B. Scott Douglass

Principal

Scott Douglass focuses on construction law and business litigation. He has a background in engineering and construction spanning nearly 40 years, and uses this experience and a pragmatic, problem-solving approach when representing developers, owners, general contractors, and subcontractors in the context of private, public, and public-private-partnership (P3) construction projects. His practical, real world experience, in combination with the wide breadth of his nearly 30-year law practice, enables Mr. Douglass to anticipate and address the many issues that arise during each phase of a construction project. For these reasons, he genuinely enjoys practicing law and appreciates the craftsmanship and collegiality that the construction law practice area affords.

Prior to forming DLG, Mr. Douglass was a long-time partner in the Construction Practice Group of Farella Braun + Martel LLP, a top-tier law firm based in San Francisco with a national footprint. Previously, Mr. Douglass was an associate attorney practicing construction and business law at Baker & McKenzie’s Chicago office, which is the headquarters of what was then the world’s largest law firm. Further, before attending law school at University of San Francisco School of Law and graduating magna cum laude, Mr. Douglass graduated cum laude with a Bachelor of Science Degree in Civil Engineering from California Polytechnic State University in San Luis Obispo, and practiced geotechnical engineering at Dames & Moore, a major international engineering and construction consulting firm.

HONORS & AWARDS

  • AV Preeminent Peer Review Rating from Martindale-Hubbell
  • Best Lawyers in America – Construction Law
  • Americas Most Honored Lawyers
  • Lawyers of Distinction
  • Elite Lawyer

Court Admissions

  • California State Courts
  • U.S. District Court (N.D. Cal.)
  • U.S. District Court (C.D. Cal.)
  • U.S. District Court (E.D. Cal.)
  • U.S. District Court (S.D. Cal.)
  • U.S. District Court (N.D. Illinois)
  • 7th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals
  • 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals

Reported Cases

  • Design Built Systems v. Sorokine, Case Nos. A151264 and A152059 (Cal. Ct. App. February 26, 2019).
  • Platte Anchor Bolt, Inc. v. IHI, Inc., 352 F.Supp.2d 1048 (N.D. Cal. 2004).
  • Arntz Builders v. Superior Court, 122 Cal.App.4th 1195 (Cal. App. Ct. 2004).
  • Elling v. State Farm. Mut Auto. Ins. Co., 291 III.App.3d 311 , 683 N.E.2d 929 (Ill. App. Ct. 1997).
  • Quinn v. Jewel Food Stores , Inc., 276 Ill. App.3d 861, 658 N.E.2d 1225 (Ill. App . Ct 1995).

Affiliations

  • Current Co-Chair of the Marin County Bar Association’s Construction Law Section.
  • Founding Chair of the Bar Association of San Francisco’s Barrister Club Construction Law Committee.
  • Associated General Contractors’ Legal Advisory Committee.
  • ABA Forum on the Construction Industry and Litigation Section.

Education

  • University of San Francisco School of Law·(J.D.), magna cum laude; Member, Law Review, published “Reassessing the Architect’s Role as Arbiter.”
  • California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo (B.S.- Civil Engineering), cum laude; Tau Beta Pi ( Nat’l Engineering Honor Society); Chi Epsilon (Nat’l Civil Engineering Honor Society).