Mr. Keith Edward Coulter | Private Law Practice

Keith Coulter is a trial lawyer who represents companies in construction and related industries. In addition to representing clients involved in disputes, he counsels them in management and avoidance of disputes and other risks associated with their businesses. His experience includes over 50 trials, arbitrations and administrative hearings, and over 30 jury verdicts as "first chair trial counsel" involving construction contract claims, insurance coverage, personal injury, wrongful death, multi-party toxic torts, and OSHA citation defense. Drawing from his trial experience, he also assists clients with drafting and negotiating contracts and claims involving construction contracts, surety bonds, property liens, insurance coverage, risk management and employment relations. He is a trained mediator with experience mediating construction contract, construction defect and personal injury cases. He handles or supervises much of the firm's litigation practice. Keith is listed in the Martindale-Hubbell Law Directory as "AV"-rated designation which is the top designation given by peers in the legal community.

Representative Experience:

• Over 30 verdicts as "first chair" trial counsel.
• Negotiated the settlement of claims for fraud and conversion regarding the multi-million-dollar lease-purchase of cranes needed for construction of an offshore oil platform.
• Obtained favorable settlements of payment of claims for HVAC contractors involving major airport and sports arena facilities.
• Defended utility contractor against a foundation subcontractor's multi-million-dollar claim for extra costs and standby charges for the suspension of marine power line construction.
• Represented pipeline contractors and owners in disputes regarding the scope of work and damage to right-of-way.
• Obtained a favorable arbitration award for contractor's claim that the public owner's actions caused river flooding to delay construction of a dam.
• Negotiated settlements of injunctions that threatened to stop construction of a high-rise condominium tower and construction of a private school addition.
• Negotiated a favorable settlement for golf course construction contractor for lien on a subdivision.
• Negotiated settlements of delay claims for general contractor against architects and engineers and owners of church and school projects.
• Tried and won a statutory payment bond claim for plumbing supply contractor on public utility projects.
• Arbitrated or settled several cases involving fiber-optic cable installation.
• Negotiated the dismissal of several O.S.H.A. "multi-employer" citations.
• Tried and won the only known case in which a mediation settlement agreement was held not to be binding.
• Negotiated settlements of significant construction defect claims involving a chemical plant's piping welds, water intrusion, EIFS, HVAC performance, lime-stabilization and site geotechnical design.
• Obtained a federal court of appeals ruling dismissing a significant indemnity claim for settlement of an offshore oil production accident.
• Negotiated favorable settlements of builder's risk claims regarding underground utility construction and building construction in cases in which insurers initially refused to accept coverage.
• Defended and settled numerous multi-party toxic tort cases involving asbestos, silica and mold.
• Obtained a jury verdict for earthwork contractor in excess of $1 million in an engineering negligence case pertaining to lime-stabilization testing.
• Obtained a favorable jury verdict, upheld by rare ruling by the court of appeals that the driver of a vehicle that rear-ends another is not automatically negligent.
• Arbitrated a multi-million-dollar contract dispute regarding security facilities at Houston Intercontinental Airport.
• Successfully defended numerous wrongful death and personal injury lawsuits regarding construction, oil field and manufacturing worksite accidents, product liability and vehicle accidents to verdict or settlement.