Andrade & Associates

Where Skill in the Courtroom Meets Experience in the Field

Andrade & Associates is an Orange County based law firm serving all of Southern California in business and civil litigation, with a particular emphasis on litigation, dispute resolution, and transactional matters in the construction industry. A great deal of time, money, and effort goes into every construction project. Our job is to see that our clients' business goals are met while protecting their legal rights, now and in the future.

Andrade & Associates brings together experience in the field with experience in the courtroom to provide outstanding legal representation with a deep understanding of the issues at hand. Firm founder Richard B. Andrade holds a California State Contractor's License and has been actively involved in the construction industry as an owner of a company that, over the last ten years, has constructed in excess of 60 projects, the value of which exceeds $30 million. With this combination of practical and legal experience, our legal team is uniquely situated to handle any construction contract or litigation issue that may arise.

Andrade & Associates is a small firm that is experienced in a big way, and we have helped dozens of clients in the construction industry, including construction companies, suppliers, insurance companies and sureties. By maintaining specific expertise and focusing on a particular area of law, we are able to represent our clients in the most efficient and effective manner. Contact Andrade & Associates for a free initial consultation. Meetings after normal business hours can be arranged.

Practice Areas Overview

The attorneys at Andrade & Associates combine industry and legal skill and experience to provide excellent advice and representation to companies involved in the construction industry throughout California. Our lawyers put their knowledge and talents to work in preparing well-drafted construction contracts, providing effective advocacy in a variety of construction litigation, including construction defects, and dealing with the labor and employment issues regularly faced by companies in the field of construction.

Construction Contracts

Construction contracts underlie every aspect of a construction project, from the siting and purchase of land to application of the final coat of paint. By taking special care in the negotiation, drafting, and review of contracts, not only are a party's interests effectively represented, but many potential disputes can be avoided as well. If disputes do arise, a carefully worded contract will protect the party's rights and help to ensure a fair resolution of the dispute.

Our firm represents all the major players in the construction industry, including contractors, suppliers, sureties, and owners. Our attorneys routinely draft contracts across the scope of construction projects, including:

• Statement of Work

• Scope of Work

• General Contractor

• Subcontractor

• Design-Build

• Architectural

• Real Estate

Construction Litigation

An unfortunate fact of doing business is that disputes will arise, regardless of how diligent one is in the drafting or performance of contracts. When a construction project is ongoing, a problem in any one area can slow down or halt progress on the entire project. In the industry, every day spent resolving a problem is money out of the pockets of basically every party involved in the project.

As attorneys, we understand the importance of protecting your legal rights. As contractors and construction company owners, we understand the value of a solution that achieves the optimum cost-benefit result in any particular solution. We are here to solve problems, not create them, and to do so in an aggressive yet ethical manner. Our litigation practice includes many of the issues typically encountered in the construction industry, including:

• Scope of Work

• Stop Notice

• Mechanic's Liens

• Miller Act

• Payment Bonds

• Performance Bonds

• Bid Protests

• Construction Defects

Labor Law

The construction industry is labor-intensive and presents many facets of labor law that companies must deal with regularly. The construction industry is heavily regulated, with employment-related laws and regulations at both the federal and state levels. In addition to common issues such as overtime pay, meal and rest breaks, and expense reimbursement, the employment lawyer in the construction field must also be prepared to deal with Davis-Bacon and related acts regarding prevailing wages and prime contracts. The construction industry can also be heavily unionized, and charges of unfair labor practices must sometimes be handled or litigated with the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) and in the courts.

Our labor law attorneys assist companies throughout Southern California, with a particular focus on our clients in the construction industry. We regularly provide advice and counsel, and legal representation, in a wide variety of matters, such as:

• Wage and Hour

• Unfair Labor Practices

• Trust Fund Litigation

• Equal Employment Opportunity

• OSHA Standards

• Anti-Kickback Claims

• Wrongful Termination

In Los Angeles, Orange, San Diego, San Bernardino and Riverside Counties and throughout the State of California, construction companies trust the knowledgeable, skilled, and experienced attorneys at Andrade & Associates to handle their construction contracts and litigation matters. If you need help with a transactional or litigation matter, or a labor and employment issue, contact Andrade & Associates for immediate assistance.

Representative Clients

Our experienced attorneys at Andrade & Associates provide high-quality legal advice and representation in construction contracts and litigation throughout Southern California and statewide. Since 1978, our lawyers have been providing capable and effective legal counsel to construction companies, suppliers, sureties and insurance companies in all manner of construction transactions and legal disputes.

Below is a representative list of some of the companies we have provided legal services to. Other names may be furnished upon request. For advice and representation on a particular matter, contact Andrade & Associates to speak with one of our attorneys.

Attorney Profiles

Andrade & Associates has been practicing construction law since 1978, representing contractors, suppliers, sureties and owners in construction contracts, litigation, and labor and employment issues throughout Southern California and statewide. Our qualified and experienced attorneys can help with the success of your construction project from inception to completion and beyond, from drafting statement of work and scope of work documents, to litigating stop notices and mechanic's liens, and providing advice and representation on wage and hour and other labor law matters.

Industry-Specific Talents and Experience

Firm founder and principal attorney Richard B. Andrade holds a California State Contractor's License and has been actively involved in the construction industry. Mr. Andrade is a member of the Associated General Contractors Statewide Legal Advisory Committee to the construction industry and is also a member of the Southern California Constructors Legal Advisory Committee.

The firm presently staffs attorney/engineers who are intimately familiar with construction in general and construction litigation in particular. Members of our firm serve on the Board of Directors for the Engineering Contractors Associations, and we are an Affiliate Member of the Southern California Contractors Association and the Associated General Contractors of California. In addition, the firm also acts as counsel to the Engineering Contractors Association.

Our People

Click on the links below to view profiles of our legal team, and to contact any one of our outstanding attorneys for immediate assistance with your construction industry legal needs.

Richard B. Andrade

Reza Ghaboosi

Azzam D. Saad. P.E.