, Greg has served as primary outside construction counsel for one of the world’s largest retail mall REIT’s – He developed the companies’ family of design and construction contracts and forms, and assists on issues that arise on retail and mixed-use projects throughout the United States.
• Since 2003, he has represented one of the nation’s largest detention equipment contractors on jail and prison projects throughout the United States.
• In 2004, Greg successfully negotiated the construction contract for the expansion of the Forum Shops at Caesar’s Palace in Las Vegas, Nevada. (And the complex purchase order for the first spiral escalators installed in a mall in the United States).
• Greg provided pre-bid risk analysis for a large electrical contractor for the Lucas Oil Stadium Project in Indianapolis, Indiana.
• Since 2004, Greg has worked with some of the nations’ largest health care and senior living developers on projects located throughout the Country.
• Since 2006, his practice has included the representation of several multi-family developers in some of the county’s hottest housing markets.
• Between 2017 and the present, Greg has negotiated and prepared the construction contracts for many of the buildings and parking structures along the Midtown section of the Monon Trail in the Arts and Design District of Carmel, Indiana.
• During 2018, Greg negotiated the design and construction contracts for a high-end multi-family project on the River Walk in San Antonio, Texas.

Mediation and Arbitration

Although Greg cut his teeth trying cases to judges and juries, he shifted his focus to the mediation and arbitration of construction -related disputes when he joined with litigation-specialist Mike Cavosie in 1996 to form Easter & Cavosie. Whether serving as an advocate for his client or neutral arbitrator to determine disputes between private parties, Greg’s mediation and arbitration experience is vast:

• Greg denied recovery to a team of design professionals, and recovered over $1 million for an owner of a fashion mall located in Los Angeles.
• Greg convinced a large university in Indiana to accept nuisance value for a $6 million claim against his general contractor client on a university lab
• Greg successfully defended a contractor against the owner’s claims of defective work, and was awarded all of his client’s damages as well as arbitration fees and costs, from a 3-person arbitration panel on a library project located in Westfield, Indiana.
• Greg was able to amicably resolve the claims of 44 townhome owners against his national builder client by establishing a claims evaluation and resolution procedure that was implemented and concluded without resort to any formal dispute resolution.
• Greg obtained a sizable arbitration award for his contractor client against a project owner on a retail project located near Detroit, Michigan.
• Greg successfully negotiated a settlement of a large roofing dispute with an Owner and architect for the benefit of his design-build client on a manufacturing project located in Columbus, Ohio. Greg assisted his multi-family developer client with the mediation of subcontractor claims on a project located in Biloxi, Mississippi.

Speeches & Publications

• “Construction Law: Collecting Through Creativity.” ICLEF, July 1990.
• “Public Works Projects, Bidding and Bid Protests.” ICLEF, February 1992.
• “Securing Your Right to Payment: Mechanic’s Liens Are Not the Only Option.”
• Indiana Industrial Journal, October 1994.
• “Strategies for Avoiding Bid Statutes.” Lorman, October 1998.
• “Strategies for Getting Paid.” Lorman, October 1998.
• “Indiana’s Public Works Statutes.” Lorman, March 2000.
• “Key Issues in Indiana Residential Construction Law.” NBI, January 2004.
• “Managing Construction Projects.” Lorman, April 2006.
• Spoken on a wide range of construction topics at seminars sponsored by the International council of Shopping Centers, Indiana Continuing Legal Education Forum, Lorman Education Services, the National Business Institute, the Indiana Institute of Credit Managers, the Builder’s Association, and several private companies.