Christopher S. Dunn

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.

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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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• 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)

Education

• University of Tennessee College of Law (J.D., 1994)
• Villanova University (B.A., cum laude, 1991)

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

Past Events