Gregory R. Meeder is a Partner with the National Construction Industry Practice Group and is the Regional Construction Practice Group Leader for the Midwest. He handles civil trial matters in state and federal trial courts on a local and national basis, proceedings before governmental and administrative agencies and arbitration proceedings. His legal career has focused on complex construction litigation and the representation of public owners, property developers, underground contractors, construction companies, commercial banks, corporations, partnerships, title insurance companies, and individuals with regard to multi-million dollar litigation matters.
Mr. Meeder served on the Municipal Board of the Village of Palos Park from 1995-2003 as the elected Public Works Commissioner. As commissioner, Mr. Meeder was directly responsible for all executive, legislative, and departmental policies relating specifically to utilities, cable, fiber optic, water, stormwater, sewer, and the supervision of public construction contracts (multi-million dollar construction projects were in design or under construction during his eight-year term). Mr. Meeder served on the Board of Directors of the 192-member Underground Contractors Association from 1996-2000 and is counsel to the association. Mr. Meeder also has served as a Special Assistant Attorney General for representation of the Illinois State Toll Highway Authority with regard to the installation of fiber optic lines along the right-of-ways adjacent to the Illinois Tollway system.
Mr. Meeder has handled projects including fast track office buildings, commercial and residential buildings, golf courses, highway construction, waste water treatment plants, airports, senior housing projects, tollway systems, underground utility, cable, electric, gas, fiber optic, telephone, water, stormwater, and sewer projects, including tunneling, horizontal boring, directional drilling, and other specialty work related to underground infrastructure projects.
Mr. Meeder has authored legislation on behalf of the Underground Contractors Association and the Illinois Construction Industry Committee requiring differing site condition clauses in public construction contracts in excess of $75,000. See 30 ILCS 557/1 et seq. Mr. Meeder recently co-authored the first ever strategic partnership agreement between OSHA and the Underground Contractors Association which employs a third party administrator to significantly reduce exposure of construction companies and their employees to safety risks.
Mr. Meeder has represented Fermilab in Batavia, Ill., regarding the defense of a $30 million underground construction claim brought by a tunneling contractor regarding the construction of neutrino tunnels at Fermilab. Mr. Meeder has represented McDonald's Corporation in construction related matters, and represents local general contractors, owners, specialty subcontractors and joint venture partners in multi-million dollar construction projects.