Scott D. Cessar is a Member of the firm. He serves as Member in Charge of the firm’s Pittsburgh office and as Chair of the firm’s Construction Law and Alternate Dispute Resolution Groups.
Mr. Cessar's practice covers a broad range of civil litigation with a primary focus on construction law. Mr. Cessar has extensive trial and alternative dispute resolution experience representing clients before state and federal courts, arbitration panels and mediators across the country.
Mr. Cessar’s construction law practice encompasses both public and private projects (commercial, heavy/highway, industrial, institutional and residential). He has handled all types of construction claims including delay, impact, loss of productivity, differing site condition, defective work, extra cost, default architectural and engineering errors and omissions and overcharges, and bid and procurement protests; representing private owners, developers, public agencies, prime contractors, subcontractors, design professionals, equipment manufacturers and suppliers and sureties. Projects include hydroelectric plants, steel mills, bridges and highways, hospitals, office buildings, schools, laboratories, greenhouses, dams, pipelines, gas transmission facilities, water plants, sewer plants, mines, airports, glass furnaces, stadiums, hotels, factories and process facilities and environmental remediation sites. He also has a significant practice in the design and implementation of all types of construction delivery systems, including design build, EPC, fast track and turn key projects, in the drafting and negotiation of complex construction contracts and in advising on bond and lien issues.
Mr. Cessar’s commercial litigation practice is diverse and he has handled numerous, complex, multi-faceted cases, including in the areas of commercial banking, franchising, real estate and the metals industry.
Mr. Cessar has handled such matters as:
- Representation of a mobile lithotripter service in a four-day arbitration against an ambulatory care center in a dispute involving a “take or pay” contract resulting in a $1.88 million award to the service.
- Representation of major league baseball team, Florida Marlins, in two four-day arbitrations involving issues of compensation to displaced minor league franchises in South Florida arising out of the taking of their territories.
- Representation of major financial institution in obtaining summary judgment dismissal of all claims against it in a case that subsequently resulted in a $32 million judgment against remaining defendant.
- Representation of surety in convincing federal court in West Virginia to predict that state’s highest court would allow cause of actions in tort by a surety against a consulting engineer for certifying overpayments to defaulted contractor on a water project bonded by surety.
- Representation of national alarm services provider in obtaining pretrial dismissal of over $100 million in claims arising out of one of the largest fires in Pennsylvania history.
- Representation of environmental controls manufacturer in successful defense of injunction request and claim for damages by terminated distributor that sought to establish franchisor-franchisee relationship.
- Representation of turbine supplier in design and negotiation of water-to-wire contract package with general contractor and owner for construction of hydroelectric power plant.
- Representation of Eastern European interests in the purchase out of bankruptcy of continuous caster, related equipment and 400 acre steel mill site.
- Representation of steel mill owner and agent in obtaining successful dismissal of over $6 million in claims arising out of wrongful scrapping of reheat furnaces owned by third party.
- Representation of metal alloys producer in successful resolution of multi-million dollar claims arising from sale of allegedly contaminated metal which was subsequently used to make jet engine parts.
- Representation of dismantling contractor in two thirty-day arbitrations and one seven-day jury trial against steel producer involving dismantling contracts at various facilities across the country.
Mr. Cessar was recognized by Best Lawyers in America in 2009 in the specialty of Construction Law and also has been recognized by his peers as one of Pennsylvania's Super Lawyers® each year from 2004 to 2008. Only the top five percent of Pennsylvania lawyers received this distinction and only a select few who specialize in construction law across the state were selected. He holds an AV® rating from Martindale Hubbell, it's highest rating.
Mr. Cessar frequently writes and speaks on subjects such as construction contracts, the quantification of damages, claims avoidance and claims prosecution and alternative dispute resolution.
He is the author of "A Primer on the Basics of Construction Law" for Aspatore Books and was among 11 speakers nationwide chosen to present for the Alternate Dispute Resolution Leadership Conference.
Mr. Cessar has spoken before various trade groups and associations, conducted seminars for the American Arbitration Association and presented at numerous continuing legal education courses.
Mr. Cessar is a certified arbitrator with the American Arbitration Association and for the United States District Court for the Western District of Pennsylvania. He is often called upon by his peers to hear and determine disputes.
Mr. Cessar is the past Chairperson of the 170 lawyer Allegheny County, Pennsylvania Bar Association's Construction Law Section.
He is a member of the Pennsylvania and Allegheny County Bar Associations and of the Panel of Arbitrators of the American Arbitration Association. Mr. Cessar is active in various community and charitable groups, including serving as Chairperson of the Board of Directors of the Lupus Center of Excellence at the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center. He also serves as a member of the Pine Township Zoning Hearing Board.
J.D., University of Notre Dame Law School, 1987 (Member, Moot Trial Team; Recipient of the Barrett Award for excellence in trial advocacy)
B.A., Dickinson College, 1984 (Cum Laude)
All Pennsylvania State Courts; All West Virginia State Courts; U.S. District Court for the Western District of Pennsylvania and the Southern District of West Virginia; U.S. Court of Appeals for the Third and Fourth Circuits; U.S. Supreme Court
Appointed to the Panel of Arbitrators for the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Pennsylvania and to the Panel of Arbitrators of the American Arbitration Association; Pennsylvania Bar Association; Allegheny County Bar Association; Chairperson of the Board of the Lupus Center of Excellence at the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center; Member of Pine Township Zoning Hearing Board
