Practice Areas:

• Construction Law
• Construction Litigation
• Dispute Resolution

Education:

• Temple University School of Law, J.D. 1989
• Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, M.S. 1982
• University of New Hampshire, B.S. 1980

Brian J. Geary, Of Counsel, enhances Ernstrom & Dreste, LLP’s construction law practice by focusing on the technical and financial aspects of transactions and litigation. Brian collaborates closely with corporations, construction managers, contractors, subcontractors, and design professionals on a wide range of commercial and construction matters. Brian specializes in technical and financial investigation and analysis, using expertise developed over the past 40 years of his engineering, business, and legal work.

Brian is a Licensed Professional Engineer (P.E.) and spent several years as a design engineer and on-site field engineer working on both governmental and private construction projects. Brian is well-versed in all aspects of the construction process and can readily interpret architectural and engineering plans, specifications, shop drawings, and other construction documents. Brian’s technical skills also extend beyond the construction industry, and he is a Registered Patent Attorney with the United States Patent and Trademark Office.

Brian’s recent cases at Ernstrom & Dreste include disputes involving the following technical subject matters, all of which were successfully resolved for our clients:

• Design issues related to fabrication and installation of structural steel for building.
• Curtain wall installation concerns on a high-rise tower related to embed design and as-built structural tolerances.
• Structural repair of corroded reinforced concrete in a tall tower structure.
• Failure of building envelope system to control interior conditioned space resulting in excessive interior condensation.
• Product warranty and environmental issues from leaching of chemically treated wood products.
• Differing site conditions which resulted in changed scope and project delays on a wastewater treatment facility and a major highway bridge project.
• Design and installation issues for horizontal directional drilling for municipal water lines.
• Failure of newly designed high-speed manufacturing line to achieve performance specifications resulting in diminished capacity and lost revenue.
• Large land development project involving multiple easements and wetland mitigation.

Brian’s legal background includes time in private practice and as in-house corporate counsel, including considerable experience with corporate transactional work. For 17 years, Brian was President and General Counsel of a large material supplier to the construction industry, providing material only and installed services. Brian has served as both a partner and adviser to owners, developers, construction managers, contractors, and subcontractors, and has successfully negotiated the resolution of numerous commercial disputes.

Court Admissions:

• New York
• USPTO – Registered Patent Attorney