Mr. Altman is Senior Counsel with the Chicago law firm Laurie & Brennan, LLP. He previously was a partner in national and international law firms, and also served as General Counsel for two global companies attempting to reorganize under Chapter 11 of the U.S. Bankruptcy Code and resolve international insolvency matters.
Ross Altman focuses his practice on matters pertaining to design, engineering, procurement and construction. He represents owners, contractors, design professionals, lenders and others in matters ranging from drafting and negotiation of contracts to resolution of disputes and claims, and in connection with a wide range of commercial, industrial, and infrastructure projects.
Ross also counsels clients in the transaction structure, financing and administration of construction and has worked on projects throughout North America, South America, Europe and Asia. He has represented public entities engaged in public-private partnership (P3) projects as well as concessionaires and other parties involved in the design, construction, supply, operation and maintenance of infrastructure projects. Ross has helped clients solve issues relating to surety bonds and other project related security and has drafted special legislation to address such matters.
Ross has worked on turnaround teams, having acted as general counsel for two global companies attempting to reorganize under Chapter 11 of the U.S. Bankruptcy Code, as well as resolving international insolvency matters. One such company was a global manufacturer and EPC contractor
Mr. Altman is an adjunct law professor, teaching a course in drafting design agreements and construction contracts. He frequently writes and lectures on topics that pertain to the design professions, construction industry and project finance, and serves as a contributing editor to The Real Estate Finance Journal. He is also a co-editor of a the law school textbook, Construction Law, and authored two chapters of the book, which was first published by the ABA Forum on the Construction Industry in January 2009 with the second edition scheduled for publication in 2019.
Chambers USA repeatedly recognizes Mr. Altman for his construction law work, and in 2011 noted, “Construction specialist Ross Altman is an experienced and respected attorney with a fantastic reputation for handling large international transactions.” Also in 2011, he was named Construction Lawyer of the Year byBest Lawyers and named one of the Top 100 Illinois lawyers in real estate by the Leading Lawyers Network. Mr. Altman has been designated an Illinois Super Lawyer by Law & Politics since 2005 and is listed in The Best Lawyers in America for construction law. He is recommended in Legal 500 and is identified by the International Who’s Who of Construction Lawyers.
ABA Forum Committee on the Construction Industry, American Arbitration Association’s Construction Arbitrator Master Panel, CPR Institute for Dispute Resolution, International Bar Association,Society of Illinois Construction Attorneys
The Project from Hell: Construction Turnarounds and Workouts, International Bar Association, Annual Conference, Dublin, Ireland, October 2, 2012.
Public-Private Partnerships, Land Use Institute: Planning, Regulation, Litigation, Eminent Domain, and Compensation, Chicago, IL, August 10, 2012.
Project Delivery Systems, Construction Law and Mechanics Liens Subcommittee of the Real Property Law Committee, Chicago Bar Association, May 7, 2012.
“Public-Private Partnerships,” Construction Law: Transactional Considerations, at 5-1, Stanley P. Sklar, ed., IICLE, January 1, 2010.
Co-editor of Construction Law, ABA Publishing, 2009.
Author, “Participants in the Design and Construction Process,” Chapter 2; and “Project Delivery Systems,” Chapter 4, Construction Law, ABA Publishing, 2009.
“Design Professional’s Liability to the Contractor,” Architect and Engineer Liability: Claims against Design Professionals, at 115, Kevin R. Sido, ed., Aspen Publishers 3d ed., 2006.
U. S. District Court, Northern District of Illinois