Hendrick Phillips Salzman & Flatt
Our Attorneys - Stephen M. Phillips
Stephen M. Phillips
Email:smp@hpsf-law.com
Law School: Emory University School of Law 1976
Graduate/Undergraduate: B.A. George Washington University, Washington, D.C., 1971
Practice Areas: Construction Law
Admitted to Practice: 1976
Assistant: Celese S. Costello
Assistant's Email: csc@hpsf-law.com
Stephen M. Phillips practices in construction industry law and litigation, including government contracts and environmental issues. He has gained national recognition concerning legal issues affecting the roofing industry and serves as counsel to the National Roofing Contractors Association and the National Roofing Legal Resource Center. He has served on the faculty of the Georgia Tech Research Institute and the Roofing Industry Educational Institute in the areas of asbestos, roofing and insurance.
Mr. Phillips has lectured on construction topics to a wide range of groups, including the Construction Specifications Institute, the American Institute of Architects, the Association of Physical Plant Administrators of Universities and Colleges, the National Association of Architectural Metal Manufacturers, the Single Ply Roofing Institute, the Clemson University Continuing Engineering Education Program, the University of Illinois Office of Extension, Conferences and Institutes, the Chicago Roofing Contractors Association, the Florida Roofing, Sheet Metal and Air Conditioning Contractors Association, the California Roofing Contractors Association and the North/East Roofing Contractors Association.
He received his law degree from Emory University School of Law in 1976, where he served as a member of the Emory Law Journal Editorial Board and received the Wall Street Journal Student Achievement Award. He earned a B.A. degree from George Washington University School of Public and International Affairs in 1971. He was elected a Fellow in the American College of Construction Lawyers in 1995. Bar and other affiliations: Admitted to Bar, 1976, Georgia; 1980, District of Columbia. Member: American Bar Association (Litigation Section; Forum Committee on the Construction Industry); State Bar of Georgia; Atlanta Bar Association (Public Service Committee); Panel of Arbitrators for Commercial Transactions and the Construction Industry, American Arbitration Association, Board of Directors, Georgia Legal Services Corporation; Chairman and Member of Board of Regents, Roofing Industry Educational Institute.
Articles
“Are You Covered?,” (Your CGL policy may or may not cover breach of contract claims), Professional Roofing, January 2009
“ConsensusDocs 750 is a different version of an earlier AGC subcontractor form,” Professional Roofing, Professional Roofing, April 2008
“AIA Issues New Standard Construction Contracts,”
“Determining Damages,” Professional Roofing, December 2007
“State immigration laws increase employer liability,” Professional Roofing, August 2007
“It’s important to understand the effects of naming additional insureds,” Professional Roofing, April 2007
“H-2B Visas may be an option for Contractors in need of employees,” Professional Roofing, December 2006
“Electronic verification of employees is likely to be required as the immigration debate intensifies,” Professional Roofing, June 2006
“Dispute Resolution Depends On The Way Courts Interpret Contracts,” Professional Roofing, February 2006
"More States Have Enacted Construction-Defect Statutes That Can Benefit You,” Professional Roofing, October 2005
“When You Submit Payment Requests, Release Language Becomes Crucial,” Professional Roofing, June 2005
“Handling Volatile Material Pricing,” Professional Roofing, February 2005
“Are Liquidated Damages Enforceable?,” Professional Roofing, October 2004
“Contract Discrepancies,” Professional Roofing, June 2004
“Precedents and Contract Provisions,” Professional Roofing, February 2004
“Building Codes and Contractor Liability,” Professional Roofing, October 2003
“Spotlight on Spearin,” Professional Roofing, June 2003
“Understanding Payment Provisions,” Professional Roofing, February 2003
“Bid Protests,” Professional Roofing, December 2002
“Responsibility and Responsiveness,” Professional Roofing, October 2002
“The Mold issue can be overwhelming– unless you understand its complexities,” Professional Roofing, September 2002
“Indemnification case studies,” Professional Roofing, April 2002
“Scrutinizing indemnification clauses,” Professional Roofing, February 2002
“When are you liable for Delay Damages?,” Professional Roofing, October 2001
“Can a statute be stopped?” Professional Roofing, June 2001
“The problem with pollution exclusions,” Professional Roofing, February 2001
“How to Combat Proprietary Specifications,” Professional Roofing, June 2000
“Naming Other Parties As Additional Insureds,” Professional Roofing, April 2000
“Avoiding Problems With Defective Materials,” Professional Roofing, June 1999
“Making Sense of AGC Provisions,” Professional Roofing, March 1999
“Knowing the Limitations: When a Contractor Is Responsible,” Professional Roofing, September 1998
“Roll-ups: Changes in Legal Ownership and Management Structure,” Professional Roofing, September 1998
“Knowing Where Responsibilities Lie: Roofing Contractors Need to Become Familiar With Changes to AIA Construction Contract Documents,” Professional Roofing, February 1998
“Residential Roofing Warranties: Limiting the Liability,” Professional Roofing, September 1997
"Sticks and Bricks: Roofing Construction Technology for Lawyers," ABA Forum on the Construction Industry, November 1995
"Contractors Rights Versus OSHA Authority When OSHA Wants To Inspect Your Jobsite,"
Benchmark, March 1995
"OSHA's New Fall Protection Standard," Professional Roofing, March 1995
"Contractors Pull Together to Construct Contractor Forms," Professional Roofing, October 1994
"Liabilities of Parties Engaged in Re-Roofing Construction Projects," U.S. Department of Energy/Oak Ridge National Research Laboratory, August 1994
"Contractor's Failure to Inquire Upon Recognizing Ambiguity in Specifications Precludes Recovery of Extra
Costs," National Roofing Legal Resource Center, The Benchmark, January 1994
"The Facts on Roofing Warranties," Engineers Digest, February 1993
"Watch Out for Pitfalls in Applicator Agreements," Professional Roofing, July 1990
"Legal and Insurance Considerations Pertaining to Contractors' Handling of Asbestos;" paper delivered as part of Asbestos Roofing Course, Georgia Tech Research Institute, August 1987, Asbestos
Supervisory Course, Georgia Tech Research Institute, June 1988
"Juries Award Substantial Damages in Roofing Cases," National Roofing Legal Resource Center News, February 1984
"The Pre-Job Roofing Conference," RSI Magazine, February 1982
"Legal Consequences of Licensed Applicator Agreements Between Single Ply Manufacturers and Roofing Contractors," 1981
"Statute of Limitations A Key Issue In Outcome Of Roofing Lawsuits," National Roofing Legal Resource Center News, November 1980
"Concentration of Ownership of the Mass Media: An Examination of New FCC Rules On Cross Ownership of Co-Co-Located Newspapers and Broadcast Stations," 24 Emory Law Journal 1121, 1975
Professional Achievements/Affiliations
Georgia Super Lawyer 2004-2007; Best Lawyers in America; American College of Construction Lawyers;
Counsel, National Roofing Contractors Association
Counsel, National Roofing Legal Resource Center
American Bar Association, Forum Committee on the Construction Industry and
Section on Litigation
Member, State Bar of Georgia
Member, District of Columbia Bar
Member, Atlanta Bar Association
Member, American Arbitration Association Panel for Construction Disputes
