Christopher P. Sobba
Attorney at Law
Attorney Overview
Chris Sobba assists clients with construction projects ranging from Alaska to Mexico and from Hawaii to the East Coast. He represents owners, general contractors, EPC contractors, subcontractors and engineers. Chris is driven to help each client achieve success – whether that is measured as the successful development and construction of a new project, or success with the resolution of claims that have surfaced on an existing project.
Prior to co-founding the James | Sobba law firm in November of 2018, Chris practiced construction law for 18 years in the construction group of a large Am Law Top 100 firm, eventually rising to the position of Vice Chair of the firm’s U.S. News and World Report Tier-One-ranked construction practice group. Chris is trusted by, and regularly advises and represents multiple ENR Top 40 contractors on their energy and construction projects across the country.
He provides advice to clients throughout the entire life cycle of their projects – planning, developing, procurement, contract drafting and negotiation, day-to-day advice during the life of the project, and finally, project close out, including handling claims and dispute resolution. If disputes arise, Chris investigates and pursues early resolution where appropriate, and prepares cases and sees them through trial or arbitration, where appropriate. Chris was recently honored and selected as one of America’s Top 100 Bet-the-Company Litigators in the State of Missouri.
Chris has experience advising clients in connection with a wide variety of energy and construction projects including:
Representative Matters
The following is a list of representative matters Chris has handled for his construction industry clients:
- Represented ENR Top 5 contractor in connection with EPC contract and claims pertaining to large turbine replacement project in California.
Represented ENR Top 5 contractor in connection with lien claims on environmental retrofit of coal fired power generating facility in Kansas.
Represented ENR Top 40 contractor in connection with claims exceeding $200M pertaining to environmental retrofit of coal fired power generating facilities in Indiana and Ohio, including three week jury trial.
Represented ENR Top 25 contractor in connection with EPC contract and multiparty construction litigation with claims in excess of $200M relating to construction of a cement manufacturing facility, including four week arbitration hearing.
Represented ENR Top 40 contractor in connection with wastewater treatment facility in Texas.
Represented ENR Top 25 contractor in connection with claims concerning a prominent performing arts center.
Represented owner in multimillion dollar lawsuit concerning construction of a logging campsite and sort yard in Alaska.
Represented subcontractor in claim against ENR Top 15 contractor relating to infrastructure project at a federal site in Hawaii.
- Represented ENR Top 30 contractor in connection with wastewater treatment facility in Ohio.
- Represented general contractor in arbitration hearing and secured an arbitration award fully in the contractor’s favor concerning three multifamily residential construction projects in Oklahoma, Kansas and Missouri.
- Represented power company in a multimillion dollar lawsuit relating to a crane collapse in Missouri.
- Represented prime contractor and surety in connection with three multimillion dollar Connecticut lawsuits stemming from a federal construction project at a military installation in Connecticut.
- Represented contractor in connection with a termination by the Government of a federal construction project in Washington.
- Represented subcontractor and ENR Top 5 contractor in connection with a claim against the Government for differing site conditions on a project in Washington.
- Represented ENR Top 25 contractor in multimillion dollar claim against a prominent public university relating to design changes and schedule impacts.
- Represented and advised utility contractor in connection with multimillion dollar gas explosion cases in Wisconsin.
- Represented contractor in connection with appeals to the Armed Services Board of Contract Appeals.
- Represented contractor in connection with claims in the Court of Federal Claims in Washington DC.
Represented ENR Top 10 contractor in connection with multimillion dollar claims pertaining to construction of the Metro Link rail project in St. Louis.
Represented contractor in connection with recovery of $5M paid to repair a 36 acre standing seam metal roof atop a steel manufacturing facility in Indiana.
Represented ENR Top 25 contractor in connection with recovery of amounts paid to repair a flat roof above a data center in Iowa.
Represented subcontractor in connection with a federal military project in Texas.
Represented prime contractor in connection with a federal project in Washington.
Represented prime contractor in connection with a federal project in Nevada.
Represented large energy and power company in connection with claims arising out of the environmental retrofit of a coal-fired power generating facility.
Represented ENR Top 10 engineering firm in connection with a mine roof collapse.
Represented large national contractor in connection with disputes pertaining to the construction of a prominent resort in Vail, Colorado.
Represented oil operator in connection with recovery of $1M loss sustained at its facility as a result of failed pumps.
Represented prominent east coast university in connection with development, procurement, contracting and construction of a large tunneling project on campus.
Represented subcontractor in connection with recovery of $3M+ claim against the government on military project in Hawaii.
Represented ENR Top 85 contractor and secure judgment in connection with construction of a multimillion clubhouse at a prominent country club in Kansas.
Represented ENR Top 85 contractor in three week jury trial concerning a condominium development and obtain multimillion dollar jury verdict and uphold it on appeal.
- Represented contractor in connection with resolving a Termination for Convenience by the Government for a project at an Air Force Base in Florida following Hurricane Michael.
- Represented contractor in connection with pursuit and recovery from the surety of a defaulted subcontractor on heavy civil a project for the Government in North Dakota.
- Represented subcontractor in connection with a $2M+ value engineering claim under FAR on a heavy civil project for the Government in Washington.
- Represented subcontractor in connection with blocking an unjustified effort by the prime contractor to remove a $10M scope of work for a water treatment project for the Government in New Mexico.
- Represented owner of a secured storage facility in an action against the contractor for defective work and obtained a $1.8M arbitration award, including recovery of the owner’s attorneys’ fees, following a one week arbitration hearing.
- Represented contractor in connection with pursuit and recovery from its roofing subcontractor for defective work performed at a hospital in South Carolina.
- Represented contractor in connection with a multi-million dollar differing site condition claim on a heavy civil project in Washington.
- Represented owner in connection with the termination of a road building contract in Alaska due to breaches by the contractor.
- Represented governmental entity in connection with claims against the contractor and enforcement of liquidated damages on a bridge construction project in Missouri.
- Represented ENR Top 20 contractor in connection with claims relating to the untimely completion by a TPO roofing subcontractor on two elementary school projects in Kansas.
- Represented large general contractor and recovered $2.7M+ from a surety and insurer relating to the default and termination of a framing subcontractor on two multifamily projects in Missouri and Kansas.
- Represented ENR Top 20 contractor in connection with $4M of claims arising out of the construction of a VA hospital for the Government.
- Represented ENR Top 5 contractor in connection with claims relating to a large solar energy center in Florida.
- Represented general contractor in connection with defending claims relating to $2M+ of damages sustained as a result of frozen fire suppression lines in a new downtown Kansas City condominium tower.
- Represented heavy civil subcontractor in connection with defending $1.5M+ of claims by the Government relating to the installation of controlled density fill in utility trenching on federal project in Washington.
- Represented metal decking subcontractor in connection with defending claims of defective and untimely work on an educational facility project in Texas.
- Represented contractor in connection with multiple Requests for Equitable Adjustments resulting from changes on a Government bathhouse project along Cape Cod in Massachusetts.
- Represented ENR Top 25 contractor in connection with recovery of $10M+ of additional costs incurred as a result of design errors on a $300M hospital project in Missouri.
- Reviewed and negotiated over 200 contracts for various types of projects and clients including all types of project delivery methods.
- Represented contractor in connection with $5M+ claims resulting from a failed water monitoring well on a Government site in New Mexico.
- Represented ENR Top 25 contractor in connection with recovery of $1.5M claim resulting from a subcontractor default on a new hospital project in Missouri.
- Represented large general contractor in connection with claims resulting from a subcontractor default on new senior living facility projects in Kansas and Missouri.
- Represented large general contractor in connection with claims resulting from a subcontractor default on an apartment complex project in Missouri.
- Represented general contractor in connection with claims resulting from a subcontractor default on a commercial distribution center in Oklahoma.
- Represented large general contractor in connection with a $1.5M mechanic’s lien for collection of amounts owed for work performed on a new residential construction project in Kansas.
Publications & Presentations
Properly Addressing Defects In Construction
NBI Continuing Legal Education Presentation,
June 6, 2019
Delay & Disruption Claims
Construction Law: Advanced Issues and Answers; National Business Institute Seminar
March 4, 2016
Notice and Opportunity to Cure Provisions
Builders’ Association eNews
July 9, 2010
Tort Claims Against Design Professionals
American Institute of Architects
Presentation given to design professionals for continuing education credit
April 2008
Construction Law and Construction Litigation
The University of Kansas Construction Law Society
Presentation given in Lawrence, Kansas.
March 2007
Using a Mechanic’s Lien to Get Your Money
National Business Institute Presentation at full-day CLE in Overland Park, Kansas 2007
Private Construction in Kansas
Kansas City Small Business Monthly, September 2006.
September 2006
The Importance of Well-Defined Scope
Remodeling Magazine
July 2006
New Kansas Alternative Project Delivery Law Allows Design-Build and CM at Risk
AIA Legal Brief
May 2006
Trends in Fairness in Contracting Statutes
ABA Forum on Construction
Law Division 9 Annual Meeting in San Diego, California.
May 2006
Kansas: Fairness in Private Construction Contract Act
American Bar Association
Forum on the Construction Industry, Division 9
September 2005
