• CSC20logograyorangenoyear
  • Conference
      • About
        • About the Conference
        • Floor Plan / Sponsor List
        • Sponsors
        • FAQ
        • Contact Us
        • Health & Safety
      • Hotel & Travel
        • Hotel Accommodations
        • Travel Information
      • Attend
        • Why Attend?
        • Registration & Pricing
        • Conference Schedule
        • MCLE Accreditation
        • Speakers
        • Speaker Resources
      • Sponsor
        • Why Sponsor?
        • Sponsor / Inquire
        • Sponsor Resource Center
        • Sponsorship & Advertising
  • News
    • Latest News
  • Subscribe
    • Newsletter Signup
  • .
  • Conference
    • About
      • About the Conference
      • Floor Plan / Sponsor List
      • Sponsors
      • FAQ
      • Contact Us
      • Health & Safety
    • Attend
      • Why Attend?
      • Registration & Pricing
      • Conference Schedule
      • MCLE Accreditation
      • Speakers
      • Speaker Resources
    • Sponsor
      • Why Sponsor?
      • Sponsor / Inquire
      • Sponsor Resource Center
      • Sponsorship & Advertising
    • Hotel & Travel
      • Hotel Accommodations
      • Travel Information
  • News
    • Latest News
  • Subscribe
    • Newsletter Signup

November 29—December 1, 2023
The Diplomat, Hollywood, FL

Register Sponsor / Inquire
Q
POPULAR SEARCHES
News + Features
News + Features
News + Features
News + Features
News + Features
News + Features

Latest News

June 11, 2023

Expanding Scope Of Practice: Pamela Dorian Reflects

A construction defect case "is a balance of not losing sight of the forest for the trees, but also making sure you have gotten a good look at every tree."

Latest News
Latest News | News
June 11, 2023

Expanding Scope Of Practice: Pamela Dorian Reflects

A construction defect case "is a balance of not losing sight of the forest for the trees, but also making sure you have gotten a good look at every tree."

PHILADELPHIA – Recently recognized by The Legal Intelligencer with a 2023 Professional Excellence Award, attorney Pamela Dorian (pictured) has tackled a variety of issues over the last eight years. Starting as a summer associate in 2014 at Philadelphia-based Cozen O’Connor, Dorian joined the firm a year later as an associate after graduating from the University of Virginia School of Law.

Recently promoted to Member in Cozen O’Connor’s Commercial Litigation Department, Dorian concentrates her practice on complex commercial litigation in antitrust, appellate, construction, product liability, consumer fraud, and business torts. Since 2020, she has served as a lead associate on various construction defect cases. Third Thursday sat down with Dorian to learn more about the construction-related aspects of her career and get her take on the future of the industry.

Third Thursday: How did you incorporate construction defect cases into your practice?
Dorian: I am fortunate to work at a firm like Cozen O’Connor where our breadth of practice groups affords the opportunity to work on a variety of cases. My own practice focuses primarily on complex commercial litigation, but over the past few years I have worked alongside our construction group on defect cases that involve an intersection of practice areas, such as consumer fraud or products liability. It has been invaluable for me as a commercial litigator to work on teams of “all-star” attorneys across our practice groups, and to learn from some of the most respected leaders in the industry.

Third Thursday: What are the most challenging aspects of construction defect cases?
Dorian: For me, it has been the recognition that every building is unique. Although there may be overlapping legal issues from one case to another, ultimately it is my job to learn the biography of the building in any given case. This requires a deep dive into its design, construction, project records, and subsequent maintenance or repairs.

Third Thursday: What advice would you give to construction law attorneys who are looking to handle more construction defect cases and/or switch their area of focus to these types of cases?
Dorian: The best advice I ever received, both in law and in life, is to surround myself with people who can offer different perspectives. For example, at Cozen O’Connor we have attorneys with backgrounds in project management, architecture, and in-house counsel for national builders—and that is just in our construction group. As someone with more of a general background in complex commercial litigation, I cannot overstate how valuable it has been to draw from these different perspectives in approaching any given construction defect action. So, whether it is through colleagues, expert witnesses, or consultants, my advice is to be open to collaboration on these types of cases.

Third Thursday: Among construction law attorneys who do not focus specifically on construction defect cases, what is the most common misconception?
Dorian: Something that I did not fully appreciate as a younger attorney was the sheer complexity of construction defect litigation. It often involves multiple parties (owners, contractors, architects, engineers, manufacturers, insurers), as well as multiple contracts and subcontracts among those parties. As a litigator, my job is to acquire each piece of the puzzle through discovery, put the pieces together, then step back and look at the big picture of the litigation. It is a balance of not losing sight of the forest for the trees, but also making sure you have gotten a good look at every tree.

Third Thursday: Your bio reports that you received three bachelor’s degrees in college. Did we read that correctly?
Dorian: You read that correctly. I graduated with three majors and two minors. Each one has contributed to my legal career in different ways.

Third Thursday: I see that one of the degrees is in philosophy. Who is your favorite philosopher and why?
Dorian: I spent my final semester studying abroad in Athens, Greece, so I should probably pick an ancient philosopher. In the spirit of recognizing individuals who are overlooked in the history of philosophy, particularly women, I will go with Hypatia of Alexandria. Her life was so remarkable and tragic and, in my opinion, completely worthy of Lisa Kudrow’s cameo in the penultimate episode of The Good Place.

Latest News•News

SHARE

Share on Email
Share on Linkedin
Share on Facebook
Share on Pinterest
Share on Twitter
← Previous Article Next Article →
Latest News Latest NewsNews

CSC Presenter Assesses Latest On Surfside Collapse

Third Thursday sat down with CSC presenter Wayne Kalayjian to get his reaction to the latest findings on the Surfside disaster.

Latest News Latest NewsNews

Advance Registration Rates In Effect For CSC 2023

Advance registration rates are now in effect for Construction Super Conference, scheduled for Nov. 29 – Dec. 1, 2023.

Latest News Latest NewsNews

CSC Presenter Assesses Latest On Surfside Collapse

Third Thursday sat down with CSC presenter Wayne Kalayjian to get his reaction to the latest findings on the Surfside disaster.

Latest News Latest NewsNews

DOL Addresses Extreme Heat: Beneficial For Construction Industry?

The DOL intends to “ramp up enforcement of heat-safety violations” in the work place, including construction sites.

Latest News Latest NewsNews

EDITORIAL: New DOL Davis-Bacon Rule Misses the Mark

This rulemaking critically missed an opportunity to improve the wage determination process.

Latest News Latest NewsNews

Infrastructure Lags, Homebuilding Surges

ARLINGTON, VA - Two types of private nonresidential spending increased significantly in May, while most other categories lagged.

Latest News Latest NewsNews

Building Regs In New York: A Peek Into The Future

NEW YORK, N.Y. - Changes are coming as a result of Nov. 8, 2022 amendments to the building code.

Latest News Latest NewsNews

Newest CSC EAB Member: “Old Pay-To-Play Format Is Long Gone”

As the newest member of the CSC EAB, Wendy Venoit has definite opinions about the kinds of educational sessions that contribute to a successful conference.

SHOW INFORMATION

SIGN UP

Register now for the opportunity to connect with thousands of atttendees and vendors

Register
Sponsor / Inquire
FOLLOW US ON
  • Follow
  • Follow
  • Follow
© 2023 Emerald X, LLC. All Rights Reserved.

ABOUT    CAREERS    AUTHORIZED SERVICE PROVIDERS   DO NOT SELL MY PERSONAL INFORMATION   TERMS OF USE   PRIVACY POLICY