Overview
Owners and developers throughout the United States appreciate that attorney Christopher Dunn has the transactional and claims and litigation experience needed to handle all aspects of their sophisticated construction projects, from the creation of custom design and construction agreements to creative and efficient dispute resolution.
Diverse Skills in Construction Law
Since 2020, construction projects in the United States increasingly work in an inflationary cost environment with labor challenges, supply chain disarray, and new forms of technology, creating a new era for owners to manage. For more than two decades, clients have depended on Chris’s robust knowledge of the construction industry and connections to guide them through the nuanced planning stage to negotiate design and construction agreements. They also rely on him for his deep understanding of the operational challenges that often arise mid-project.
When disputes and claims arise concerning delay, reimbursable cost, work quality, or job cost accounting, Chris advocates in all phases of dispute resolution, including mediation, arbitration, or court litigation across the country. In particular, Chris has significant experience defending owners and developers in “impact” or delay-related claims brought by constructors as well as demands for additional fees, general conditions, and other compensation.
Although their industries may be different, each client receives the benefit of Chris’s sharp-focused and energetic style. His enthusiasm, optimism, and ingenuity lead to efficient, cost-effective, and original outcomes. In the transactional context, this means custom agreements tailored to the owner’s needs; in dispute resolution, this means driving results through conscientious evaluation at the earliest stages of a conflict and ultimately at trial or in arbitration hearings.
Decades of Experience in Both Commercial and Health Care-Related Development
For over 20 years, Chris has been advising a host of companies that have appeared on Engineering News Record’s “Top 400 Owners” list from industries including:
- Manufacturing
- Industrial
- Logistics and transportation
- Multi-family residential
- Hospitality and entertainment
- Professional sports franchises
- Utility and infrastructure
Developments in treatment innovations and health care technology shifts often require health care facilities to make physical modifications. Chris has a national construction practice with an emphasis on serving health care and life sciences owners that are expanding, renovating, or building new facilities, which include, among others:
- Hospitals
- Ambulatory surgery centers
- Behavioral health facilities
- Stand-alone emergency departments
- Skilled nursing facilities
- Urgent care clinics
- Cancer treatment centers
- Medical office buildings
- Dental clinics and offices
- Research facilities
- Imaging and radiology centers
- Rehabilitation centers and other post-acute care facilities
Chris assists health care facilities across the continuum of care and is bolstered by Epstein Becker Green’s knowledge of facility licensure and accreditation, including the Medicare Conditions of Participation, accrediting body standards, and state law requirements.
A Go-To Resource for Clients
In 2021, Chris was selected as a Fellow of the American College of Construction Lawyers, a prestigious, peer-selected national organization of lawyers who are dedicated to excellence in the practice of construction law. Currently, there are approximately 225 U.S. Fellows.
In 2018, Chris was nominated as a Fellow with the Construction Lawyers Society of America, a limited-membership international association of the world’s leading construction lawyers. At the American Bar Association’s Forum on the Construction Industry, Chris served on the Forum’s Governing Committee from 2015 to 2017.
More locally, Chris is a member of the Nashville Bar Foundation, and he was appointed by the Metropolitan Government of Nashville and Davidson County, Tennessee, to serve a four-year term (starting in March 2023) on the Metro Fire and Building Code Appeals Board. In 2023, he was nominated to the American Inn of Court, Nashville Chapter.
Before joining Epstein Becker Green, Chris was an associate and partner for nearly 20 years at a national law firm. Previously, he served as a Judicial Clerk in the Tennessee Court of Appeals, Middle Section.
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Focus Areas
Experience
Recognition
- American Bar Foundation, Fellow (2023)
- American College of Construction Lawyers, Fellow (2021 to Present)
- The Best Lawyers in America, Construction Law (2007 to 2024); Litigation – Construction (2011 to 2024); Lawyer of the Year – Construction Law (2013)
- Chambers USA: America’s Leading Lawyers for Business, Tennessee—Construction (2023)
- Construction Lawyers Society of America, Fellow (2018 to Present)
- Harry Phillips American Inn of Court, Nashville Chapter, Master of the Bench (2023 to 2027)
- JD Supra Readers’ Choice Award, Top Author (2023)
- Legal 500 United States, Healthcare: Service Providers (2023)
- Martindale-Hubbell, AV Preeminent (2018 to Present)
- Mid-South Super Lawyers: Construction Litigation (2023)
- Nashville Bar Foundation, Fellow (2010 to Present)
Credentials
Education
- University of Tennessee College of Law (J.D., 1994)
- Villanova University (B.A., cum laude, 1991)
Bar Admissions
- Tennessee
- Texas
Court Admissions
- Supreme Court of Tennessee
- Supreme Court of Texas
- U.S. Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit
- U.S. District Court, Middle District of Tennessee
- U.S. District Court, Western District of Tennessee
Professional & Community Involvement
- American Bar Association’s Forum on the Construction Industry
- Governing Committee, Member (2015 to 2017)
- Division 12 – Owners and Lenders, Chair (2011 to 2013)
- Appalachian Bear Rescue
- Construction Neutrals Panel of the American Arbitration Association
- Goodwill of Middle Tennessee, Inc., Board Council and Executive Committee (2008 to Present)
- Law360 Construction Advisory Board, Member (2022)
- Metropolitan Government of Nashville and Davidson County, Tennessee
- Metro Fire and Building Code Appeals Board, Member (2023 to 2027)
- Nashville Bar Association
- Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation (RMEF)
- Tennessee Association of Construction Counsel (TACC)
- Former Board of Directors Member
- Former Education Committee Chair
- Tennessee Bar Association
- Tennessee Justice Center, Pro Bono Counsel
- Texas Bar Association
- Villanova University Alumni Club of Nashville, Social Events Chair
Media
Events
Past Events
- May 18, 2023
- June 13-15, 2022
- ABA Webinar Forum on the Construction Industry: Project Financing & Cash Flow Issues
- Tennessee Real Estate Law Conference: Mechanics' and Materialmen's Liens—A Primer for Tennessee Real Estate Attorneys
- Tennessee Real Estate Law Conference: Tennessee Attorney’s Memo—The Tennessee Lien Act
Insights
Insights
- Media CoverageChris Dunn Quoted in “Big Law's Flood into Boomtown Nashville Tests Client Loyalties”2 minute read
- Firm Announcements
Six Epstein Becker Green Attorneys Named to the 2023 Mid-South Super Lawyers and Rising Stars Lists
10 minute read - Firm Announcements
Epstein Becker Green Attorneys Recognized by 2024 Best Lawyers for Excellence in the Legal Profession
12 minute read - Media CoverageChris Dunn Featured in “Navigating the 'Unpredictable Construction Contract Landmines'”8 minute read
- Media CoverageChris Dunn Discusses Nashville Healthcare Construction Trends and Updates6 minute read
- Media CoverageHemant Gupta, Jeff McGoff, and Adelee Traylor Featured in “Epstein Becker Grows Health Care Practice in Dallas ...3 minute read
- Firm Announcements
Epstein Becker Green Earns National Recognition and High Rankings in the 2023 Edition of Legal 500
3 minute read - Firm Announcements
Epstein Becker Green Recognized for Focused Excellence Across Core Practice Areas in Chambers USA 2023
5 minute read - Firm Announcements
Five Epstein Becker Green Attorneys Receive 2023 JD Supra Readers’ Choice Awards for Noteworthy Thought Leadership ...
3 minute read - Media CoverageOffice Snapshot: Epstein Becker Green's New Nashville Outpost3 minute read
- Media CoverageNashville Boom, Health Care Fuel Epstein Becker Green Growth Bet3 minute read
- Media CoverageChris Dunn Quoted in “The Dotted Line: Cost Escalations Lead to More Disputes”2 minute read
- Media CoverageChris Dunn Quoted in “$838M Neurosciences Center Breaks Ground in Connecticut”2 minute read
- Publications“Getting the Cart Before the Horse” – Failing to Integrate Federal Reimbursement Requirements Into the Programing ...2 minute read
- Firm Announcements
Epstein Becker Green Attorneys Recognized by 2023 Best Lawyers for Excellence in the Legal Profession
11 minute read - Media Coverage
Epstein Becker Green Attorneys Elected to Law360’s 2022 Editorial Advisory Boards
4 minute read - Publications#WorkforceWednesday: Health Care Construction Workers and Vaccination, 2022 Wage and Hour Laws, Follow BIPA Rules ...3 minute read
- Media CoverageFrank Morris, Chris Dunn Quoted in “CMS’ Vaccine Rules Lay Out Staff Deadlines, How to Handle Hold-Outs”2 minute read
- Media CoverageLaw360 Feature—Epstein Becker Green Adds Health Care Construction Group in Tenn., IP and Privacy Attorney in Ohio ...3 minute read
- Media Coverage
Epstein Becker Green’s Addition of Health Care Construction Law Attorneys Featured in the Nashville Post
2 minute read - Media CoverageEpstein Becker Green Featured in “Midsize Law Firms Kick Off Expansion and Merger Deals in 2022”1 minute read
- Firm AnnouncementsEpstein Becker Green Adds Construction Law Group to Its National Health Care Practice6 minute read
- PublicationsResponding to a Contrary Position: Minimizing the Number of Named Insureds on the Builders Risk Policy
- Publications
"Owner's Damages Arising from Defective Construction" in Construction Defects: ABA Forum on the Construction Industry
- Publications
"Construction Contract Insurance Clauses" in Construction Insurance: A Guide for Attorneys and Other Professionals
- PublicationsConfronting Conventional Wisdom on Builders Risk: From Named Insured Status to Concurrent Causation
- PublicationsOwner's Field Guide to Risk Transfer Provisions in Modern Day Design and Construction Contracts
- Publications5 Legal Factors in Green Construction
- Publications
"Step Negotiation" in The Construction Contracts Book: How to Find Common Ground in Negotiating the 2007 Industry Form ...
- Publications
"Representing the Construction Lender" in Construction Checklists: A Guide to Frequently Encountered Construction ...