Joe Basham is Allensworth’s Co-Managing Partner. In addition to being responsible for the vision of our firm, he has twenty years’ experience in guiding construction industry clients in the preparation, negotiation, and revision of the contracts that govern their work. Contracts are the foundation of any project, and Joe’s job is to make sure that foundation is solid. From there, Joe counsels clients in the full range of project-related legal issues, strategies, obligations, and risks that arise from preconstruction to closeout.
As a seasoned construction contract attorney, Joe is well versed inthe industry-standard contracts, including AIA, EJCDC, ConsensusDocs and DBIA templates, which he customizes for each specific project. He drafts and negotiates contracts with an emphasis on market-based risk management and practical solutions—all in furtherance of getting the deal closed. Because he represents a broad range of clients, from owners and developers to contractors and design professionals, he understands construction and design contract issues from all angles and is particularly skilled at getting projects underway by getting parties to “yes.”
Once the project is in motion, Joe acts as outside general counsel to his clients by providing practical recommendations and solutions to manage issues throughout all project phases. During the construction phase, Joe helps clients navigate claims and change management issues including change orders, differing site conditions, acceleration, delays, force majeure events, and payment disputes. As the project winds down, Joe works to tie up loose ends by assisting with closeout issues, such as mechanics’ liens, payment claims, and warranty and punch list disputes. Finally, should complications arise after construction, Joe and his team are ready with solutions to resolve post-construction issues involving defective work, payment disputes, and building failures.
Ideally, formal disputes over structural problems, building envelope leaks, mechanical system issues, construction and design defect claims, schedule impact and delay, and other problems are resolved through mediation. Should litigation or arbitration arise, however, Joe oversees that as well.
In construction, time is money. This is why Joe strives for quick, precise, and above all, efficient responses to his clients’ questions and issues. His goal is to build long-term relationships with the clients he serves by delivering rapid, direct, and actionable answers to their questions and practical solutions to their problems.
He moves fast in his spare time, too. Joe is an avid long-distance runner (and has won a marathon), a bird hunter, a camper with his two boys—and if he had the time, he’d love to be a pilot.
