Profile
Bill Shaughnessy assists clients with some of the highest profile construction projects in the United States and abroad, from drafting and negotiating agreements to trying construction disputes in court and before arbitration panels. He represents owners, developers, contractors, design-builders and other parties on all types of commercial development projects, heavy civil and infrastructure projects, power generation and renewables, petrochemical and manufacturing plants, data centers, dams, hospitals, and stadiums. He handles matters throughout the United States and internationally, for clients in both the public and private sectors.
His disputes practice covers delay, differing site conditions, cumulative impact and disruption, design and construction defects, liquidated damages claims, and contractor default. Individual matters frequently exceed $100 million in claimed amounts and involve multiple parties, competing schedule and damages experts, and concurrent proceedings. He has tried and arbitrated these claims in AAA and international arbitration, before dispute resolution boards, in federal and state court, and on appeal, obtaining awards for clients after full evidentiary hearings, including multiple awards in which his client was determined the prevailing party and recovered attorneys' fees and costs. He pursues early mediation and resolution in parallel where it makes sense and is consistent with the client’s objectives, and regularly reaches commercially reasonable outcomes for clients in mediation and other dispute resolution processes.
Bill also serves as project advisory counsel to owners, developers, and contractors. That role begins with the contract. He prepares and negotiates billions of dollars in complex construction agreements across project delivery methods, including EPC, design-build, and guaranteed maximum price contracting, working from both bespoke documents and industry standard forms such as AIA and ConsensusDocs. Bill has experience in energy and infrastructure: offshore wind in the United States, Canada, and Asia; solar generation in Mexico; petrochemical and manufacturing facilities; highway and transportation projects; and large-scale data center, military, and federal construction. Bill works with clients on the commercial issues and risks that arise as the project proceeds, including changes and scope growth, notice and claim procedures, the path for resolving claims that cannot be worked out in the field, schedule and performance disputes, and decisions about default and termination.
Capabilities:
- Construction Law
- Arbitration and Mediation
- Renewable Energy
- Commercial Litigation
Capabilities
Experience
- Represented the balance of plant (BOP) contractor in arbitration on a $59.5 million wind farm project in North Dakota, where the client's scope included the construction and energization of 75 wind turbines. Following a two-week hearing and extensive post-hearing briefing, the client was awarded $20 million and deemed the prevailing party, entitling it to recover attorneys' fees and other costs.°
- Represented the prime contractor in AAA arbitration against a subcontractor for breach of a multimillion-dollar subcontract on a NASA Johnson Space Center project involving specialty cleanrooms for a research annex. Secured a complete victory after evidentiary hearing, with the panel awarding millions in damages, including full re-procurement costs, delay damages, attorneys' fees, and arbitration costs.°
- Represented the prime contractor building a $160 million dam in Texas, one of the state's largest water projects in the past 30 years. On interlocutory appeal, obtained reversal of the trial court's denial of arbitration, with the Court of Appeals for the Second District of Texas at Fort Worth holding the project owner bound by the broad arbitration provision in the earthwork subcontract under the doctrine of direct-benefits estoppel and directing the trial court to compel arbitration of the owner's claims.°
- Represented a design-build contractor against a regional mobility authority on a Texas highway expansion project. Supported the presentation of more than $100 million in claims to the dispute resolution board established under the parties' contract, involving differing site conditions, cumulative impact, unidentified utilities, and extra work, and the application of Texas law to avoid enforcement of onerous exculpatory provisions. A successful settlement was reached for the client before formal litigation.°
- Represented a Fortune 500 supplier of critical equipment components for the design and construction of a $1.2 billion data center for the United States National Security Agency, in a complex arbitration involving more than 15 parties and more than $100 million in claims. A settlement was reached for the client soon after the arbitration hearing commenced.°
- Represented a U.S.-based private renewable energy company owning two solar-powered electrical generation facilities under construction in Mexico, advising on two EPC agreements totaling more than US$100 million. Negotiated and drafted amendments to the EPC contracts that enabled the owner to reach commercial closeout with the contractor and avoid terminating the contractor for default. Advised the owner on all aspects of the EPC contracts, including default, termination, arbitration, and assessment of liquidated damages.°
- Represented a U.S.-based private renewable energy company on multiple projects, including several onshore and offshore wind projects located in the Southwestern United States, Canada, and Asia. Advised, drafted, reviewed, and negotiated more than US$2 billion in contracts on the client's behalf.°
- Represented an international petrochemical company and its EPC contractor in a dispute involving more than $60 million in claims and counterclaims arising from construction of a new polymers production plant in Texas.°
- Represented a global architecture and engineering firm in a matter involving more than $240 million in threatened claims from the federal government arising from the design and construction of a $1 billion military hospital. Resolved the claims through a structured settlement favorable to the client.°
- Represented the designer-builder of a $400 million highway and bridge design-build project in the Pacific Northwest, involving complex and interrelated geotechnical and design issues that resulted in more than $50 million in additional construction and design costs and months of delay. The dispute was resolved through a negotiated structured settlement on terms favorable to the client.°
- Represented several large developers in preparing, drafting, and negotiating construction contracts worth more than $350 million on projects across the United States.°
- Represented a national subcontractor in federal court litigation against the general contractor on a federal construction project owned by the Army Corps of Engineers. Peach State Roofing, Inc. v. Kirlin Builders, LLC, 2018 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 104662.°
°The above representations were handled by Mr. Shaughnessy prior to his joining Greenberg Traurig, LLP.
Recognition & Leadership
- Listed, The Best Lawyers in America, 2021-2025
- Construction Law, 2026
- Litigation – Construction, 2026
- “Ones to Watch,” Construction Law, 2021-2025
- “Ones to Watch,” Litigation – Construction,” 2021-2025
- "Ones to Watch," Commercial Litigation, 2021-2024
- Listed, Chambers USA Guide, Construction, 2025-2026
- Listed, Benchmark Litigation, “40 & Under List,” 2022-2025
- Listed, The Legal 500 United States,
- Real Estate – Construction, 2021-2025
- “Rising Stars,” Real Estate – Construction, 2019-2020
- Listed, Super Lawyers magazine, Georgia Super Lawyers, “Rising Stars,” 2017-2026
- Member, Associated General Contractors of America (AGC), 2021-Present
- Member, Construction Law and Operations Committee (CLOC), 2025-Present
- Member, Atlanta Bar Association, 2017-Present
- Member, Construction Law Section, 2017-Present
- Chair, 2023-2024
- Vice Chair/Chair Elect, 2022-2023
- Member At Large, 2021-2022
- Newsletter Editor, 2019-2021
- Member, Construction Law Section, 2017-Present
- Member, State Bar of Georgia
Credentials
- J.D., Georgia State University College of Law
- B.B.A., cum laude, Mercer University
- Georgia
- Texas