Arthur G. Woodward

Partner

621 Capitol Mall
18th Floor
Sacramento, CA 95814

Areas of Law:

Construction, Litigation, Climate Change & Sustainability, Construction Litigation, Real Estate Litigation, Commercial and Bankruptcy Litigation

Admitted to Practice in:

California, Colorado (Inactive)

Art Woodward has in-depth expertise representing a wide array of contractors and owners in complex private and public construction projects. His practice covers the entire gamut of construction and every aspect of a construction project: mechanics liens and stop notices, scope and change orders, critical path/delay claims, False Claims Act claims, prompt payment penalties, construction defects, and terminations for default.

Art has represented both large and small general contractors in public and private works cases, including a $20 million breach of contract (wrongful termination) case against a state agency. He has represented a major public utility in a wide variety of matters ranging from the demolition of the cooling towers in a nuclear power plant to the repair and replacement of various components of the utility's electrical distribution system.

He represented a public school district in an extremely complex contractor fraud and embezzlement case that involved a series of contracts totaling approximately $50 million for the acquisition and construction of public school facilities. The general contractor walked off the projects and closed it doors after it defrauded the district for millions of dollars. The case was well matched for Art's construction and commercial litigation experience in that it involved bankruptcy, receivership and professional malpractice actions in addition to the hundreds of construction claims that arose from the disaster the general contractor left in its wake.

Art's considerable experience in commercial litigation gives him a decided advantage over most other construction lawyers in cases involving fraud, embezzlement, Civil RICO and False Claims Act claims and other matters in which construction accounting is a central issue. There is no substitute for experience in such matters. He has represented banks and other commercial lenders in real estate and personal property matters including cross-collateralized assets, Subdivision Map Act issues and commercial purchase and sale contract disputes and lease disputes.

Art has received the highest peer rating (“AV”) from Martindale Hubbell and is equally at home in federal and state court, arbitrations and mediations. He is an Early Neutral Evaluator for the United States District Court, Eastern District of California. Art has also served a panelist for numerous educational programs, including CEB's "Construction Law and Disputes" seminar. He is a member of the American Bar Association Construction Forum and the Legal Advisory Committee of the Associated General Contractors of California.

Experience

Representation of a wide variety of contractors and owners in complex private and public construction projects.

Representation of banks and other commercial lenders in real estate and personal property matters.

Lead attorney for a public school district in a series of contracts for the acquisition and construction of an approximately $50 million in public school facilities.

Lead attorney for a major public utility in a wide variety of matters ranging from the demolition of the cooling towers in a nuclear power plant and the repair and replacement of various components of the utility's electrical distribution system.

Lead attorney for a wide variety of private owners, including a major food producer, agriculture product manufacturers and other private owners ranging from the expansion of the processing plants to the construction of corporate headquarters.

Lead attorney for a wide variety of general contractors, including a $20 million breach of contract (wrongful termination) case against a state agency.

Successfully represented contractors in almost all aspects of public and private contract litigation including, scope, delay, extra work, prompt payment penalties and construction defects.

Lead attorney on a wide array of commercial real estate litigation matters ranging from foreclosure involving cross-collateralized assets, Subdivision Map Act issues and commercial purchase and sale contract disputes and lease disputes.

Lead attorney on complex commercial litigation cases involving Civil RICO and fraud.

Lead attorney in a wide array of creditor rights cases, including Chapter 11 bankruptcy cases.

Litigation experience includes federal and state court trials and work in American Arbitration Association arbitrations.

Early Neutral Evaluator, United States District Court, Eastern District of California

Former United States Air Force / NORAD Space Operations Officer

MEMBERSHIPS

Association of General Contractors, Legal Advisory Committee, Member

American Bar Association, Litigation Section and Construction Industry Forum, Member

California Municipal Utilities Association, Member

American Bankruptcy Institute, Member

Sacramento County Bar Association, Bankruptcy and Construction Sections, Member

Sacramento Valley Bankruptcy Forum, Member

State Bar of California, Business Law and Litigation Sections, Member

Placer County Bar Association, Member

Federal Bar Association, Member

United States District Court for the Southern, Northern, Eastern and Central Districts of California, Admitted to Practice

EDUCATION

University of the Pacific, McGeorge School of Law (J.D., 1989)

University of California, Irvine (B.A., 1979)

PUBLICATIONS

Pacific Law Journal, (McGeorge Law Review) Former Editor-in-Chief