Kendall Woods concentrates her practice in the area of construction law, regularly representing owners, developers, contractors, and subcontractors nationwide. Kendall negotiates construction contracts, advises clients in risk mitigation and dispute resolution strategies, and represents clients in all phases of litigation and dispute resolution proceedings when necessary. 

Kendall has extensive experience working with clients on delay and lost productivity disputes, design and construction defect disputes, wrongful termination, insurance coverage issues in the construction industry, and construction injury. She also has experience in copyright and trademark litigation, aviation litigation, products liability litigation, and premises liability litigation. 

Kendall works with clients to find creative and cost-effective solutions to resolve their complex legal issues. Kendall believes that the practice of law should always focus on obtaining successful outcomes for her clients, whether that mean the avoidance of disputes or prevailing in litigation. She takes a proactive approach to counseling her clients of the risks and benefits of each stage of dispute resolution because Kendall knows that the best path to a client’s success is ensuring the client is always fully informed and involved at every stage. 

Kendall assists clients by preparing and negotiating construction contracts to avoid accepting unnecessary risks commonly seen in construction projects. In addition, she helps clients navigate project completion to minimize or eliminate disputes. Kendall also works to resolve disputes when they arise. 

She believes that early involvement strongly positions her clients to avoid potential claims and disputes and presents an opportunity for clients to resolve and avoid unnecessary conflict. Her clients know that Kendall provides creative solutions to assist in resolving disputes. When early dispute resolution is unsuccessful, Kendall’s innovative and effective litigation skills consistently achieve positive results for her clients.

In addition to her legal practice, Kendall believes it is important to participate and gain experience in other capacities of the legal field. As a result, she taught upcoming attorneys the skills of legal writing during her four years as an adjunct professor of legal writing at Loyola University Chicago School of Law. Kendall also spent one year as a staff attorney for the Illinois Supreme Court and served as a judicial extern for a district judge at the United States District Court of the Northern District of Illinois.

In her free time, Kendall enjoys golfing, running, biking, experiencing new restaurants, and relaxing with family and friends.

Awards and Honors

  • Designated an Illinois Super Lawyer (2023 – present)
  • Designated an Illinois Leading Lawyer in Construction (2019 – present)
  • Recognized as Illinois Rising Star by Super Lawyers (2010 – 2015)

Professional Organizations

  • Loyola University Chicago School of Law (2015 –2019)
    • Adjunct Professor of Legal Writing
  • National Association of Women in Construction, Midwest Region, Chicago Metro Chapter
    • Past President
    • Past Treasurer
    • Social Committee
  • American Bar Association Forum on Construction Law
    • Steering Committee, Division 7, Insurance, Surety & Liens
    • Publication Committee
    • Diversity Committee
  • Professional Women in Construction, Chicago Chapter
  • Chicago Bar Association

Representative Matters

  • Secured arbitration award in favor of general contractor in $2.5 million dollar termination for cause dispute on government project.
  • Represented owner in $30 million design construction defect dispute.
  • Secured jury verdict in favor of general contractor in $6 million dispute between construction contractor and owner.
  • Represented developer in $4.5 million dispute over engineering defect in multi-million dollar high-rise office building construction project.
  • Represented subcontractor in $2 million Miller Act dispute on government project between a subcontractor, general contractor, and surety.
  • Trademark dispute overuse of architectural plans.
  • Copyright dispute over alleged infringement on trade name and trademark of fitness facility.
  • Represented condominium unit purchasers in a construction defect, design error, and fraud action against a real estate developer, its architect, engineer, contractors, and real estate listing agent.
  • Represented subcontractor in multi-million dollar multi-party litigation arising from motor vehicle death in construction area.
  • Represented national rental company in wrongful death action arising from construction site incident.

 

Pro Bono Representation

  • Secured compensation for pre-trial detainee against correctional officers for use of excessive force against client that resulted in bodily harm and the officers’ deliberate indifference and failure to provide proper medical attention.

Publications

  • Author, A Cautionary Tale for Contractors on Government Projects: False Claims Act Liability (Fall, 2022)
  • Author, “Checklist 101: Considerations for WBE/MBE Participation,” Construction Checklists, A Guide to Frequently Encountered Construction Issues
  • Author, The Importance of Force Majeure Clauses in the Age of COVID-19 (2021)
  • Co-Author, “Cross-Examination,” Construction Trial Deskbook (2021)
  • Author, Cyber Risk in the Construction Industry (Spring, 2020)
  • Author, Impact of Rescission of Guidance Documents on ADA Protections and Enforcement (Winter, 2018)
  • Author, “Avoiding the Pitfalls of Permit Sets,” The Construction Lawyer, Kendall E. Woods & Lance Parker (Spring 2018)
  • “Bankruptcy Reform Bill,” Consumer Law Review (Fall 2001)

Presentations

  • Speaker, “Sticks & Bricks: Masonry,” ANA Forum on Construction Law Reginal Program (2023)
  • Speaker, Dusting Off Your Firm’s Diversity & Inclusion Plan: DEI Strategies for Firms (2022)
  • Owner’s Counsel, Mock Trial on Construction Payment Disputes at the Construction Financial Management Association’s Annual Conference in Atlanta, Georgia (2022)
  • Speaker, “Termination, Job Completion, and Contractor Payment,” ABA Forum on Construction Law Construction Law Essentials, Chicago, IL (2021)
  • Owner’s Counsel, Mock Trial on Construction Payment Disputes at the Construction Financial Management Association’s Midwest Regional Conference, Chicago, IL (2019)
  • Speaker, “Who is Your Client? Ethics in Contracting,” American Bar Association, Forum on Construction Law, Chicago, IL (2019)
  • Speaker, “Effective Negotiation Skills,” Constructing Your Future Conference, Naperville, IL (2018)
  • Speaker, “Important Construction Contract Considerations, “National Association of Women in Construction, Lombard, IL (2018)
  • Speaker, “Perfecting Mechanics Liens in Illinois,” National Association of Women in Construction, Lombard, IL (2017)

Bar and Court Admissions

  • Illinois, 2002
  • U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Illinois, 2004
  • U.S. Court of Appeals, Seventh Circuit, 2013