Facebook Linkedin

Stephen W. Kienzle

Partner

Expertise

Stephen Kienzle is a partner at Stein Ray LLP and handles complex, multi-million-dollar commercial and construction disputes on behalf of owners, developers, contractors, and design professionals in cases involving design errors, construction defects, critical path delays, wrongful termination, construction liens, payment issues, and construction site accidents. Mr. Kienzle also drafts, negotiates, and advises clients on design and construction agreements.

Mr. Kienzle has negotiated multi-million-dollar contracts related to high-rise construction projects throughout Chicago, university projects in Illinois and Connecticut, a F100 company’s Dallas office project, and custom home construction projects.

Representative Engagements​

  • Represented ENR Top 10 contractor in litigation arising out of $800,000,000 design-build airport project. Mr. Kienzle’s client asserted claims over $60,000,000 for project delays, owner-directed changes, and owner interference. The airport owner asserted counterclaims exceeding $200,000,000 for liquidated damages as well as design and construction defects. In addition to general litigation services, Mr. Kienzle also performed daily project management, monitoring, and claims strategy and analysis that allowed his client to complete the project while avoiding additional subcontractor litigation. This matter was favorably settled at mediation.
  • Represented EPC Contractor in binding arbitration regarding design and construction of major tollway bridge project. The project owner asserted design, construction, and delay claims exceeding $100,000,000 against the EPC Contractor, and the EPC Contractor asserted claims for wrongful termination and additional damages exceeding $35,000,000. The three-arbiter panel ruled that the EPC Contractor was wrongfully terminated, was the “prevailing party” for attorney fee-shifting purposes, and issued a multi-million-dollar net award in favor of the EPC Contractor.
  • Represented global design firm in litigation arising out of elementary school projects. The School District asserted claims for design and construction administration errors related to school’s parking lots, and Mr. Kienzle’s designer client counterclaimed for wrongful termination and unpaid fees. At mediation, Mr. Kienzle successfully obtained the School District’s agreement to withdraw its wrongful termination and to pay his designer client’s unpaid project fees as well as Mr. Kienzle’s attorneys’ fees.
  • Defended global design firm against multi-million dollar claim related to insulation it specified for a Chicago high-rise apartment building. After Mr. Kienzle sent a letter to the building owners explaining why they had no legally cognizable claims, the owners withdrew their claim. Mr. Kienzle’s client referred to this result as a “miracle.”
  • Represented architect and structural engineer in pre-litigation matter regarding structural steel issues on a large Chicago apartment building project. Mr. Kienzle successfully explained to the project owner why the general contractor and its steel subcontractor were responsible for the structural steel issues. The Owner accordingly withdrew its design error claims and agreed to pay outstanding fees it had been withholding from Mr. Kienzle’s clients.
  • Defended engineering firm in multi-million dollar disputed related to design and construction of global infrastructure company’s headquarters, specifically the headquarters’ precast concrete panel design. Even though Mr. Kienzle’s client was the target defendant, he secured a mediated settlement with his client paying only 28% of the global settlement.
  • Defended construction firm against bystander’s premises liability lawsuit seeking over $10,000,000. Mr. Kienzle obtained summary judgment in the construction firm’s favor and then prevailed on the bystander’s appeal of that summary judgment ruling.

Professional, Business and Civic Affiliations​

  • Illinois State Bar Association
  • Chicago Bar Association
  • Chicagoland Associated General Contractors

Education​

Mr. Kienzle received his Juris Doctor in 2013 from the Loyola University Chicago School of Law.  While in law school, Stephen was selected to the Dean’s List and named a Corboy Mock Trial Team Fellow. He competed in national mock trial tournaments throughout the country, including winning the AAJ Regional Championship.  Mr. Kienzle graduated with a Bachelor of Arts,  cum laude, from Boston College in 2010.

Facebook Linkedin
Facebook Linkedin