Candace L. Matson

Candace L. Matson is a partner in the Real Estate, Environmental and Construction Practice Group of Sheppard Mullin's Los Angeles office where she specializes in construction law.

Areas of Practice

Ms. Matson represents owners, lenders, contractors, subcontractors, design professionals and others in a wide range of private and public contexts relating to construction. The subject of such representation includes:

Preconstruction phase: assistance with requests for proposals and bid packages; prosecuting and defending against bid protests; negotiation, drafting and review of contracts (construction, architectural and engineering services, construction management, and procurement services); advice regarding insurance and surety issues; licensing advice.

Construction phase: advice regarding contract compliance, project documentation, and mechanic's lien law; early dispute resolution.

Post-construction phase: mediation, arbitration and litigation of disputes, including extra and changed work claims; delay, disruption and acceleration claims; design professionals' liens, mechanic's lien and stop notice claims; construction defect claims (including water intrusion and mold issues); and insurance and surety bond claims.

Education

• J.D., University of California, Los Angeles, 1989
• M.S., California Lutheran University, 1980
• B.A., University of California, Berkeley, 1977

Admissions

• California

Memberships

• Executive Board Member, Women Construction Owners & Executives, USA (California Chapter)
• Former Chair, Construction Subsection, Los Angeles County Bar Association
• Former Chair, Legal Advisory Committee, Associated General Contractors of California
• Member, Legislative Committee, Associated General Contractors of California
• Former Los Angeles Region Board Member, Associated General Contractors of California
• Former Director, National Association of Women in Construction
• Executive Board Member, California Dispute Resolution Council
• Arbitrator, American Arbitration Association
• Arbitrator/Mediator, Arbitration, Mediation and Conciliation Center
• Mediator, FORUM Dispute Management
• Member, Construction Industry Forum, American Bar Association
• Member, Association of Business Trial Lawyers
• Member, California Women Lawyers
• Member, Women Lawyers Association of Los Angeles
• Member, Southern California Mediation Association

Articles

• Authored article entitled "The Parameters of Mediation Confidentiality in California," published on CEB website
  (http://ceb.com/newsletter/rpconst.htm) (V. 25, March 2008)
• Authored article entitled "New Legislation Affects Allocation of Risk in Residential Construction Contracts," published on CEB website (http://ceb.com/newsletter/rpconst.htm) (V. 17, April 2006)
• Co-authored article entitled "The Year 2004 in Review: Construction Law Update," published in Real Property Section Review (LA County Bar) (Spring 2005)
• Co-authored article entitled "The Year 2003 in Review: Construction Law Update," published in Real Property Section Review (LA County Bar) (Spring 2004)
• Co-Authored white paper entitled "AB 544: Some Temporary Labor Service Agencies Now Qualify as Contractors," published by Associated General Contractors of California, Inc. (December 2003)
• Authored article entitled "New Construction Defect Litigation," published by Associated General Contractors of California, Inc. (Legal Brief 03-01 2003)
• Co-authored article entitled "The Year 2001 in Review: Annual Construction Law Update," published in Verdicts and Settlements, Daily Journal (Los Angeles and San Francisco, April 5, 2002)
• Co-authored article entitled "The Year 2000 in Review: Annual Construction Law Update," published by Associated General Contractors of California, Inc. (Legal Brief 01-06 2001)
• Authored article on indemnity entitled "Say What You Mean," published by Associated General Contractors of California, Inc. (Legal Brief 01-03 2001)
• Co-authored article entitled "E-mail and Beyond: Minimizing Risk, Maximizing Benefits of Electronic Communication," published by Associated General Contractors of California, Inc. (Legal Brief 99-4 1999) and also by CMAA Southern California News (November 1999)
• Co-authored chapter pertaining to owners in book entitled "California Mechanics' Liens and Other Remedies," (3d ed. 1998)
• Co-authored portion of 1995 California Litigation Review
• Updated Cambridge Institute publication entitled "Mechanics Liens & Construction Claims Under California Law" (1993 and 1995 editions)
• Co-authored article entitled "High Court Puts End to California's Peculiar Twist on Peculiar Risk," published in California Construction Law Reporter (October 1993)

Speeches

• California Homebuilders Foundation, "Mechanic's Liens, Stop Notices, Bonds, and Other Special Remedies in California," Santa Ana, May 2008
• Union Bank of California, "California Mechanic's Lien Law as it Affects Lenders," Irvine, April 2008
• Los Angeles County Bar Association, Construction Subsection: "Annual Construction ADR Update," Los Angeles, March 2008
• Union Bank of California, "California Mechanic's Lien Law as it Affects Lenders," Los Angeles, February 2008
• Lorman Education Services, Moderator, "Construction Law From Contract to Closeout in California," Speaker, "Mechanic's Liens and Stop Notices," Pasadena, December 2007
• American Arbitration Association, The Construction Mediation Conference: What You Can't Not Know, "The Parameters of Mediation Confidentiality in California," Marina Del Rey, November 2007
• California Homebuilders Foundation, "Mechanic's Liens, Stop Notices, Bonds, and Other Special Remedies in California," Santa Ana, October 2007
• Building Industry Association & California Homebuilders Foundation, "Mechanic's Liens, Stop Notices, Bonds, and Other Special Remedies in California," Van Nuys, October 2007
• Bank of America, "A Review of Selected Creditor's Rights Issues for California Commercial Real Estate Lenders," Los Angeles, September 2007
• California Homebuilders Foundation, "Mechanic's Liens, Stop Notices and Bond Claims: Special Remedies in California," Santa Ana, May 2007
• IQPC Commercial Construction Law, "Drafting a Commercial Construction Contract from the Owner's Perspective," Boston, July 2006
• 25th Annual California Real Property Retreat, "Licensing Traps and Issues: The Fallout from Vallejo Development," Newport Beach, April 2006
• Los Angeles County Bar Association, Construction Subsection, "Annual Construction Law Update," Los Angeles, February 2008, 2007, 2006, 2005, 2004, 2003, 2002, 2001
• Pepperdine University/AAA/LACBA, "Avoiding and Resolving Construction Claims," Malibu, September 2004
• Host, AGC of California Legal Advisory Committee Annual Retreat, Carmel, September 2004
• Pepperdine's Straus Institute for Dispute Resolution, "Hot Topics in Construction Law," Malibu, September 2003
• 22nd Annual California Real Property Retreat, "AIA Construction Contract Forms," Silverado, May 2003
• 19th AGC of California Legal Advisory Committee Annual Retreat, "Critical Developments in 2002 Construction Law," Carmel, September 2002
• National Association of Women in Construction - Region 12, "A Primer on Mold," Los Angeles, August 2002