Lee B. Brumitt

Of Counsel

lbrumitt@dysarttaylor.com                           Legal Assistant: Diane Kennedy
816-714-3027                                                  816-714-3044
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“Risk is at the heart of any construction project, contract, or dispute. Our clients are successful because they meet risk head on and deal with it professionally, confidently, and honestly. We are here to help them achieve success.”

Bio

Thirty-five years into his practice, Lee Brumitt has a passion for protecting his clients’ businesses and helping them grow. He focuses his practice in construction law and litigation, representing owners, contractors, subcontractors, suppliers and design professionals on public, commercial and residential projects. Whether a case involves disputes over money owed, defective work, injuries or contract terms, Lee brings experience, knowledge and hard work to the table. He spares nothing to represent his clients’ interests.

Lee not only enjoys advising and working with clients, he frequently presents to the construction community as a whole through trade organizations such as the Builders Association, the AGC, the American Subcontractors Association and the American Society of Professional Estimators. In addition, Lee is a Fellow in the Construction Lawyers Society of America and has contributed timely articles to USLAW Magazine and other publications on issues in the construction industry.

Clients look to and trust Lee to protect and advance the future of their businesses. He has represented construction trade organizations before the Missouri Supreme Court. One such case resulted in a major victory protecting the rights of contractors. Lee also has extensive experience with insurance litigation, insurance coverage issues, bankruptcy and creditors’ rights, and defending construction defect, personal injury and property damage claims.

 

Experience

  • Represented construction trade organizations before the Missouri Supreme Court in a case resulting in a major victory protecting mechanic’s lien rights of contractors.
  • Successfully prosecuted hundreds of mechanic’s lien, bond and construction claims on behalf of and served as counsel for general contractors, architects and engineers, and construction trades, including:
    • Roofing
    • Countertops, casework and cabinetry
    • Framing, general and finish carpentry
    • Flooring
    • Drywall
    • Electrical
    • Concrete flatwork and foundations
    • Landscaping
    • Guttering and waterproofing
    • Plumbing
    • Asphalt and outside surfaces
    • Arena seating
    • Underground utility products
    • Metalwork
    • Heavy equipment leasing
    • Cabling
    • Exterior envelope
    • Flashing and caps
    • Tile and other finish work
  • Obtained a jury verdict fully exonerating the seller of a business accused of fraud and misrepresentation and assessing substantial damages against the buyers of the business and the seller’s counsel.
  • Obtained a jury verdict fully vindicating the insured transporter of agricultural products from negligence claims arising from catastrophic injuries sustained by the Plaintiff in a motor vehicle accident.
  • Has arbitrated and litigated substantial claims involving general contractors, subcontractors and design professionals alleging, among other things, construction defects, unpaid change orders and breaches of contract.
  • Obtained a jury verdict in federal court assessing substantial damages against an interstate media company for injuries sustained by client at an NCAA tournament event.

Activities

PROFESSIONAL
  • The Missouri Bar
  • Kansas Bar Association
  • Kansas City Metropolitan Bar Association
    • Construction Law Committee
  • American Subcontractors Association – Greater Kansas City Chapter
    • Board Attorney, 2010-present
  • ASA National Attorneys’ Council
    • Chairman, 2017-2018
  • Construction Lawyers Society of America
    • Member, Trial Law Institute
    • Member, Diversity Law Institute
COMMUNITY
  • Big Brothers Big Sisters of Greater Kansas City
    • Ambassador, 2017-present
    • Board of Directors, President, 1995
  • Country Club Christian Church
    • General Counsel
    • Chair of Congregational Board, 2005-2006
  • Rotary International Club 13 of Kansas City, Missouri
    • Community Service Chair, 2022-present
    • Paul Harris Fellow
  • Kansas City Jazz Orchestra
    • Board of Directors, 2020-present
    • Vice President, 2022-present
EDUCATION
  • Drake University Law School, J.D., 1983
  • Central Methodist College, B.S., 1981
HONORS
  • AV® Preeminent™ rating by Martindale-Hubbell
  • Construction Lawyers Society of America, Fellow
  • Missouri Lawyers Media ICON Award, 2022
  • National Law Journal, Construction Trailblazer, 2021
  • Kansas City Metropolitan Bar Association and Legal Aid of Western Missouri, Pro Bono Champion, 2021
  • Missouri & Kansas Super Lawyers, 2005-present
  • The Best Lawyers in America, 2016-present
  • The Missouri Bar Pro Bono Wall of Fame, 2012
  • Lifetime Friendship Award, Big Brothers Big Sisters of Greater Kansas City, 2011
  • Robert C. Welch Volunteer Attorney Project Award, 2006
SEMINARS
  • “Do You Have Control Issues? Late Delivery and Price Escalation,” Webinar for American Subcontractors Association, September 2022
  • “Missouri Mechanic’s Liens and Payment Issues,” National Business Institute, March 2022
  • “Indemnification Disputes – What is the Scope and Meaning of the Contractual Clause?” National Business Institute, May 2021
  • “Change Orders and Extra Work – Payment Issues Disentangled,” National Business Institute, April 2021, 2022 and 2023
  • “Dealing with Change and Delay on Construction Projects,” ABC/ASPE Kansas City Construction Estimating Academy, February 2019
  • “Misclassification of Employees as Independent Contractors,” Kansas City American Subcontractors Association, February 2019
  • “Preserving and Advancing Contractors’ Payment Rights,” National Association for Women in Construction, January 2019
  • “Killer Contracts: Red Flags and Revisions,” Kansas City American Subcontractor’s Association (KCASA), December 2018
  • “Retainage: Don’t Just Kiss it Off,” Kansas City American Subcontractor’s Association (KCASA), December 2018
  • “Construction Law From Start to Finish,” National Business Institute, May 2018
  • “Legal Tools for Payment on Construction Projects.” Kansas City Estimating Academy, American Builders and Contractors-Heart of America and the American Society of Professional Estimators, February 2018
  • “Indemnity and Hold Harmless,” American Subcontractors Association, January 2018
  • “Change Orders and Extra Work: Payment Issues Disentangled in MO and KS,” National Business Institute, June 2017
  • “What Every Contractor Needs to Know: Mechanic’s Liens, Bond Claims, & Waivers in Kansas & Missouri,” Johnson County Contractor’s Licensing Seminar, October 2016; and Construction Business Institute, June 2017.
  • “Misclassification of Employees as Contractors,” The Builder’s Association, September 2016
  • “Five Minute Drill on Kansas Statutes,” USLAW NETWORK Client Conference, April 2016
  • “Preserving and Advancing a Contractor’s Rights in Collection,” The Builder’s Association Management Academy, October 2015
  • “Dispute Resolution Provisions,”  Kansas City American Subcontractor’s Association (KCASA), February 2015
  • “The Ground Rules of Mechanic’s Liens,” Kansas City American Subcontractor’s Association (KCASA), January 2015
  • “Lien Waivers: The Good, the Bad and the Ugly,” The Builder’s Association 2014 Estimating & Management Academies, February and May 2014
  • “Managing Delay on Construction Projects,” KCASA, April 2014
  • “The Basics of Bond Claims,” KCASA, February 2014
  • “Prevailing Wage 101,” KCASA, September 2013
  • “Unlocking Retainage,” KCASA, February 2013; Builder’s Association Estimating Academy, October 2014
  • “Keeping Collections Affordable,” KCASA, May 2012
  • “Guarding Against Backcharges,” KCASA, April 2012
  • “Lien Waivers,” KCASA, March 2012
  • “Disciplinary Actions Against Professional Engineers & Architects,” Half Moon Seminars, December 2005
PUBLICATIONS
  • Tips for Getting Back to Work During the Pandemic,” co-author, Construction Best Practices, June 2020
  • “Technicalities and Tautologies: Interpreting Construction Statutes in Kansas”, Contractor’s Compass, April 2020
  • Mo-Kan Construction Law blog
  • “Eliminate or Reduce Financial Impact of Retainage,” Construction Legal Edge, Summer 2017
  • “Scratching the Surface of Controlled Insurance Programs,” USLAW Magazine, Spring/Summer 2016
  • USLAW Compendiums of Law – Construction, 2016
  • “Eliminate or Reduce Financial Impact of Retainage,” The Contractor’s Compass, May 2015
  • “Mechanic’s Lien Rights,” The Contractor’s Compass, Sept. 2013
  • “Kansas Passes Retainage Reform Legislation,” The Addendum, Sept. 2010
  • “Missouri Enacts Changes to Mechanic’s Lien Law Construction,” The Addendum, Aug. 2010
  • “Kansas Legislature Closes ‘Additional Insured’ Loophole,” Kansas Bar Journal(Construction Law Section), June 2009
  • “Residential Construction Defects,” The Addendum, Nov. 2006
  • “Missouri Addresses Payment of Retainage,” The Addendum, March 2004
  • “A Narrow Victory for Subcontractors,” The Addendum, July 2001
 

 

700 W. 47 Street, Suite 410
Kansas City, MO 64112

Phone: 816.931.2700
Fax: 816.931.7377

  

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