California Civil Code Section 8850 – Private Works Change Order Fair Payment Act Virtual Seminar

For nearly three decades, Jeff Baird has built a career defined by a singular, relentless focus on providing exceptional legal representation to clients in the construction industry. He is not a generalist who dabbles in construction matters. He is a dedicated construction litigator whose professional life is devoted to mastering the legal, commercial, and operational complexities of construction projects. This depth of focus allows Jeff to understand his clients not merely as litigants, but as businesses with schedules to meet, margins to protect, and reputations to defend.

Jeff has extensive experience with the way construction companies actually operate, from the field-level realities of performance and scheduling to the executive-level concerns of cash flow, risk allocation, and cost containment. He understands industry practices, the pressures of the bid environment, and the financial consequences that flow from every default, change order, and payment dispute. Jeff’s fluency in the language and economics of construction makes him a formidable advocate and a trusted counselor, equally effective whether he is dismantling an opponent’s claim or guiding a client through a high-stakes project decision in real time.

While Jeff is a seasoned and aggressive litigator who is fully prepared to take any matter to trial, arbitration, or appeal, his governing philosophy is to resolve claims early, decisively, and efficiently. He specializes in early claim resolution designed to mitigate legal cost and preserve client capital, recognizing that the most powerful outcome is often the one achieved before a dispute consumes a project’s profitability. To that end, Jeff routinely counsels construction clients on course-of-construction issues as they arise during active projects, intervening before problems harden into claims, lawsuits, or losses. This forward-looking, risk-avoidance approach has made him a uniquely valuable partner to contractors, subcontractors, owners, and sureties who demand both legal sophistication and commercial pragmatism. 

Jeff has appeared in the mediation of hundreds of construction claims and lawsuits, and litigated disputes across the full spectrum of public and private works. He is also a recognized thought leader who has authored articles and presented on a wide range of construction topics, sharing his command of the law with peers and clients alike. 

Jeff also offers mediation services for construction matters with a focus on California Civil Code Section 8850 claims.

Daniel Spencer’s practice focuses on construction claims and disputes, federal procurement and claims, collection remedies, contract requirements, and other construction-related litigation and transactions for general contractors, owners, developers, specialty subcontractors, and material suppliers.

Shaped by a resume rich in engineering, technology, and business administration education — combined with work experience for two Fortune 500 government contractors — Daniel is well-prepared to address the business challenges and legal issues of our construction clientele.  His exacting approach to critical task management and resolution aligns well with the firm’s aggressive representation style.

DELAY, INEFFICIENCY, AND EXTRA WORK CLAIMS

Construction project participants regularly suffer the monetary and operational pains caused by delays, design mistakes, project inefficiencies, interferences, and other unforeseen issues.  Years spent working with Navy construction managers informs Daniel’s understanding of the questions to ask, what information to obtain, and which legal strategies to deploy.  This helps ease client concerns, contain disputes, and accelerate the resolution process.

LIENS, STOP PAYMENT NOTICES, AND BOND CLAIMS

General contractors, subcontractors, and business owners understand the frustrations caused by delayed, disputed, or withheld payments — including the consequences if claims are not promptly and properly resolved. Daniel’s resourcefulness helps produce the case-winning support needed to weaken or disprove opposing counsel’s claims, and to strengthen the firm’s clients’ positions.

FEDERAL PROCUREMENT AND CLAIMS

Federal prime contractors and subcontractors know that achieving success in the highly regulated federal construction arena can be a challenge.  Payment disputes with the government or between subcontractors and prime contractors are common.  Whether he is coordinating schedule, design, accounting, or construction experts, or evaluating a potential request for equitable adjustment, Daniel proceeds purposefully to get the job done — and done right.

COLLECTIONS

General contractors, design-builders, and construction managers often encounter payment delays from project owners.  In turn, trade subcontractors suffer from not being paid their contract balance or for extra work performed for the general contractor or owner.  Daniel offers experience in securing collections payments through a variety of methods — all of which are aimed on maximizing recovery through early resolution and fast collections.

SERVICE EXCELLENCE TO THE CORE

Prior to joining Finch, Thornton & Baird, LLP, Mr. Spencer served in the Navy’s Facilities Engineering Command for five years, working closely with the Office of Legal Counsel.  He then attended the U.S. Marine Corps Officer Candidates School where he graduated at the top of his class with honors.  “I live by the Pareto principle, identifying the essential task among a bundle of tasks and laser-focusing maximal effort on that critical task to drive down client costs while increasing favorable results,” says Daniel.  Mr. Spencer continues his service as a JAG Officer in the U.S. Marine Corps Reserves.