Frances J. Haynes

Overview

Frances Haynes, Partner, is the Chair of Lewis Roca Rothgerber Christie's Real Estate Industry Team. Her practice emphasizes providing focused, cost-effective legal advice to businesses, owners, and contractors on all facets of commercial law, development issues and risk avoidance. She is experienced in all phases of the construction process, including responding to RFPs and RFQs, negotiation and documentation of construction, architectural and engineering contracts in all iterations (i.e. Design Bid Build, CMAR, Design Build, EPC, PPP, IPD) from inception to project completion. She has been rated an "AV/Preeminent Attorney" in Martindale-Hubbell for the last 25 years and was named among the Top 25 Female Attorneys in Arizona in Southwest Super Lawyers. She was also the first woman to serve as Chair of the Construction Law Section of the Arizona State Bar Association. In January 2018, Frances was named Fellow of the Construction Lawyers Society of America.

Frances has nearly three decades of experience litigating and arbitrating construction claims, defective work warranty and liquidated damages, employment and personal injury claims. She has successfully tried civil litigation cases through trial, including seven-figure damage claims arising from personal injury, commercial breach of contract issues, indemnity claims, construction extra work and delay claims in litigation and arbitration. Frances has represented private businesses and public entities on commercial procurement and alternative energy. She has also tried and arbitrated cases in both state and federal court and through private judges/arbitrators where the cases could not be resolved on favorable terms.

Mediation

Frances regularly counsels clients on avoiding litigation or arbitration by utilizing client-oriented contract documents and resolving disputes outside of litigation. She has participated in countless arbitrations and mediations. She holds a Mediator Certificate of Completion from the American Arbitration Association. She recently completed a 40-hour mediation course sponsored by the Arizona Attorney's General Office.

In addition, Frances has spoken to various industry organizations, such as:

• The State Bar of Arizona
• The Arizona Builders Alliance (formerly the Arizona Building Chapter of the Association of General Contractors)
• The National Association of Women Construction Business Owners
• The National Association of Credit Managers

She also frequently serves as a speaker at Maricopa County Bar and State Bar Association seminars. Topics have included:

• Procurement
• Litigation avoidance
• Contract interpretation
• UCC issues
• Arbitration and mediation of legal disputes
• Legal issues facing general contractors and subcontractors
• The bid process
• The estimating process and related disputes
• Bid protests and legal problems
• Claims against public entities
• Licensing of contractors in the State of Arizona including legal ramifications of non-compliance.

Memberships & Affiliations

• Arizona State Bar Association Construction Law Section, Member (First Female Chair, Former Officer, Former Board Member and has been a member of the committee responsible for construction-related continuing legal education)
• Construction Lawyers Society of America, Trial Law Institute and Diversity Law Institute, Member
• Annual Arizona State Bar Construction Law Seminar, Panelist and presenter
• Maricopa County Bar Association, Member
• American Bar Association, Member
• Fresh Start Women's Foundation Legacy Society, Founding Member
• Fresh Start Women's Foundation Planning Giving Committee, Chair
• Fresh Start Women's Foundation, Executive Board Member