Attorneys

Theodore L. Senet is a partner with the firm.  Prior to joining Gibbs, Giden, Locher, Turner & Senet LLP, Mr. Senet was Regional Counsel for Lawyers Title Insurance Company, with responsibility for insurance claims handling, insurance underwriting, regulatory and real property matters. 

Mr. Senet is one of the few attorneys in California to be a U.S. Green Building Council LEED AP (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design Accredited Professional). He has been involved in planning, development, risk management, construction and dispute resolution on numerous major projects, including high rise buildings, hospitals, airports, roadways, power and processing plants, refineries, manufacturing facilities and large residential developments. Mr. Senet currently represents public entities, corporate owners and developers, commercial general contractors and major home builders in insurance planning and procurement, insurance claims and insurance coverage litigation, complex construction defect and environmental litigation, class action litigation, construction delay claims and major tort litigation.

Mr. Senet is recommended in the 2011 edition of The US Legal 500, United States under the U.S. Real Estate and Construction - Construction section (including Construction Litigation).

Practice Areas:

Construction and Public Contract Law;

Environmental Law;

Insurance Law;

Real Property; and

Major Tort Litigation

Education:

Loyola Law School (J.D.), Los Angeles, CA, 1978
University of California at Santa Barbara (B.A., English), Santa Barbara, CA, 1975

Professional Memberships:

State of California Bar Association
Los Angeles County Bar Association
American Bar Association (Tort and Ins. Practice Section; Construction Industry Forum)
Construction Managers Association of America, CMAA (Affiliate Member)
U.S. Green Building Council Los Angeles Chapter (Member)

Honors and Awards:

Mr. Senet is recommended in The Legal 500, United States 2011 editorial publication under the U.S. Real Estate and Construction - Construction section (including Construction Litigation).

Speaking Engagements:

Panel Speaker, “Green Building – Legal Issues and Solutions,” 2nd Annual Valley Green Building Education Conference and Expo (June 2012).

Panel Speaker, “Constitutional Issues Relating to Buy Local and Local Hiring and Contractor Preferences,” League of Cities Conference (May 2012).

Speaker, “Future of the Built Environment,” Loyola Law School (March 2012).

Joint Presentation, “Green Building – Legal Issues and Solutions,” Municipal Green Building Conference & Expo (2012).

Panel Speaker, Continuing Education of the Bar (University of California and the State Bar of California):  Construction Defect Litigation (2012 - 1998).

Speaker, “Green Building Liability,” Los Angeles Chapter of the Construction Specification Institute (February 2011).

Panel Speaker, “We Won’t Get Fooled Again: Lessons Learned from the Economic Downturn,” sponsored by the American Bar Association (September 2010).

Principal Speaker, CLE International Municipal Law Conference:  “Green Design and Building – Legal Risks and Issues;” and “Public Works Projects – Claims Avoidance, Bid Protests and Dealing with Defaulting Developers and Sureties” (June 2010)
 
Moderator, Continuing Education of the California State Bar:    Hot Topics in Property & Liability Insurance (May 2010).

Speaker, Tri-Counties Government Lawyers Association:  “Advantages, Disadvantages and Implementation of Design Build Project Delivery Systems” (March 2010)

Principal Speaker, City Attorneys Association of Los Angeles County (CAALAC): “So Your Contractor is Not Performing” (March 2010)

Speaker, New Developments in Public Works Construction,” sponsored by the City Attorneys Association of Los Angeles County (February 2009).

Chairperson, The Association of Owners and Developers (AOD), National Conference West:  Planning, Design and Project Management for the 21st Century (2008).

Panel Moderator, State Bar of California   Real Property Section:  Mediation and Arbitration of Construction Disputes (May 2008).

Bar Admissions:

California, 1978
U.S. District Court Central District of California, 1979
U.S. Court of Appeals 9th Circuit, 1979

Certification:

LEED Accredited Professional, 2009

Publications:

Architects & Engineers, California Construction Contracts, Defects and Litigation, Chapter Eight (Author), Continuing Education for the Bar (CEB 2009)

New California Law Will Require Major Changes in Construction Contracts  (Co-Author), CMAA Southern California Chapter Newsletter, Legislative Section, Winter 2009

California Statewide "Green" Building Code New Challenges and Opportunities, (Co-Author), CMAA Southern California Chapter newsletter, Legislative Section, Fall 2008.

Nuts & Bolts of Modern Wrap-Up Liability Insurance article, URS Claims Resource Fall 2008 Newsletter, by Theodore L. Senet, Esq.

Theodore L. Senet, Introduction to Green Building Construction:  An Overview of Sustainable Construction in Los Angeles and LEED Certification, Greater Los Angeles Chapter of the Association of Legal Administrators (July 2007 Program Materials).

Theodore L. Senet, California Construction Law – 2007 Edition, Chapter 5   Surety Bonds (William D. Locher, ed., HLK Global Communications, Inc. 2007).

Theodore L. Senet, California Construction Law – 2007 Edition, Chapter 4   Insurance & Risk Management (William D. Locher, ed., HLK Global Communications, Inc. 2007).


Representative Clients:

Equity Residential
Pulte Homes
Crescent Heights
City of Riverside
City of Glendale
City of Moreno Valley