In 1981, Russel W. Wray earned a B.A. with honors in Economics from the University of Texas at Austin, and in 1984, a Juris Doctorate from Louisiana State University. Mr. Wray has practiced law in Baton Rouge since 1984, and is currently a partner in Wray & Pierce, L.L.P. He represents general contractors, subcontractors, and owners, as well as LAGC and LAPA, in construction arbitration and litigation. He was Programming Chairman for the Dean Henry George McMahon American Inns of Court Chapter in 1993 and 1994. Mr. Wray has conducted Public Bid Law and Construction Law workshops and seminars for the Louisiana Licensing Board for Contractors, the Consulting Engineers Council of Louisiana, Inc., Louisiana Associated General Contractors, Inc., American Institute of Architects, LSU Law School, and Lorman. In recent years, he has acted as a moderator for the panel discussion program at both the LAGC Summer Conference and the Critical Issues Summit. He often speaks on topics pertinent to the construction industry such as the uniform bid form, illegal immigration and current developments in the public bid law. Mr. Wray has published a number of articles in Action News by Louisiana Associated General Contractors, Inc. on construction topics and was the Louisiana case note editor for Construct! Published by the Construction Litigation Committee of the Section of Litigation of the American Bar Association. Mr. Wray has also been a guest lecturer for the Construction Management Department at LSU, LAGC and other organizations, and is a member of the Construction Industry Advisory Council.
Current Employment Positions:
Partner
Areas Of Practice:
Business and Commercial Law
Contracts
Litigation and Appeals
Alternative Dispute Resolution
Construction Contracts
Construction Law
Construction Liens
Debarment
Fidelity, Guarantee & Surety
Mediation
Professional Malpractice Law
State & Municipal Contracts
Litigation Percentage:
99% of Practice Devoted to Litigation
Bar Admissions:
Louisiana, 1984
U.S. District Court Middle District of Louisiana, 1985
U.S. District Court Eastern District of Louisiana, 1985
U.S. District Court Western District of Louisiana, 1985
U.S. District Court Northern District of Texas, 1989
U.S. District Court Western District of Oklahoma, 1991
U.S. Court of Appeals 5th Circuit, 1985
U.S. Court of Federal Claims, 1990
U.S. Supreme Court, 1990
Education:
Louisiana State University Law Center, Baton Rouge, Louisiana, 1984
J.D.
University of Texas, Austin, Texas, 1981
B.A.
Honors: With Honors
Major: Economics
Published Works:
“Rejection Of All Bids By Louisiana DOTD When All Bids Are Over The Project Estimate” Louisiana AGC Action News, Summer/Fall 2010
“The Uniform Bid Form” Louisiana AGC Action News, Spring 2010
“Notice Requirement For Materialman Who Are Not Paid By Subcontractor” Co-Authored with Chris P. Pierce, Louisiana AGC Action News,
Spring 2009
“The Low Bid Is Not A Moving Target” Louisiana AGC Action News, November/December 2004
“Technical Evidence In Construction Litigation” Constructing Louisiana, Official Publication of The Louisiana
Associated General Contractors, Inc., Spring 2004
“Changes In DOTD Claim Modification Specifications” Constructing Louisiana, Official Publication of The Louisiana
Associated General Contractors, Inc., Spring 2003
“U.S. Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals Distinguishes Con-Plex v. DOTD To Deny Recovery To A General Contractor Because He
Failed To Fully Investigate The Site Before Bidding” Construct!, Winter 2003
"Defending Against The Owner Who Does Not Pay" Constructing Louisiana, Official Publication of The Louisiana Associated
General Contractors, Inc., Winter 2002
"Does compliance with Plans And Specifications Relieve The Contractor From Exposure For Hazardous Conditions?" Constructing
Louisiana, Official Publication of The Louisiana Associated General Contractors, Inc., Fall 2002
"The Duty To Protect Others From Criminal Activity Of Third Parties" Constructing Louisiana, Official Publication of The
Louisiana Associated General Contractors, Inc, Summer 2002
"The Awarding Authority’s Discretion To Determine The Low Bidder Is Alive And Well In Louisiana, Despite Legislative
Efforts To Eliminate" Construct!, Spring 2001
"Pavement May Be Selected Without Competitive Bidding Of Equal Alternatives" , Construct!, Spring 2001
"Getting Paid", Louisiana AGC Action News, June 2000
"New Orleans Affirmative Action Program Held Unconstitutional" , Construct!, Spring, 1999
"Take Care in Modifying Construction Industry Form Contracts" , Louisiana AGC Action News, March, 1999
"Waiver of Bid Irregularities is Allowed in Some Parishes, but Not in Others" , Louisiana AGC Action News, February, 1999
"Recent Developments Concerning Affirmative Action Programs" , Louisiana AGC Action News, December, 1998
"Constructive Acceleration", Louisiana AGC Action News, Oct./Nov., 1998
"When Does Owner Caused Delay Entitle the Contractor to Recover Home Office Overhead?", Louisiana AGC Action News, September, 1998
Representative Cases:
Gibson & Associates, Inc. v. State, Department of Transportation and Development, 2011 WL 2670087 (La.App. 1 Cir. 5/18/11)
Teche Electric Supply, L.L.C. v. M.D. Descant, Inc., 2008-171 (La.App. 3 Cir. 12/11/08), 2 So.3d 516
Quality Design and Construction, Inc. v. City of Gonzales, 2006-2211(La.App. 1 Cir. 11/28/07), 977 So.2d 87
Taylor v. Haddox, 42,557 (La.App. 2 Cir. 42,557), 968 So.2d 1200
Case Atlantic Co. v. Blount Brothers Construction, Inc., 42,251 (La.App. 2 Cir. 6/20/07), 960 So.2d 1274
Price v. B&B Transport Services, Inc., 2007 WL 1300932 (La.App. 1 Cir. 5/4/07)
Louisiana Associated General Contractors, Inc. v. Louisiana Department of Agriculture and Forestry, 2005-0131 (La. 2/22/06), 924 So.2d 90
Diamond B Construction Company, Inc. v. Department of Transportation and Development, 0573 (La.App. 1 Cir. 2/14/03), 845 So.2d 429
Diamond B Construction Company, Inc. v. Louisiana Department of Transportation and Development, 2000-1483 (La.App. 1 Cir. 12/22/00),
780 So.2d 439, writ denied, 2000-0246 (La. 4/20/01), 790 So.2d 633
D’Arbonne Construction Co., Inc. v. Union Parish Police Jury, 31-834 (La.App. 2 Cir. 5/5/99), 736 So.2d 781
Diamond B. Construction Co., Inc. v. City of Plaquemine, 673 S.2d 636 (La. 1st Cir. Ct. of App. 1996)
Hartman Enterprises, Inc. v. Ascension - St. James Airport and Transportation Authority, Inc., 582 S.2d 198 (La. 1st Cir. Ct. of App. 1991)
Grace Construction Company v. St. Charles Parish, 467 S.2d 1371 (La. 5th Cir. Ct. of App. 1985)
Mr. Wray frequently files Amicus Curiae briefs with the Louisiana Supreme Court, Louisiana appellate courts, and Louisiana district
courts on behalf of Louisiana Associated General Contractors, Inc., but these contributions are not always recognized in published opinions.
Representative Clients:
Boykin Brothers, Inc.
Gilchrist Construction Company
Diamond B. Construction Company, Inc.
Byron E. Talbot Contractor, Inc.
Louisiana Associated General Contractors, Inc.
M.D. Descant, Inc.
Merrick Construction Company
Classes/Seminars Taught:
Civility, Professionalism and Ethics in Action, American Trial Lawyers Association, 1994
Come On Judges, Let's Do Something!, American Bar Association, 1994
Louisiana's Public Bid Law: The Design Professional's Perspective, Consulting Engineers Council of Louisiana, 1996
Engineers Council of Louisiana, 1996
Construction Contracting for Public Entities, Lorman, 1997 - 1998
Contractors in Jeopardy, Louisiana Associated General Contractors, 1998
Construction - Just a Roll of the Dice, Louisiana Associated General Contractors, 1999
Swim with the Sharks!, Louisiana Associated General Contractors, Summer Conference 2000
Louisiana Construction Lien Law, Lorman 2000
Overview of the Louisiana Public Works Act presented at the Louisiana State Bar Association Seminar, The Fundamentals of Construction Law, 2000
Louisiana Construction Issues, Lorman 2001
Panel Discussion of AIA 201, Construction Specifications Institute 2002
Public Works Lien Seminar, 2002
Discretion of the Awarding Authority to Determine the Low Responsive Bidder Under the Public Bid Law, 2004 and 2005
Construction Delay Claim, Lorman 2004 and 2005
Critical Issues Summit co-sponsored by the Louisiana Associated General Contractors, Inc., the American Institute of Architects of Louisiana, and the American Consulting Engineers Council of Louisiana, 2006 - 2011
Immigration and Employment Law Seminars, 2010
Regular speaker at Louisiana Associated General Contractors, Inc. Summer Conference
Professional Associations and Memberships:
Baton Rouge Bar Association
American Bar Association, Construction Litigation Committee of the Section of Litigation, Regional and Circuit Casenote Editor for Louisiana
Dean Henry George McMahon American Inns of Court, 1993 - 1994
Programming Chairman
Past Employment Positions:
Wray & Kracht, L.L.P., Partner, 1995 - 1999
Wray & Kracht, Partner, 1989 - 1995
Wray, Robinson & Kracht, Associate, 1984 - 1989
Birth Information:
1959, Baton Rouge, Louisiana, United States of America |
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