Fred Lyon’s practice specializes in construction law, energy law, power plant construction, EPC contracts, mediation and arbitration. He has practiced construction law on a national and international basis with a focus on complex projects, especially in the energy and power industries. He has negotiated, mediated, and litigated a wide variety of construction related issues, including delay and changed condition claims, defective workmanship, warranty issues, suretyship issues, and product liability.
Fred has evaluated and negotiated claims whose total values exceed $750 million. He has practiced as an advocate in a significant number of construction mediations and arbitration and has provided ADR services as a neutral, both as a mediator and arbitrator. He writes and speaks frequently on these issues to members of the bar and to trade associations and construction industry groups interested in reducing the costs of dispute resolution.
Bar Admissions
- All State courts for Florida, Maryland, Virginia, and the District of Columbia
- U.S District Courts for the Middle District of Florida, Eastern District of Virginia, Maryland and the District of Columbia
- U.S. Court of Federal Claims
- U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fourth, Eleventh, Federal, and the District of Columbia Circuits
Education
- Duke University A.B
- University of Virginia School of Law, J.D.
- Rollins College, M.L.S.
Trainings And Certifications
Mediation
- Harvard Law School Negotiating Project
- Duke University Law School, Private Adjudication Center, Certified Mediator Training
- Advanced Mediation Training, Center for Dispute Settlement, Washington, D.C.
- American Arbitration Association, Mediator and Arbitrator Training
Alternative Dispute Resolution
- Panel of Neutrals, Construction Panel, American Arbitration Association
- Certified Civil Mediator, North Carolina
Professional And Civic
- Member, Hannibal Square Community Land Trust, Committee, City of Winter Park, Florida Elder, Presbyterian Church U.S.A.
- American Bar Association Forum Committee on the Construction Industry; Sections on Dispute Resolution
- Co-Founder, Corunthians®, a marathon and distance running organization
- Co-Chair, Duke University Leadership Gift Committee, Class of 1970
- Chairman, Parents Fund Council, Choate Rosemary Hall, 2009-2011
- Habitat for Humanity
- Volunteer coach, youth basketball and baseball
- Author, “When Not Performing: New Orleans Musicians,” a book on New Orleans music published in 2012 by Pelican Press
Associations
- American Bar Association
- Member, American Bar Association Section on Dispute Resolution
- Member, American Bar Association Forum Committee on the Construction Industry
- Member, Florida State Bar Construction Section
Honors
- Honored as member of Class of 2003, Outstanding Energy Industry Leaders, World Generation
- Duke University Founders Society
- AV rating, Martindale Hubbell
- Chambers Outstanding Lawyers
- The Best Lawyers in America
- Super Lawyers
- Outstanding Instructor, Turner Construction Company Minority Contracting Course
Writings/Speeches
- “Improved Construction Contracting for the 1990’s,” Power Engineering (June 1991)
- “Construction Claims on the Project Financed Job,” Forbes Conference on Project Financing, 1992
- “Partnering and Dispute Avoidance in the Construction of Power Plants,” Florida Business Roundtable (1992)
- “OSHA Enforcement and the Power Industry,” Southeastern Electric Exchange (1992)
- “Legislative Updates,” Edison Electric Exchange (1994)
- “Contracting in the Power Industry,” EXNET (1996)
- “Controlling the Dispute from Start to Finish – Partnering, Project Neutrals, Mini-Trials, Design Review Boards, Mediation,” The Aspen Law Construction Law Handbook (1998)
- “From CoGen to Coal Gen: EPC Contracting,” World Generation (2001)
- “EPC Contracting in a Seller’s Market,” PowerGen (2001)
- “Contracting for the Next Generation of Coal Fired Power Plants,” Coal-Gen (2001)
- “Controlling Disputes by Controlling the Forum: Forum Selection Clauses in Construction Contracts,” V. Frederic Lyon and Douglas W. Ackerman, The Construction Lawyer, American Bar Association (October, 2002)
- “Force Majeure and Power Plant Construction Delays, Too Much Terror, Not Enough Labor,” World Generation (2002)
- “EPC Contracts in an International Power Market,” London Forbes Conference (2002)
- “Managing Construction Risk in an Uncertain World,” PowerGen (2002)
- “Energy, Politics and Risk,” Association of Edison Illuminating Companies Annual Meeting (2003)
- “Lessons Learned in Energy Construction,” Electric Power (2003 and 2007)
- “Good Jobs Gone Bad,” PowerGen (2003)
- Series of presentations at PowerGen 2004-2015 on power industry contracting strategies.
- Series of presentations, 2009 to present: speaker on contracting issues to American Boiler Manufacturers Association
- “Mediation,” The Aspen Law Construction Law Handbook, 2005 to present
- “Collaborative Contracting,” Florida Construction Users magazine (2012)
- “Notice Provisions,” Southeast Construction Owners and Representative magazine, 2013
- “EPC Contracting in a Changing Climate,” World Generation (2014)
- “Commercial Assessment Training and Proactive Project Management,” World Generation 2015
