Whitney Knight works at the intersection of two overlapping circles on a Venn diagram. The first circle is “complex construction contracts,” and the second is “Austin.” A native Austinite with deep roots in the business community, Whitney drafts and negotiates a wide range of contracts for an equally wide array of clients in the construction industry, including design professionals, developers, and contractors.
Contracts are the raw material of any construction project and the ultimate planning and risk allocation tool. Some are routine—and for these, efficiency is paramount. Some are mind-bendingly complex and demand in-depth analysis, planning, and strategy, particularly with respect to possible contingencies. Whether the client needs a template agreement or a painstakingly customized document, Whitney excels at delivering contracts that manage risk, maximize opportunity, and address a myriad of potential scenarios.
A number of factors make Whitney a uniquely skilled construction contract lawyer. Because she’s worked on every type of contract for virtually all types of players in the construction industry, she has an unusually broad base of experience and knowledge to draw upon. She excels at quickly identifying key issues for her clients and anticipating the issues that will be of importance to the other side in a negotiation. This allows her clients and their business partners to devise innovative solutions that help avoid impasse and delay. Whitney, in a sentence, is a skilled problem-solver precisely because of her track record in preventing—or resolving—an extraordinary array of challenges.
In addition to her contract work, Whitney also serves as outside counsel to architecture and engineering firms. In this role, she advises clients on day-to-day legal issues related to contracts, risk avoidance, payment disputes, and pre-litigation advice. When necessary, she has an extensive network of contacts to whom she can refer clients for specialized help.
When she’s not engineering deals for her clients, Whitney spends time with her husband, children, and extended family doing things like hiking, snowboarding, and searching for the best new restaurants and soup dumplings in Austin. She is also heavily involved in local nonprofits, including serving as Chair of the Downtown Austin Alliance, Secretary of the Board of Trustees for Good Shepherd Episcopal School, and by volunteering with the Elizabeth Ann Seton Board and several other organizations. Austin is Whitney’s home, and she delights in working to make it a better place for everyone.
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