ABCSEMI Issue 1, 2021

6 Eric received his B.A. with honors fromMichigan State University, and his J.D. fromWayne State University Law School. Flessland is also listed in The Best Lawyers in America for Construction Law. “We are incredibly fortunate to have two exceptional attorneys on our Board of Directors,” said ABC SEMI Chairman Drew Maltese, President of DJ Maltese Construction. “Eric has really been instrumental in helping us get our affairs in order and in his role as Board Secretary provides sage advice on the issues that all contractor members are facing in the workplace. His role in helping our association make sense of the COVID-19 regulations and creating a plan of action for our members to follow was a crucial piece of the puzzle that allowed us to remain compliant and working. At the very least, he keeps us legal in all aspects of what we do.” Flessland’s practice focuses primarily upon representing heavy construction contractors and their trade associations in the public and private sectors. He has extensive experience representing construction contractor clients on public and private works projects literally from inception through close out. “Eric’s extensive experience in insurance and contract agreements for project owners, contractors, and subcontractors has been a real blessing,” said Ledbetter. “He has worked both public and private matters including enforcement of competitive bidding procedures on local- and state-funded public works projects; project level claims analysis, claim preservation and avoidance counseling; complex construction claims litigation; and contract dispute resolution. These are all issues that our members deal with daily and to have access to his expertise has made our members stronger in their practices. He is a regular lecturer to various contractors’ associations, and frequently publishes articles in the Michigan Infrastructure and Transportation Association’s trade magazine, Cross Section. Flessland is a member of the American Bar Association’s Forum Committee on the Construction Industry, the State Bar of Michigan’s Subcommittee on Construction Liens and Bonds, and a panelist to the American Arbitration Association’s National Panel of Construction Arbitrators, and to the AAA’s Large, Complex Case Program. He has tried matters in U.S. District Courts in Indiana, Texas, and Michigan; appeared in the Michigan and Indiana Court of Appeals; Michigan Circuit Courts throughout the state; and state trial courts in Indiana and Ohio. Mr. Flessland has experience in arbitrating and mediating construction disputes. Prior to entering private practice in 1984, he was a research clerk to the Michigan Supreme Court Committee on Standard Jury Instructions and served as a Research Attorney to the Michigan Court of Appeals. Our association recently welcomed new member, Jacqueline Kaltz-Coulombe of KaltzCoulombe PLLC to the ABC SEMI family, but she is no stranger to the industry—nor ABC for that matter. Her family has owned and operated Kaltz Excavating since 1978 and been an ABC member since 2005. “I grew up around the construction industry my entire life,” said Kaltz-Coulombe. “My family has been in the business of providing underground utility construction services for decades and it was one of the leading factors that led me to construction related law. So often I would witness or hear firsthand the horror stories and pitfalls my family and fellow construction companies would experience on a regular basis with contract agreements, OSHA violations, and the like—it was frustrating to see more often than not the little guy have to take it on the chin instead of getting the justice they deserve. I vowed to make sure that didn’t happen on my watch. I like that ABC has a similar philosophy and knew this was an association I wanted to be a part of.” Jacqueline has over 15 years of hands-on experience in the construction industry. Her background in construction helps her clients’ businesses and projects become more secure and as a result, more successful. She works with them in the project planning and negotiation phase to identify and reduce risk and, in many cases, to help them organize their overall approach to the project. She also works with them during the project to help manage difficult events and brewing claims, and she works with them after the project to resolve claims, ideally through negotiation or mediation but also through arbitration or litigation when necessary. “So often companies seek out legal help at the beginning or the end of a difficult project,” said Kaltz-Coulombe. “I not only encourage them to plan accordingly to address any perceived or anticipated issues, but not to hesitate to reach out to me during the project to make sure that any minor issues do not become major headaches at project’s end. I will often call and simply check in to make sure things are going well and any problems can be rectified—it is important to me to make sure that the companies and their families I represent are taken care of. It is a passion for the law and the industry that I take very seriously.” Many contractors seek out Jacqueline for her depth of industry knowledge, for her talent in developing effective and practical solutions to problems that arise in business and during clients’ projects, and for the excellent results she obtains for them in litigation. Her clients range from general contractors, developers, owners, construction managers, subcontractors, trade contractors, and suppliers. She truly is a welcome addition to ABCs Legal Eagles! LEGAL EAGLES Associated Builders and Contractors, Inc. “...it was frustrating to see more often than not the little guy have to take it on the chin instead of getting the justice they deserve. I vowed to make sure that didn’t happen on my watch. I like that ABC has a similar philosophy and knew this was an association I wanted to be a part of.” – Jacqueline Kaltz-Coulombe