Michael D. Norman, P.E., J.D.
Senior Project Manager, Mediator, Expert Witness, and Claims Analyst
EDUCATION
J.D., Law, Northwestern School of Law, 1999
M.S.C.E., Construction Management, Stanford University, 1976
M.S.C.E., Environmental Engineering, Stanford University, 1971
B.S., Civil Engineering, Stanford University, 1971
PROFESSIONAL REGISTRATION
Civil Engineer, Oregon certificate number 9696 (inactive)
Civil Engineer, Washington certificate number 17813
Member of the Bar, Washington Bar number 30500
EXPERIENCE
Mike Norman’s success in helping his clients avoid and resolve construction disputes is based on his 25 years in the design and construction industry – as a civil engineer, contractor, land developer, mediator, partnering facilitator, and construction law attorney. This broad experience gives him a perspective and understanding of the mechanics of assessing risk, identifying the root cause of a dispute, developing a solution, proving causation and damages, and either: (1) helping the parties resolve their differences by negotiation or meditation or (2) winning for his client thru expert testimony in court or arbitration.
Mike first worked as a civil engineer surveying, designing, and supervising construction of water and wastewater systems on the Navajo Nation in New Mexico for the US Public Health Service. He spent the next 20+ years as a superintendent, project engineer, project manager and general manager for contractors in Alaska, Hawaii and Washington, including several years as a a Senior Project Manager for Hoffman Construction in their Seattle office.
After obtaining his law degree and passing the bar, Mike was a construction attorney in Seattle for Barokas Martin & Tomlinson before opening his own practice. During the next four years he practiced construction law, co-founded WinWin Resolutions LLC, and developed a large real estate project. He also developed procedures and expertise in partnering and mediation of disputes, including a quantitative risk and team management system.
Mike has completed projects in Washington, Oregon, mainland Alaska and the Aleutian Islands, Hawaii, New York, New Mexico, and Washington DC. This broad background and in-depth experience gives Mike the ability to understand and connect to all parties in a dispute, while applying his expertise to achieve a solution.
Since joining Pinnell/Busch, Inc. as a Senior Project Manager, Mike has focused on analysis of construction disputes for projects in both Oregon and Washington, in addition to providing partnering services to the firm’s clients.
Mike’s areas of special expertise include critical path scheduling, value engineering, construction budgeting & estimating, contract drafting and interpretation, project management, construction claims and dispute resolution. These skills, along with his legal experience, have greatly increased his ability to research and analyze disputes, develop viable solutions, and help legal counsel negotiate a settlement or win in arbitration or litigation when necessary.
In past years, Mike has done work in several project related disciplines:
Scheduling
- Scheduled the Trident Dry-dock project which contained hundreds of major concrete placements, and re-scheduled the project to mitigate delays.
- Scheduled numerous building projects including the Bremerton Hospital Expansion, the Seattle VA Hospital Remodel, and several design/build projects.
- Master scheduled one estate development project from acquisition through construction including a 68 home subdivision.
Claims and Construction Dispute Resolution
- Researched and settled over $8 million in claims on Boeing’s Training Center.
- Drafted and settled an extended overhead claim on an office building remodel.
- Drafted a $2 million claim in a case that later prevailed on summary judgment.
Construction Management
- Managed final design, value engineering, design approval and construction of two commissaries and one school under fixed price design/build contracts.
- Managed programming, acquisition, funding, planning, design, permitting and construction of two large commercial projects.
- Managed programming, acquisition, planning, design, permitting and construction of a 68 unit single-family subdivision.
- Managed construction of a wide variety of commercial and institutional buildings: offices, hospital, laboratory, community center, school.
- Superintended crews on remodels, heavy concrete, buildings, roads and pipelines.
- Managed logistics for remote construction projects in the Aleutian Islands and the Alaskan bush.
- Managed several small construction companies.
Civil Engineering
- Designed rural water distribution systems, with over 100 miles of pipeline.
- Designed urban water/sewer system for 40-unit subdivision.
- Designed formwork for heavy concrete construction.
- Designed concrete mixes for heavy concrete construction.
Construction Partnering
- Co-facilitated multiple team building sessions for Sound Transit.
- Co-facilitated multiple team building sessions for King County Metro.
- Certified in the use of Project Alignment™, Project Re-Alignment™, and SlateTracker™.
ASSOCIATIONS AND MEMBERSHIPS - PAST AND PRESENT
Associated General Contractors
Washington State Trial Lawyers Association
King County Bar Association
SPEECHES AND PRESENTATIONS
- ADR: Resolution Outside the Courtroom
- Construction Liens & Documenting Your Claim
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