Robert A. Gallagher

Bob dedicates his practice to representing technology companies, contractors, and owners on infrastructure projects, with a primary emphasis in the water, energy, transportation, and waste sectors. He has handled disputes, ranging from $1 million to more than $4.5 billion in contract value, in nearly every U.S. state and across six continents.

Bob has significant trial and arbitration experience with process plants, including water and wastewater treatment systems, heavy industrial process facilities, and power generation plants. While clients seek Bob to help them resolve their most complex disputes, they also value him as a trusted advisor throughout their projects’ life-cycle to assess and mitigate risk and avoid disputes.

Bob is the editor-in-chief of Constructlaw^®, a blog focusing on recent trends in construction law and construction litigation. He is an assistant professor by courtesy at Duquesne University, where he has taught Law and Ethics and Advanced Law and Ethics for more than 15 years. Bob has been recognized by Chambers USA, Best Lawyers in America®, The Legal 500 United States, and Super Lawyers “Rising Star.” He is also the managing partner of the firm’s Pittsburgh office.

Power Plants

• Counsel to a constructor of a 531 megawatt run of the river hydroelectric project in the Andes Mountains southeast of Santiago, Chile, which includes approximately 45 kilometers of tunneling in the Chilean Andes.
• Litigation counsel to a subcontractor in claims totaling approximately $140 million arising out of the design and construction of a flue gas desulfurization system and associated wastewater treatment system at three coal-fired power generation facilities in Maryland.
• Arbitration counsel to an EPC contractor in various multimillion-dollar disputes with the project owner, subcontractors, and vendors arising out of the design and construction of a new multibillion-dollar power plant in Wisconsin.

Industrial Process Plants

• Litigation counsel to an EPC contractor arising out of the construction of $300 million wastewater treatment and recycling facility in West Virginia
• Arbitration counsel to an EPC contractor in a series of arbitration proceedings arising out of the construction of a $95.8 million first-of-its-kind, zero liquid waste process facility to improve water quality of the Monongahela Watershed in West Virginia.
• Litigation counsel to an EPC contractor in claims totaling $30 million for alleged delay and disruption, and alleged mechanical, process, and civil engineering deficiencies arising out of the design and construction of a wastewater treatment plant at an oil refinery in California.

Water Treatment

• Litigation counsel to a provider of water treatment solutions in a $90 million dollar dispute arising out of the design, performance, and operation of a water filtration system and pre-treatment system in Oregon.
• Arbitration counsel to a provider of environmental solutions in a multimillion-dollar dispute involving various technical issues arising out of consulting services provided under a series of management agreements in Pennsylvania.
• Litigation counsel to a water and wastewater technology company in a multi-party dispute alleging more than $50 million in damages relating to the design, performance, and operation of a new $17 million filtration system in Texas.

Pipeline and Transmission Line Projects

• Litigation counsel to the pipeline installation contractor in claims arising out of alleged scope changes, extra work, and alleged defective work on a 40+ mile natural gas pipeline project in Pennsylvania and West Virginia.
• Litigation counsel to a pipe manufacturer in multiparty claims arising out of failures in a pipeline system conveying byproduct brine water from a treatment facility in Utah.
• Counsel to multiple interested parties in proceedings before the Pennsylvania PUC arising out of the proposed $1.1 billion construction of two extra high voltage transmission lines through Pennsylvania, West Virginia, Maryland, and Virginia.

Civil Construction

• Litigation counsel to a geotechnical engineering firm in claims exceeding $25 million arising out of the collapse of freeway support columns and retaining walls on a turnpike project in Texas.
• Litigation counsel to a general contractor in claims totaling more than $100 million arising from differential settlement and lateral movement of what is believed to be one of the largest reinforced soil slopes in the U.S.
• Counsel to a general contractor for claims arising out of a $96 million construction project that included the construction of a new river wall for a future lock chamber in Pennsylvania.

Bid Disputes

• Counsel to a general contractor and a startup disabled-veteran-owned small business concern in status and size bid protests filed by a competitor on two separate projects involving the VA Healthcare System totaling $20 million in Pennsylvania.
• Litigation counsel to an engineering firm in a bid dispute involving the substitution of a supplier, after the supplier’s bid had been incorporated into the winning contractor’s bid proposal.
• Counsel to a successful bidder on a multimillion-dollar chemical-supply contract involving issues of responsiveness and responsibility in California.

• Chambers USA: Construction, Pennsylvania (2023-2025)
• Best Lawyers in America®: Construction Law (2023-2026), Litigation – Construction (2022-2026)
• Legal 500 United States for Real Estate: Construction (including construction litigation) (2022-2023)
• Law and Politics: Super Lawyers “Rising Star” (2013-2017)