Profile

Jim Werner heads the Firm’s Commercial & Construction practice group. He has extensive experience litigating a variety of cases before courts and juries, and in presenting cases to arbitrators, mediators and boards of contract appeals. While he is called upon by clients to handle diverse cases arising out of business disputes and claims, Mr. Werner generally concentrates on handling and litigating cases involving construction projects, surety and fidelity bonds, government contracts, environmental permits and contaminated sites in a broad geographic area and numerous jurisdictions.

Mr. Werner is a frequent speaker at programs for lawyers and industry groups on topics including construction, government contracts, environmental, surety and fidelity and litigation issues.

Experience Highlights

• Defending contractors in various construction disputes involving claims of delay, defective work, etc.
• Representing construction and government contractors in claims for recovery of additional costs and damages for extra work, delays, disruptions, etc.
• Handling complex and highly contentious administrative trials and appeals involving environmental permits
• Defending industrial and commercial clients in environmental contamination cases brought by governmental regulators and adjoining landowners
• Serving as lead counsel for groups of potentially responsible parties at CERCLA sites – including one such case in which the United States District Court was convinced to reject a CERCLA settlement between another group of major PRPs and the regulatory agency
• Taking over a case at the appeal stage in which the trial court had imposed environmental liability on the corporate parent and individual owners, officers and operators of an industrial facility, and obtaining reversal of the trial court decision, thus freeing his clients from liability for contamination claims and clean-up costs
• Representing national surety companies in numerous matters involving all aspects of performance and payment bond claims and disputes and in contested cases of indemnity and salvage recovery
• Defending surety bad faith claims by obligees, claimants and principals/indemnitors
• Handling various complex fidelity claims
• Negotiating and drafting construction contracts and other forms of agreements

News

• Parker Poe Attorneys Named SC Super Lawyers for 2013
  April 25, 2013
• 74 Parker Poe Attorneys Recognized as Best Lawyers® for 2013
  August 23, 2012
• Parker Poe Attorneys Named SC Super Lawyers for 2012
  March 28, 2012
• 69 Parker Poe Attorneys Recognized as Best Lawyers® for 2012
  September 6, 2011
• Parker Poe Attorneys Named SC Super Lawyers for 2011
  March 30, 2011
• 61 Parker Poe Attorneys Recognized as Best Lawyers® for 2011
  August 18, 2010
• Law & Politics Names Nine Attorneys as Super Lawyers in SC
  March 31, 2010
• 55 Parker Poe Attorneys Recognized as Best Lawyers®
  July 30, 2009
• Nine Parker Poe Attorneys Named South Carolina Super Lawyers
  April 14, 2009
• Parker Poe Increases Number of Attorneys Recognized as Best Lawyers in America
  October 1, 2008
• Five Parker Poe Attorneys Named South Carolina Super Lawyers
  April 14, 2008
• 40 Parker Poe Attorneys Named Among 2008 Best Lawyers in America
  September 14, 2007
• Parker Poe Attorneys Named to Best Lawyers in America
  September 12, 2006
• Parker Poe Adams & Bernstein LLP is Pleased to Announce the Addition of Three Attorneys in Our Columbia Office
  June 2, 2004