Candace L. Matson

Candace L. Matson is a partner in 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

• Former Executive Board Member, Women Construction Owners & Executives, USA (California Chapter)
• Member and Former Chair, Construction Subsection, Los Angeles County Bar Association
• Member and 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
• Member and Former Director, National Association of Women in Construction
• Executive Board Member, California Dispute Resolution Council www.cdrc.net
• Arbitrator, American Arbitration Association www.adr.org
• Arbitrator/Mediator, Arbitration, Mediation and Conciliation Center www.amccenter.com
• Member, Construction Industry Forum, American Bar Association
• Member, Association of Business Trial Lawyers
• Member, California Women Lawyers
• Member, Women Lawyers Association of Los Angeles
• Co-Chair, Out at Sheppard, www.sheppardmullin.com/diversity-out.html

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

• American Arbitration Association University Construction Conference “Maximizing ADR Advocacy for Today’s Economy,” Los Angeles, November 2009
• 28th Annual California Real Property Retreat, "Remedial Strategies for the Troubled Construction Project," Squaw Valley, May 16, 2009
• Los Angeles County Bar Association, Construction Subsection, "Annual Construction Law Update," Los Angeles, February 2009, 2008, 2007, 2006, 2005, 2004, 2003, 2002, 2001
• 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
• 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