Licensed General Contractor since 2009. Licensed Real Estate Broker since 2004. Construction Lawyer. Three decades on the job site, in the contract negotiation, and in the courtroom — before stepping in as a mediator.
Single-family, multi-family, commercial, mixed-use, industrial and infrastructure. Complex and multi-party matters.
Critical path disputes, scheduling claims, and acceleration. Familiar with the technical analyses and the contractual frameworks that drive them.
Change order disputes, payment disputes, scope and quality matters, and project termination.
Mechanics liens, stop-notice enforcement, surety and performance bond disputes, and insurance coverage matters.
Architect and engineer liability, design defect allocations, and design-build hybrid claims.
Public Contract Code matters, bond claims, and the procurement-specific dynamics of public agency projects.
Joël led the design, construction, and leasing of a national retail rollout for a French fashion house. He has developed, financed, and sold large residential properties in California. He has bought and redeveloped complex foreclosure properties across California. He co-founded a construction materials import company.
That is not biography. It is a way of understanding the parties. When the GC's lawyer talks about cash flow pressure, Joël has felt it. When the owner's lawyer talks about defect exposure, Joël has paid contractors out of pocket to make a project right. When the design professional's lawyer talks about the limits of the standard of care, Joël has been the party arguing both sides of that exact question.
The result is a mediator who does not need to be educated about the practical realities — and who can therefore guide the parties towards resolution having lived and resolved the battles before them.
