Past Presidents

Peter C. Sheridan, the Chair of Glaser Weil’s Construction Law Practice Group, heads a team of attorneys who focus on construction law primarily and also handle complex real estate, eminent domain and inverse condemnation cases. He represents owners, developers and architects in California, Nevada, Hawaii, New York, and internationally.

Mr. Sheridan litigates and tries cases in all courts and before JAMS and AAA on a variety of issues, including construction close-out and defects, design error, delay, and related construction disputes. He has negotiated and renegotiated scores of construction and design contracts for U.S.-based and international clients and has litigated and negotiated all-risk, commercial and project-specific CCIP and OCIP insurance for multi-billion dollar projects. Mr. Sheridan also focuses on complex real estate disputes. Mr. Sheridan also represents government as well as landowners in eminent domain and inverse condemnation litigation.

His focus on construction has also allowed him to develop a specialty in construction disputes involving very large hotels, casinos and resorts, such as the Bacara Resort and Spa in Santa Barbara; Diamond Resorts in Kaanapali, Maui, and Poipu, Kauai; City Center in Las Vegas; Baha Mar in Nassau, Bahamas; W/Element Hotel in Philadelphia; Fairmont Century Plaza redevelopment project in Los Angeles; and La Quinta Resort in La Quinta, California. Mr Sheridan also recently helped the San Francisco 49ers in their case against the architect of Levi’s Stadium arising from ADA violations, leading that team to a settlement on the eve of trial on mutually agreeable terms.

Mr. Sheridan received bachelor’s degrees in both political science and speech communication from California State University, Northridge, and his law degree, cum laude, from Willamette University College of Law. He is licensed to practice in California and Nevada. As a much honored collegiate debater, collegiate debate scholarship recipient, adjunct professor coaching debate teams at both CSUN and Willamette, and a Law School Moot Court and Mock Trial Champion, Mr. Sheridan developed early the oral advocacy skills he puts to use litigating for his clients.

Mr. Sheridan formerly headed the Firm’s Pro Bono Program and Recruiting Committee. Additionally, he has served on several boards for his law school, church and elsewhere and has actively supported numerous charities and outreach programs.

Tami Boeck is a partner at Stoel Rives LLP and a member of the firm’s Real Estate Development and Construction Group. Tami has almost 30 years of experience representing clients in all areas of construction law and project development, routinely advising owners, developers, and general contractors on a wide range of construction projects including commercial, mixed-use, all manner of residential, and food processing facilities. Tami also represents clients on construction-related aspects of energy-related developments such as oil and gas, mining, solar, wind, geothermal, biofuel, and wastewater treatment, along with other industrial facility development. Tami primarily represents clients in California, Idaho, and Nevada.

Tami’s deep construction experience includes advising development clients on insurance risks and coverage disputes, bid protests, and pre-project and project contracting risk management (RM) relating to project design and development. Tami’s early background representing insurers in coverage claims has served her policy-holder clients well regarding project protection and in coverage analysis or disputes. She is deeply experienced in dispute resolution and utilizes a broad range of practical knowledge to mitigate disputes on behalf of her clients or to represent them in ADR or litigation when necessary.

Tami is the former Chair of the firm’s Real Estate, Development & Construction group, a position she held for five years.  For many years she also served as a member of Stoel Rives’ Pro Bono Committee, and Coaching and Mentoring Committee. Tami has been honored to be named by Best Lawyers® as Construction Law “Lawyer of the Year,” Sacramento, 2020 and has received numerous other recognitions including The Best Lawyers in America® & “Women in the Law” (currently: Construction Law, Litigation – Construction, Real Estate Law), 2010–2022; in Sacramento Magazine’s Top Lawyers, 2017–2020; in Mountain States Super Lawyers® (Construction Litigation), 2007, 2013–2015, 2020–2021; and in Northern California Super Lawyers® (Construction Litigation, Insurance Coverage, General Litigation), 2005, 2015–2018.  She is AV Preeminent Peer Review Rated with Martindale-Hubbell® and Preeminent Judicial Review Rated with Martindale-Hubbell®. Tami is a Charter Fellow of the Construction Lawyers Society of America and serves on the CLSA’s Advisory Board. She is also a Fellow of the Litigation Counsel of America. Tami has been involved in a number of civic and charitable organizations, primarily related to her Christian faith. She has served on the board of a faith based credit union, and in economic and life-skill support teaching role to those in need through Love, INC.

Tami is a frequent speaker on a variety of construction topics at national construction industry conferences and seminars, in addition to continuing education seminars. She has been a frequent contributor to the Daily Journal of Commerce and was a contributing coauthor for “Solar Energy System Design, Engineering, Construction, and Installation Agreements”, Chapter 4, The Law of Solar Energy: A Guide to Business and Legal Issues, Stoel Rives LLP, Fifth Edition, 2017. Tami and her husband, Darren, have four children (and a new addition of a daughter-in-law); and they enjoy spending time with friends and in the mountains.

2020-2021

In both 2020 and 2021, Michael Textor of Kutak Rock LLP in Springfield, Missouri, served as president of the CLSA. 

Michael’s national trial practice involves primarily representing Midwest-based contractors (GC, CM, DB, EPC), engineers, architects and developers. His vast trial and arbitration experience includes more than 100 verdicts and awards throughout the United States. In addition to representing contractors and design professionals (including some of ENR’s leading companies), Michael is a trusted advisor to multiple universities and private developers for their construction and procurement needs.

Michael routinely leads teams of attorneys at Kutak Rock, LLP, providing counsel and solutions to major constituents in the construction industry on projects involving manufacturing, education, health care, entertainment (including sports complexes and arenas), government, transportation (airports, roads and bridges), military, energy and hospitality sectors. On many occasions throughout his career Michael has been involved in “bet-the-company” litigation for contractors and design professionals, large and small. The results obtained for those clients, and their continued success today, is a constant reminder to Michael of his professional purpose.

Michael’s marriage to Hannah Joy, his wife, of the past 25 years, and their daughter Micah and son Samuel, are his true passions in life. Michael has been recognized by The Best Lawyers in America for construction law and construction litigation since 2010.

2019

In 2019, E. Mabry Rogers served as president of the CLSA. Mr. Rogers is a partner in Bradley Arant Boult Cummings LLP’s Construction and Procurement Practice Group in Birmingham, Alabama.

Recognized by Chambers USA and The Best Lawyers in America as a leading construction lawyer, Mr. Rogers earned his reputation by attaining successful outcomes in construction litigation and procurement matters, simple and complex alike, across the United States and internationally. He is involved in negotiations of large construction projects, representing owners, lenders, designers, and contractors. Mr. Rogers has tried jury cases to a result in eight different states. He is an experienced arbitration attorney based upon thousands of arbitration demands and having tried scores of arbitrations to a result, in virtually every one of the contiguous states. He serves as an arbitrator and mediator as well, assisting in the resolution of construction disputes. Among his current, long-term clients are some of the country’s largest general contractors and one of the largest international power developers.

Mr. Rogers is a founding member of the firm’s construction practice. Established in the 1970s with two lawyers, the group is now over 55 lawyers strong and spread across all Bradley offices from D.C. to Houston to Tampa. Mr. Rogers delights in mentoring the group’s less experienced lawyers and gives particular emphasis to learning the value of exceeding clients’ expectations on service.

Mr. Rogers received his bachelor’s degree from Yale University and his J.D. from Harvard University.

2018

In 2018, Barbara G. Werther of Troutman Sanders LLP in Washington, DC, served as the 2018 President of the Construction Lawyers Society of America. She is recognized as one of the leading construction and government contracts attorneys in the United States with more than 35 years of experience in construction and government contracts law. She has been resoundingly and consistently recognized as being one of the top lawyers in construction law. In addition to being a Charter Fellow of the Construction Lawyers Society of America, she is a Fellow of the American College of Construction Lawyers, recognized by Chambers USA and listed in Best Lawyers in America, Construction Law (2012-2017). Ms. Werther has lectured extensively to clients and various trade associations on a variety of construction law topics. Her expertise and experience is reflected in her comprehensive practice. She is known as an expert on contract terms and conditions for developers and owners, and focuses on contract drafting and negotiation. She also represents owners, contractors and subcontractors in litigation involving scheduling, delays, inefficiencies, changes, differing site conditions, and terminations for default.

Ms. Werther’s trial accomplishments are substantial. Some of her successes include winning the largest jury verdict ever in a commercial case in Jackson County, Mississippi, for a subcontractor on a project that involved the dismantling of a fertilizer-manufacturing facility; settling a nine-figure claim for alleged defective windows where the plaintiff had already prevailed in one trial and sought to enforce that judgment in 38 other lawsuits; obtaining a rare summary judgment on the behalf of a plaintiff contractor in a default termination case against a subcontractor; and securing the first and only case in which the court overturned the Navy contracting officer’s non-responsibility determination and directed an award to a contractor, among many others.

Ms. Werther excels as a trial lawyer and as a skilled arbitrator and mediator with the American Arbitration Association (AAA). She has completed advanced mediation training with the Center for Dispute Settlement at Judicial Arbitration and Mediation Services, Inc. (JAMS) and employs uncompromising objectivity in resolving multi-party, complex case disputes where the parties appear to be unyielding.

2017

In 2017, William G. (“Bill”) Geisen served as the first President of the Construction Lawyers Society of America.  Mr. Geisen is a partner with Stites & Harbison PLLC and serves as the Chairperson of the firm’s Construction Service Group.

Mr. Geisen practices exclusively in the area of construction law and has represented parties across the entire spectrum of the field, including owners, developers, general contractors, design builders, prime contractors, subcontractors, design professionals and sureties.  As a result, he has handled construction matters from all perspectives of the industry.  Mr. Geisen drafts and negotiates construction contracts, but the bulk of his practice focuses on various forms of dispute resolution, including arbitration and litigation.  During the course of his career, he has litigated cases in 14 states and the District of Columbia. He also serves frequently as a mediator and arbitrator of construction disputes.

One of the highest honors and most challenging engagements of Mr. Geisen’s career was representing Chief Justice John Milton of the Kentucky Supreme Court, who, by statute, oversees the Commonwealth’s $800 million Kentucky Courthouse Construction Program.  In 2009, issues arose regarding the manner in which those courthouse construction projects were bonded; and in order to be legally compliant, the Chief Justice had to modify the manner in which the projects were bonded by requiring that the general contractor or construction manager furnish performance and payment bonds equivalent to 100 percent of the contract price.  Such an unpopular change absorbed much more of each general contractors’ or CM’s bonding capacity, added millions of dollars to the costs of the judicial center construction projects and called into question previous construction practices relative to them. Through Mr. Geisen’s counsel, the Chief Justice was able to avoid litigation following the change.  Mr. Geisen’s advising the Chief Justice and the six other Kentucky Supreme Court Justices about bonding requirements for the program has been a highlight of his career.

In 2010, Mr. Geisen was honored to become a Fellow in the American College of Construction Lawyers; and in 2015, he received the honor of selection as a Fellow in the Litigation Counsel of America.  Since 2013, he has been designated “Band One” in the area of construction litigation by Chambers USA. He is listed among Kentucky Super Lawyers and has been recognized in Best Lawyers in America for construction law since 2007.

Mr. Geisen was one of the founding members of the Kentucky Bar Association’s Construction and Public Contract Law Section and served as its Chairperson from 1995-1997.  He has also served as Chairperson and Co-Chairperson of the Midwest/Midsouth Construction Law Institute, a bi-annual construction law program, since 1998.  In addition, Mr. Geisen is a frequent lecturer on a variety of construction law topics at national construction industry conferences.

Mr. Geisen has been involved in a number of charitable and civic organizations, primarily in association with the Catholic Church.  He has served as Chairperson of the Board of Catholic Education in his local Diocese, Chairperson of Parish Council for his local church and as President of the Boosters’ Organization for his sons’ high school.

Having received an Honors Bachelor of Arts (magna cum laude) from Xavier University in Cincinnati, Ohio, Mr. Geisen then received his J.D. from the University of Kentucky College of Law in Lexington, Kentucky.

He and his wife, Sandy, have three children, Cassie, Will and Beau; and among other activities, they enjoy spending time at and boating on Norris Lake, near Knoxville, Tennessee.