As leader of Schwabe’s Real Estate and Construction industry group and as a Shareholder in the firm's Litigation Department, Stephanie Holmberg helps owners, developers, contractors and design professionals resolve disputes at the administrative level and in state and federal courts. She also navigates clients through the public works bidding process and regularly assists with bid protests. Drafting and negotiating contracts is another service Stephanie performs and are topics on which she routinely presents.

Stephanie is former in-house counsel to a national electrical utility contractor and has experience in all aspects of project development and claims resolution. She understands and appreciates her clients’ business priorities. Those considerations, along with her industry knowledge and involvement, make her an effective advocate for her clients.

Bar Admissions

• Oregon State Courts
• United States District Court, District of Oregon
• Washington State Courts

Education

• Vanderbilt University, Bachelor of Arts
• Lewis & Clark Law School, Juris Doctor

Litigation and Dispute Resolution

• Obtained arbitration award on behalf of general contractor on payment claim against project owner and successfully defended against counterclaim for liquidated damages.
• Settled payment dispute between civil contractor and City of Portland involving issues of defect and delay.
• Obtained a unanimous jury verdict on a six-figure bond claim relating to work performed on a public works construction project on behalf of a specialty subcontractor.
• Represented a local architecture firm in a payment dispute against a homeowner, including defense against counterclaims and third-party claims.
• Successfully resolved a six-figure payment claim on behalf of a local specialty subcontractor.
• Assisted a local architecture firm in pursuing a seven-figure payment claim.
• Represented a real estate developer in defending against a payment claim by a design professional and pursuing associated counterclaims.
• Defended a national electrical utility contractor in complex construction litigation involving claims for breach of contract and delay.
• Represented a local homebuilder in a breach of contract claim against a homeowner for nonpayment. Assisted in negotiating a favorable settlement.
• Successfully appealed issuance of occupational safety and health citations based on serious injury incidents on behalf of a national electrical utility contractor.
• Successfully negotiated resolution of several cases involving civil rights claims in Oregon federal court.
• Defended national railroad companies in employee actions under Federal Employers Liability Act and Locomotive Inspection Act. Obtained favorable settlements in every instance.

Contract Drafting and Negotiation

• Draft and negotiate contracts between owners and design professionals (architects and engineers), including but not limited to AIA contracts.
• Review and revise remodeling contracts for commercial and residential property owners and contractors.
• Draft and negotiate prime contracts, subcontracts and purchase orders for owners, general contractors and subcontractors, including but not limited to AIA and ConsensusDocs documents.
• Assisted project owner in preparing design and construction contracts for use in large-scale capital improvement project.
• Assisted a national energy supply company in developing delivery project methods and drafting associated construction contracts for several projects in the Northwest region.

• OP-ED: Challenges Presented by 'New' Retention Laws and Hope for Clarity
• OP-ED: Making (Some) Sense of Evolving Vaccine Mandates for Employers
• Internet Aids the Brick and Mortar Star: Key Learnings on Retail Real Estate
• Making (Some) Sense Out of Evolving Vaccine Mandates
• CARES Act Questions for the Real Estate and Construction Industry 
• Oregon Governor’s Executive Order and the Real Estate and Construction Industry
• OP-ED: Growth Opportunities and Strategies for Sustaining a Market Shift
• State of Commercial Real Estate and Construction in the Pacific Northwest
• OP-ED: Unreinforced Masonry Notice Requirements and the Scarlet Letter
• OP-ED: What to Know About Oregon’s New CLT Construction Types
• Op-Ed: Drafting Fair and Reasonable Construction Subcontract Clauses
• The Pitfalls of a Poorly Drafted Lien Release
• OP-ED: Contract Drafting Tools to Protect Contractors Amid Uncertainty
• OP-ED: Prompt Payment: Some Answers, More Questions
• OP-ED: Laws To Increase Affordable Housing And Sustainability
• Court: Poorly Drafted Indemnity Clauses May Still Be ‎Partially Enforceable
• That Signed Agreement Might Not Hold Up