Meyers Nave Lands Top Construction Law Specialist, Eric Firstman
OAKLAND, CA – Meyers Nave has landed top Northern California construction trial attorney Eric Firstman to further secure its position as the preeminent construction law practice in the state. In making this announcement, the firm also named Firstman the Practice Group Chair of the firm’s restructured Construction and Facilities law practice. The Practice Group was restructured to emphasize its specialization and full service support of large scale construction project management, litigation and trial practice. Firstman is joining the firm as a partner in its Oakland office.
With over 30 years of experience in construction law, Eric represents public entities and private companies in large, complex construction projects from project development and contract negotiation, to project administration, dispute resolution and complex trials. His experience includes billion dollar and larger projects for cities, counties and municipalities as well as hospitals, school and special districts, seaports, airports and other commercial facilities in both bond funded projects, individual projects and capital improvement programs.
Eric’s complex trial practice has included verdicts, final awards and judgments in cases involving power facilities, irrigation facilities, colleges, libraries and wastewater treatment plants, state court and federal court jury verdicts and court trials and arbitrations. He has been named a Fellow of the Litigation Counsel of America, a prestigious trial lawyer honorary society whose membership represents less than one-half of one percent of all lawyers in the U.S. Fellows are selected after being rigorously evaluated on their effectiveness and accomplishments in litigation and trial work, along with the attorney’s reputation for exceeding the highest ethical standards. Eric also regularly serves as guest faculty in the trial advocacy program at Stanford Law School and several continuing education programs.
Formerly a name principal of Wulfsberg Reese Colvig & Firstman located in Oakland, Eric’s most notable projects and clients include major hospital and healthcare construction and renovation programs, two major airport expansion projects, a seaport expansion, stadiums and municipal event center projects, and multiple city, county, school district and college facilities bond programs, water district and waste water district expansion programs.
The Construction and Facilities Practice Group is one of the area’s preeminent construction law practices and offers complete construction and facilities law services to public agencies, private owners, hospitals, developers, and subcontractors during all stages of construction projects. Some of the notable projects the practice has handled include one of the largest class action disability lawsuits in the state in response to claims of violations of both the ADA and Section 504 on behalf of a major city as well as lead construction counsel for one of the largest school districts in the nation, helping the client complete over $1 billion in construction work without any litigation since 2005.
“This is a strategic merger which affords us competitive advantage and will complement our robust land use, real estate and environmental practices,” said Meyers Nave Managing Principal David Skinner. “With Eric and his over 30 years of construction litigation experience, Meyers Nave is the preeminent law firm for large scale, complex construction projects in the state”, Skinner added.
“Joining Meyers Nave gives the firm and me the opportunity to attract Fortune 1000 corporations and large scale projects and cases to our already impressive list of public and private projects. These clients are seeking more value in their legal representation and, I believe, Meyers Nave offers the greatest value in the state considering the top notch trial experience and deep litigation support the firm now offers,” Firstman said. “We’re positioned well to meet the needs of value conscious, results-oriented clients and it should help fuel this firm’s growth for years to come,” he added.
Eric is AV rated by Martindale Hubble, Martindale Hubble’s highest peer review rating, honored by Northern California Superlawyers in construction litigation for 2007-2013, and placed on Corporate Counsel’s list of Superlawyers from 2008-2013. Eric received his B.A. at the University of California, Los Angeles in 1980 and his J.D. from the University of California, Hastings College of Law in 1983.
About Meyers Nave: Founded in 1986, the law firm of Meyers Nave is recognized for its work with all types of public entities and non-profit entities in California. The firm provides the full scope of legal services to cities, counties, successor agencies, school districts and special districts statewide, as well as to all types of non-profit entities. Meyers Nave’s areas of practice include labor and employment, torts, economic development, city attorney and general counsel representations, first amendment, eminent domain, litigation, writs & appeals, public contracts, construction & facilities, healthcare, land use, public finance, crisis management, education and environmental law.