Michael E.Wagner, Jr.

Before becoming an attorney, Mike worked in the construction industry. He spent time with a general contractor, where he was involved in preconstruction, project management, and risk management for commercial and government projects, with an emphasis on heavy civil, highway, utility, and other public infrastructure work. He also gained experience working for an electrical subcontractor. That background gives Mike a practical understanding of how projects operate, where problems arise, and how legal and business decisions affect what happens in the field. He speaks the language of construction and can quickly get to the heart of a client's problem.

Mike's practice spans the entire project life cycle, from project conception, design, contract negotiation, and preconstruction through project delivery, construction, closeout, and operation. He advises owners, general contractors, subcontractors, and other project participants on both transactional matters and complex claims and disputes.

On the transactional side, Mike drafts and negotiates construction and design agreements designed to allocate risk clearly, protect his clients' interests, and reduce the likelihood of disputes. His experience includes customized agreements, as well as industry forms, such as AIA, DBIA, and ConsensusDocs, across delivery models that include design-bid-build, design-build, EPC, and public-private partnerships.

When disputes arise, Mike focuses on finding the most effective path to resolution, whether through negotiation, mediation, arbitration, litigation, or administrative proceedings. He has represented clients in state and federal courts, before the US Court of Federal Claims and Boards of Contract Appeals, and in a variety of alternative dispute resolution proceedings.

Mike also counsels government contractors on compliance and contract administration and assists with the preparation and prosecution of requests for equitable adjustment and claims arising from local, state, and federal construction projects.

Across his practice, Mike brings the same perspective to each engagement: understand the project, understand the client's business objectives, and develop a practical legal strategy for managing risk or resolving the problem. He values the opportunity to work on challenging projects and complex issues as part of Seyfarth's collaborative construction practice and to serve as a trusted advisor to clients throughout the construction industry.