Jeffrey A. Kennard
Shareholder, Scharnhorst Ast Kennard Griffin PCJeff chairs the Firm’s construction and design practice group. Since 1994, Jeff has had the privilege to represent owners, design-builders, design professionals, general contractors, construction managers, and subcontractors of all types and sizes, ranging from publicly-traded international companies to small local businesses, on a wide variety of projects, including: petroleum and bio-fuel refineries; fossil-fuel and geothermal power plants; industrial and food processing facilities; military facilities and government housing; earthen dams; sports stadiums; commercial office towers; heavy highway, transportation, and civil; distribution facilities; retail developments; and condominium developments. Although Jeff assists clients at all phases of a construction project, litigation is the principal focus of his practice. Jeff has tried or arbitrated more than 20 construction disputes to verdict or award, and he has been recognized as one of the leading construction attorneys in Kansas and Missouri. The nature of the disputes he has litigated is varied and includes: claims for delays, disruptions, lost productivity, and acceleration; claims for additional compensation due to unknown or changed site conditions; claims for wrongful termination; claims for defective design drawings and specifications; construction defect claims; claims under the Miller Act and similar state statutes; and mechanic’s lien claims.
- Construction Law
- Construction Contracts, Construction Defects, Construction Liens, Construction Litigation
- Arbitration & Mediation
- Business Arbitration, Consumer Arbitration, Family Arbitration
- Commercial Litigation
- Premises Liability
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Rates, Retainers and Additional Information
Although we handle most litigation matters on an hourly-fee basis, SAKG has entered into and successfully utilized alternative fee arrangements on several matters. Some examples include: (i) we defended a construction dispute under a phased flat-fee arrangement where we divided the case into four discrete phases – pre-discovery investigation and analysis, discovery, dispositive motions, and trial – and SAKG received flat fees for each phase of work; (ii) we represented the claimant in a commercial arbitration under a pure contingent-fee arrangement; (iii) we represented a client in a commercial dispute in federal court under a hybrid contingent-fee and hourly-fee arrangement, whereby the firm received a discounted hourly fee along with a contingent “success fee” upon conclusion of the case; (iv) we recently handled an appeal in a commercial matter on a fixed-fee basis; and (iv) since 2007, we have defended all premises liability matters for one client under a blended hourly-rate arrangement.
- Kansas
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- Missouri
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- Oklahoma
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- 10th Circuit
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- U.S. Supreme Court
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- US District Court for District of Kansas
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- US District Court for District of Nebraska
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- US District Court for Western District of Missouri
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- English: Spoken, Written
- President
- Construction Law Section of Kansas City Metropolitan Bar Association
- - Current
- Member
- ABA Forum on Construction Industry
- - Current
- Co-Founder and Past President
- Construction Law Section of Kansas Bar Association
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- University of Kansas
- J.D. (1994) | Law
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- Activities: Staff Member, University of Kansas Law Review
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- University of Kansas
- B.S. (1991) | Business Administration and Advertising
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- Honors: Graduated with high distinction (i.e. upper 3 percent of graduating class)
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- Selected for Inclusion in Super Lawyers, Construction Litigation
- Super Lawyers
- Best of the Bar in Construction Litigation
- Kansas City Business Journal
- Selected for Inclusion in Super Lawyers, Construction Litigation
- Super Lawyers
- Selected for Inclusion in "Top 100 : 2013 Missouri and Kansas Super Lawyers"
- Super Lawyers
- Best of the Bar in Construction Litigation
- Kansas City Business Journal
- Fellows of American Bar Foundation
- Fellow
- - Current
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- Construction Law Update, Chapter 10 — Midwest Region
- Aspen Publishers
- Construction Law Update, Chapter 10 — Midwest Region
- Aspen Publishers
- Introduction to Construction Contracts, Kansas Construction Law Handbook (2nd ed)
- Kansas Bar Association
- Electronic Discovery and the New Federal Rules, 8+4 Review of the Law, Overland Park, KS
- UMKC School of Law
- Navigating the Social Media Maze: How to Use Facebook, MySpace and Twitter as Litigation Tools, Kansas Bar Association CLE Seminar, Topeka, KS
- Kansas Bar Association
- Law of Engineering Malpractice, Kansas Engineering Law and Ethics, Overland Park, KS
- Halfmoon Seminars
- Website
- SAKG Website
