Albert Chollet focuses his practice in the areas of construction and surety law, providing a full range of transactional and litigation services to his clients, which include owners, contractors, design professionals, sureties, banks and lending institutions, land developers and other corporate entities. His national practice includes contract negotiations and formation, contract litigation and alternative dispute resolution for his clients in the construction industry. Mr. Chollet represents clients in all phases of complex litigation in both federal and state courts in addition to arbitration and mediation proceedings.
Among other things, Mr. Chollet's representation of his clients in the construction industry includes:
- Bond claims and mechanics’ liens
- Contract negotiation for public and private projects
- Indemnity
- Delay and cumulative impact claims
- Bankruptcy claims and litigation
- Wrongful termination claims
- MBE and DBE matters with the City of Chicago, various state governments and the federal government
- Defense of tort claims against design professionals
- Subdivision development projects
Mr. Chollet also has extensive experience representing sureties in multi-project defaults, including the investigation and defense of performance and payment bond claims on private and public projects, negotiation of takeover and completion agreements, and performance of completion work. He has also supervised site inspections for experts and attorneys in construction, product liability and negligence litigation.
Mr. Chollet joined Hinshaw & Culbertson LLP in November 2007. Previously he was an associate with construction and commercial litigation boutique Less, Getz & Lipman, PLC, in Memphis, Tennessee.
Mr. Chollet began his legal career as an appellate clerk for The Honorable Holly M. Kirby, Judge of the Tennessee Court of Appeals.
During law school, he was a judicial extern to The Honorable Diane Vescovo, Magistrate Judge of the U.S. District Court, Western District of Tennessee.
In addition to his other law school achievements, Mr. Chollet received the Dean’s Award for Distinguished Service, and the Dean’s Award for Academic Excellence for the Best Appellate Brief. He was a recipient of the Cecil C. Humphrey’s Law Fellowship. Mr. Chollet also received CALI Awards in the areas of Securities Regulation and Cyberlaw. As part of his law fellowship, he was a research assistant to Professor David S. Romantz.
During his undergraduate studies, Mr. Chollet received the Algernon Sydney Sullivan Award.
Mr. Chollet’s professional memberships include the American Bar Association, where he is a member of the Construction Industry Forum. He is also a member of the Tennessee Association of Construction Counsel, Tennessee Bar Association and the Memphis Bar Association.
Mr. Chollet’s publications include:
- “Securing the Road to Nowhere: When Subdivision Bond Payments Constitute Economic Waste or an Unreasonable Windfall to the “Obligee,” co-author, International Association of Defense Counsel Fidelity & Surety Committee newsletter, July 2011.
- “Obtaining Judicial Relief From an Improper Arbitration Award on the Basis of Corruption, Fraud, Undue Means, the Failure to Hear Material Evidence, or Other Misbehavior Prejudicing the Rights of a Party,” co-author, "Construction Briefings," Thomson/West, July 2007.
- “Enabling the Gaze: Public Access and the Withdrawal of Tennessee’s Proposed Rule of Civil Procedure 1A,” University of Memphis Law Review, Volume 36, Book 3, Spring 2006.
His presentations include
- "Troubled Developments: Surety Bond and Lien Claims," Illinois Institute for Local Government Law, 18th Annual Conference, Naperville, Illinois, February 2011.
- “Troubled Developments in a Troubled Economy,” American Public Works Association, Schaumburg, Illinois, May 2009.
- “Mechanics Liens,” and “The Illinois Bond Act,” Lorman Education Services seminar “Construction Lien Law in Illinois,” Orland Park, Illinois, September 2008.