Frances J. Haynes

Frances J. Haynes

Partner, Chair - Real Estate Industry Team
fhaynes@lrrc.com vCard
602.262.5710
602.734.3913 fax
201 East Washington Street
Suite 1200
Phoenix, AZ 85004

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

Representative Matters

  • Successful representation of a contractor in a Federal Bid Protest at the US Federal Court of Claims in a best value award for $95M worth of work.
  • Successfully represented large mining company in a two-week trial case in a Federal Court case where plaintiff's claim of personal injury due to alleged chemical inhalation exposure was rejected.
  • Successfully represented a commercial developer/owner in trial for breach of contract and violation of prompt pay laws; following two-week trial, developer/owner won and recovered attorney fees and costs. 
  • Negotiated, structured and documented Engineering, Procurement and Construction Agreements and Solar Qualified Management Agreements for large scale solar projects.
  • Negotiated and documented Architectural, Engineering and Construction services agreement from inception through successful completion of the highly acclaimed Arizona Cancer Center of behalf of the Owner, University Medical Center
  • Served as primary counsel defending publicly traded corporation in international litigation after the client was sued in federal court for $23,000,000 for alleged breaches of contract, business interference, extra work, delay damages and retention. Case favorably settled after several days of mediation following mediation-directed discovery and limited motion practice (for cost-containment reasons). Client paid contract retention, accrued interest on the retention and anticipated defense costs only. 
  • Represented owners in the negotiation and documentation of all types of construction and alternative energy contracts, including Integrated Project Delivery, Design Build and At-Risk Construction
  • Successfully defended public entity owner against a seven-figure construction claim for breach of contract, delay and extra work claims. Following two weeks of evidentiary hearings to an administrative tribunal, client obtained a complete administrative law order in its favor and the opposition was ordered to pay client’s fees and costs in connection with the successful defense.

Related News

04/06/2020
Lewis Roca Rothgerber Christie Attorneys Recognized as 2020 Southwest Super Lawyers® and Southwest Rising Stars®
08/15/2019
Lewis Roca Rothgerber Christie Attorneys Recognized as The Best Lawyers in America© 2020
04/15/2019
Lewis Roca Rothgerber Christie Attorneys Recognized as 2019 Southwest Super Lawyers® and Southwest Rising Stars®
08/15/2018
Lewis Roca Rothgerber Christie Attorneys Recognized as The Best Lawyers in America© 2019
05/17/2018
Frances Haynes Featured in Q&A session in the May 2018 Issue of Construction Business Owner
04/23/2018
Lewis Roca Rothgerber Christie Attorneys Recognized as 2018 Southwest Super Lawyers® and Southwest Rising Stars®
Lewis Roca Rothgerber Christie announced 25 attorneys have been recognized as 2018 Southwest Super Lawyers® and 13 attorneys have been named as 2018 Southwest Rising Stars®.
01/29/2018
Lewis Roca Rothgerber Christie Partner Frances Haynes Named Fellow of Construction Lawyers Society of America
Frances Haynes, Chair of Lewis Roca Rothgerber Christie's Real Estate Industry team, was selected as a Fellow of the Construction Lawyers Society of America
8/15/2017
Partners honored as Lawyer of the Year by Best Lawyers
85 Lewis Roca Rothgerber Christie attorneys in The Best Lawyers in America 2018
04/04/2017
DeWald, Freeman share John P. Frank Pro Bono Attorney of the Year Award
59 attorneys earn recognition for providing more than 50 pro bono hours in 2016
08/15/2016
83 Lewis Roca Rothgerber Christie attorneys named in ‘Best Lawyers'
11 partners also honored as ‘Lawyer of the Year' in The Best Lawyers in America® 2017
01/12/2016
Stock Show honors Sullivan as 2016 Citizen of the West
Lewis Roca Rothgerber Christie LLP salutes former partner's accomplishments
8/26/2015
82 Lewis Roca Rothgerber Attorneys Named in The Best Lawyers In America© 2016
Nine Partners Honored as ‘Lawyer of the Year'
4/10/2015
36 Lewis Roca Rothgerber Attorneys Named in 2015 Southwest Super Lawyers®
8/19/2014
84 Lewis Roca Rothgerber Attorneys Named in 2015 Edition of The Best Lawyers in America©
4/15/2014
42 Lewis Roca Rothgerber Attorneys Named in 2014 Southwest Super Lawyers
4/10/2014
Lewis Roca Rothgerber Attorneys Named To 2014 Arizona Top Lawyers List By AZ Business Magazine

Presentations

  • Presenter, "Arizona Lien and Bond Laws," The State Bar of Arizona, 2012
  • Presenter, "Procurement: Fundamentals of Construction Contracts," Project Managers and Legal Executives for Multi National Solar Company, March 2012
  • Presenter, "Stop Notice Remedies," State Bar of Arizona Construction Law Program, February 2010
  • Presenter, "Payment Remedies," Construction Industry Group, January 2009
  • Presenter, "AZ Lien, Bond and Prompt Pay Laws," The State Bar of Arizona, January 2009
  • Presenter, "Debt, Debt and More Debt," Construction Financial Division, March 2005
  • Presenter, "Termination for Convenience Clauses and Damages for Wrongful Termination of a Construction Contract," The State Bar of Arizona, February 2007
  • Presenter, "Understanding Contracts and Collections: Knowing Your Rights," January 2004
  • Presenter, "Construction-Bankruptcy Issues," Bankruptcy Seminar, July 2000

Publications

Distinctions

  • The Best Lawyers in America - Woodward/White, Aiken, S.C. - Construction Law and Construction Litigation, 2006-2020
  • Southwest Super Lawyers - 2013 Top 25 Female Attorneys - Construction Litigation, 2009-2020
  • Martindale-Hubbell - "AV/Preeminent Attorney" Rating - Highest Possible Peer Review Rating in Legal Ability & Ethical Standards, 27 Years, 1993-2020
  • Arizona Commercial Real Estate Magazine - "Most Influential Women in Commercial Real Estate for 2019"
  • Construction Lawyers Society of America - Fellow, 2018, 2019

Other Info

Education

J.D., University of Texas at Austin School of Law, 1984
B.A., cum laude, University of Texas, 1981

Bar Admissions

Arizona, 1985

Court Admissions

U.S. District Court for the District of Arizona
Arizona Court of Appeals
U.S. District Court, Northern District of California
Arizona Supreme Court
U.S. Court of Federal Claims
U.S. Court of Appeals for the Armed Forces