Michael Cortez Email & Phone Number

Houston, Texas, United States

Michael Cortez concentrates his entire practice on representing real estate owners, renewable energy technology companies, healthcare technology companies, architects, contractors and EPCs on a wide variety of complex commercial and industrial construction projects. This construction focus has enabled him to accumulate significant experience representing clients in drafting and negotiating construction contracts under multiple project delivery systems.

Houston, Texas Area

• Negotiated Architect and Design-Build agreements for hotel, multifamily and office towers in the downtown houston CBD.• Negotiated multi-million dollar downstream procurement and service agreements, subcontracts, financial security and other related agreements related to a $50 billion dollar LNG Project located in Australia.• Negotiated domestic and international EPC, construction, procurement, shipping and freight contracts for large, global oil field chemical company for manufacturing facilities and related midstream, downstream and upstream services to the oil & gas industry.• Negotiated numerous Owner-Contractor Agreements, Architect Agreements, Consulting Agreements and Subcontracts for portfolio of multi-family and mixed use high-rise projects. Also developed and implemented standard forms, contracting and procurement procedures and dispute resolution on behalf developer.

Houston,Texas

Previously Adjunct Professor in the Department of Construction Management teaching Construction Contract Administration and now Visiting Lecturer.

Houston, Texas Area

Currently contract project counsel with the largest U.S. based construction company, Bechtel Corporation, on a high-profile international liquefied natural gas (LNG) project for one of the world’s largest energy companies.• Negotiating hundreds of millions worth of downstream procurement and service agreements, subcontracts, financial security and other related agreements on behalf of Bechtel for the Wheatstone LNG Project located in Australia.• Assist with EPC standard forms, contracting procedures, and related matters.

Houston, Texas Area

Construction law practice includes the preparation and negotiation of design, engineering, procurement and construction contracts; the preparation, negotiation and analyses of mechanic’s lien and bond claims; construction litigation; project risk management; and project/alternative dispute resolution. • Assisted on large commercial projects such as corporate headquarters, multifamily, hospital, and large industrial projects such as chemical and power plants, large complex EPC Projects, government projects, pipelines, and manufacturing facilities. • Designed and implemented training programs for construction project managers, as well as early construction dispute mediation programs that have reduced construction disputes and contract negotiations in the field, and assisted in getting large projects timely completed and within or below legal budgets. • Experience in real estate development, sales and lease transactions, property and facility management and other commercial agreements.

Dallas/Fort Worth Area

Private practice in a statewide law firm comprised of former in-house attorneys representing large and small clients in the commercial real estate, construction and general business industries. • Assisted on engineering, procurement and construction (EPC) contract and real estate issues related to renewable energy power plant and chemical manufacturing facility.• Assisted contractors and owners on project dispute and litigation matters for commercial, EPC, industrial and government projects of all sizes.• Represented general contractor and owner on $1,000,000 construction defect mediation and arbitration.

In-house attorney for large real estate, construction, design, property management and development company. Managed transactions and litigation needs for multifamily high-rise, mid-rise, and mixed use projects of over $5 Billion. Responsibilities included the negotiation and drafting of construction, design, development, property management and other related agreements. Duties included the negotiation and litigation of project disputes, liens, management of outside counsel, drafting standard form of construction and design agreements, in-house training and other real estate and business transactions.

During two time periods during this time, as an Associate and Counsel, I was outside counsel at large national law firm with emphasis on real estate, and construction law, including the preparation and negotiation of construction contracts, mechanic’s lien and bond claims; real estate and corporate transactions; and dispute resolution for owners, developers, contractors and lenders.

In-house counsel for energy service, facility management and construction companies with revenues of approximately $300MM. Supervised legal department; coordinated sale of parent and subsidiary companies with outside counsel; prepared and negotiated contracts such as leases, construction, design-build, labor and corporate agreements; and coordination of litigation and transactions with executives and outside counsel.

Practice focused primarily on construction law in a highly regarded boutique law firm. Represented owners, contractors, subcontractors, and suppliers with regard to construction contract preparation and negotiation, lien and bond issues, claims avoidance, claims analysis and preparation and litigation.

Jd, Law

Bba, Finance