R. Russell O'Rourke, Esq. founded O'Rourke & Associates Co. L.P.A. in February 1989, affording him the opportunity to pay more attention to his clients' needs rather than worrying about whether he was meeting his former employer's yearly goals for minimum billable hours. He now spends his days developing productive working relationships with clients, in addition to providing them with the legal services they need. We met with Attorney O'Rourke recently, and listened as he outlined the services his firm provides;
My family has been involved in the construction industry for many years. My father worked for Cleveland Builders Supply as his only job after World War II. I also worked in the commercial construction industry prior to attending law school. My legal career began with the representation of real estate and construction clients. Through my many affiliations I became involved with the Builders Exchange. In 1987 I developed their member Mechanics' Lien Program and have since been the sole provider of this program. We provide notices of furnishing, mechanics' liens, and bond claims for contractors, sub-contractors, and suppliers who need to ensure they will be paid for the work they performed and the labor and materials they supply for a project. In addition, we also represent contractors, sub-contractors, and suppliers in the legal issues of running their businesses.
We counsel contractors not only on their business structure, real estate, and financing needs, but we also provide legal advice concerning the actual performance on their projects. They have to bid on projects, negotiate contracts, do notices of furnishing, change orders throughout the process, lien waivers, pay applications, and a wide range of documentation necessary to ensure a successful project. Once the project is completed, if they have not been paid they need to file a mechanics' lien and/or bond claim to ensure they will ultimately be paid. These documents tie back into their accounts receivable financing so their bank is assured it will also be paid for loans granted during the construction process by having a secured interest in the real estate that has been improved.
The majority of our clients are professional contractors and suppliers, some working in the residential industry, but most primarily involved in commercial and public construction. When new clients first come to us, we focus on their issues relating to their current projects, business structure, real estate, and any employment issues they may have. Should their needs fall outside our areas of expertise, we will, through our network of attorneys, bring in an attorney specializing in their area of need so they receive the best representation possible at a reasonable cost.
Historically, the majority of our clients come from trade associations, such as the Builders Exchange and the American Subcontractors Association. Although we do not work exclusively for members of these groups, clients who are members receive a substantial discount in the flat fee services we provide.
O'Rourke & Associates Co. L.P.A. has been serving the needs of construction contractors, sub-contractors, and suppliers since 1989. Call O'Rourke & Associates Co. L.P.A. today, and don't forget to tell them The Advocate sent you!
