At Baker Law Group, we’ve represented clients on education projects totaling more than $150 million in construction value and covering over 150,000 square feet. Our portfolio includes everything from new charter and private high schools to elementary school annexes, university renovations, specialized laboratories, and even international consulting engagements.
These projects often have high stakes—enrollments of 800 students, design fees exceeding $1 million, and project scopes that involve historic preservation, phased construction, or even floodplain development. Each presents its own set of challenges, whether technical, regulatory, or fiscal, and we help clients navigate them with precision.
Who We Represent
Most often, our education sector clients are architectural firms. We offer contract negotiation, general counsel services, and dispute resolution. We’ve also represented consultants and engineers—particularly where they’re retained directly by architects—and coordinated with professional liability carriers on design claims. While much of our work is domestic, we also counsel clients on international projects, facilitating collaboration between U.S. design firms and local architects, consultants, and insurers abroad.
Contract Negotiation and Drafting
Contract negotiation is at the forefront of our practice in the education sector. We frequently draft and negotiate:
Our experience extends across delivery models, including traditional design-bid-build, adaptive reuse, and phased design-bid packages for complex university and school renovations. For example, we’ve negotiated phased fee structures that combined lump sum and percentage-based compensation, and structured evolving scopes for public university projects.
Technical and Logistical Challenges
Education projects often require careful balancing of budgets, schedules, and programmatic needs. We’ve worked on projects located in floodplains that require floodproofing measures, facilities with complex audio-visual and acoustical requirements, and high-volume student environments designed under tight financial and scheduling constraints.
Dispute Resolution in the Education Sector
Disputes in this sector can have far-reaching reputational and financial consequences. We’ve defended architects in claims involving HVAC, boiler, and energy recovery systems, and advised firms serving as Initial Decision Maker under AIA Document A201-2017, General Conditions of the Contract for Construction.
We have also guided clients through mediation, litigation, and insurance negotiations. In one case, we secured a six-figure license fee and full release of liability after an owner retained our client’s schematic designs but engaged a different architect for later phases.
Our Approach
From master planning to permit sets, from FF&E design to construction administration, our experience in the education market is comprehensive. We are well-versed in navigating the complexities of working with school boards, public building commissions, university facilities departments, and private school administrations. At every stage, we provide counsel that safeguards both the legal position and the business interests of our clients.
If you have a forthcoming project for a school, university, or specialized education facility, we’re here to help you navigate contracts, manage risk, and protect your role in shaping spaces that serve students and communities. Reach out today.
