Construction Defect Associate

Distinct | North America; California; Remote; USD 150,000 - 275,000; Full time

Job summary

Distinct | North America seeks a Construction Defect Associate who can work fully remote from California. The role involves managing complex defect claims, coordinating with experts, and guiding sub-trade investigations through to settlement.

A California Bar admission is required and prior defense work in construction liability is preferred. The position offers significant responsibility and potential cross-border opportunities within the firm.

Qualifications

• Licensed attorney in California (California Bar)
• Experience defending construction defect or general liability matters preferred
• Ability to handle site inspections, depositions, and mediations

Responsibilities

• Site inspections, destructive testing, and review of plans and specs
• Coordinate with roofing, window, and waterproofing experts; review plans sheet by sheet
• Track carriers of subcontractors from the past and manage tenders or indemnity issues
• Deposition work and state court motions (law and motion)
• Mediations with defense counsel and plaintiffs' counsel in ongoing disputes

Education

California Bar

Job description

Construction Defect Associate | Fully Remote, California | $150,000 to $275,000

The SB800 notice comes in March from a homeowners' association with a hundred and twelve units and a folder full of photos of water stains. By May the developer has tendered to nine subcontractors, two of them long since dissolved, and the window installer's carrier has written to ask why it's on the list at all. In August you're on a roof in the heat while the expert you hired cuts into the stucco to see whether anybody ever put flashing behind it. The caption has fourteen parties on it and spills onto a second page.

It settles the next spring, mostly because you worked out which trade owned the leak and could prove it.

You'd run files like that from home, anywhere in California, and you'd have them from the notice on. It's a national defense firm, so when one gets heavy there's help, and if three years in you'd like a go at coverage or general liability you can move across without leaving. A few people have dropped to part time for a while and stepped back up later.

The billable target's 1,900. Ask about it and nobody launches into ten minutes on what doesn't count.

Pay is $150,000 to $275,000.

• Site inspections, destructive testing, and the arguments over the protocol before anyone picks up a saw
• Roofing, window and waterproofing experts, and going through the plans sheet by sheet
• Cross complaints, indemnity tenders and the allocation fight between the trades
• Tracking down the carriers of subcontractors who closed years ago
• Depositions, and law and motion in state court
• Mediations with a room full of defense counsel and one plaintiff's lawyer looking very relaxed

Some time defending construction defect or general liability files, plus the California Bar, and you're in the conversation.