The RegistryCounty Record · California

Construction Lawyers in Alameda County, California

Every construction attorney and construction lawyer listing on this page traces back to the State Bar of California's official roll, filtered to construction matters arising in Alameda County. Verification describes profile identity, not quality or outcomes.

Venue matters. Construction cases from Alameda County are ordinarily heard at the Superior Court of California, County of Alameda. The East Bay's most populous county; civil calendars run through Oakland's René C. Davidson Courthouse and the Hayward Hall of Justice.

Before comparing counsel, note the clock. Under Cal. Civ. Code § 8412, the governing period is mechanics liens: record within 90 days of completion (60/30 days after a notice of completion). Suit to foreclose the lien must follow within 90 days of recording (Cal. Civ. Code § 8460). Defect claims run four years for patent defects (Cal. Code Civ. Proc. § 337.1) and ten for latent (§ 337.15).

This page is the Alameda County chapter of the registry's statewide record — Construction Attorneys in California collects all 58 counties.

The clock & the court

Statute of limitations

Mechanics liens: record within 90 days of completion (60/30 days after a notice of completion).

Cal. Civ. Code § 8412

Suit to foreclose the lien must follow within 90 days of recording (Cal. Civ. Code § 8460). Defect claims run four years for patent defects (Cal. Code Civ. Proc. § 337.1) and ten for latent (§ 337.15).

Court of record

Superior Court of California, County of Alameda.

County seat: Oakland

Official court information, locations, and filing rules: alameda.courts.ca.gov

Construction · Alameda County roster

182 attorneys on the official State Bar of California roll list construction among their practice areas with an address of record in Alameda County.

176 of them hold an active licence; the remainder are recorded as inactive and are not currently eligible to practise.

The roster concentrates in Oakland (90), Pleasanton (30), Alameda (14) and Berkeley (14).

1 hold a State Bar Certified Legal Specialist designation — a certification issued by the State Bar's Board of Legal Specialization, and not a rating or a ranking.

7 are recorded as taking client work in a language other than English.

Admission years on this roster run from 1972 to 2025.

The employers most represented here are Donahue Fitzgerald LLP (5), Katzoff & Riggs LLP (4) and Varela, Lee, Metz & Guarino, LLP (4).

Scott C. Abrams

Business Litigation · Oakland

Bar #167851 · Admitted 1993

Official record

John W. Adamson

Business Litigation · Pleasanton

Bar #366889 · Admitted 2025

Official record

Jesmin Alam

Business Litigation · Pleasanton

Bar #201069 · Admitted 1999

Official record

Michael Arikat

Business Litigation · Oakland

Bar #355093 · Admitted 2024

Official record

Maria Ayerdi

Construction · Berkeley

Bar #189720 · Admitted 1997

Official record

Paraskevi Batsikas

Business Litigation · Alameda

Bar #341675 · Admitted 2021

Official record

John E. Bauman

Business Litigation · Oakland

Bar #315667 · Admitted 2017

Official record

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Construction questions, cited

How do mechanics lien deadlines work in California?

Most subcontractors and suppliers must serve a 20-day preliminary notice to preserve lien rights (Cal. Civ. Code § 8204). Liens must then be recorded within 90 days of project completion — shortened to 60 days for direct contractors and 30 for others when a notice of completion is recorded (Civ. Code §§ 8412, 8414). A foreclosure suit must follow within 90 days of recording (§ 8460), or the lien expires.

How long do I have to sue for construction defects in California?

Four years for patent (obvious) defects (Cal. Code Civ. Proc. § 337.1) and ten years for latent defects (§ 337.15), both running from substantial completion. New residential construction sold after 2003 runs through the Right to Repair Act (Cal. Civ. Code § 895 et seq.), which sets building standards and requires a pre-litigation notice-and-repair process (§ 910) before most defect suits.

Can an unlicensed contractor sue me for payment in California?

No — Cal. Bus. & Prof. Code § 7031(a) bars anyone required to be licensed from suing to collect compensation for unlicensed work, regardless of the work's quality. More strikingly, § 7031(b) lets the customer sue to disgorge all compensation already paid to an unlicensed contractor. Licensing status is verifiable through the Contractors State License Board.

What should be in a California home improvement contract?

Home improvement contracts over $500 must be in writing and include statutory content: a described scope, total price, approximate start and completion dates, and required notices (Cal. Bus. & Prof. Code § 7159). Down payments are capped at $1,000 or 10% of the price, whichever is less (§ 7159.5). Violations are disciplinary offenses and can be misdemeanors — and they shape later disputes.

What is a stop payment notice?

A remedy that intercepts construction funds rather than the property: a subcontractor or supplier serves the owner (or construction lender) with a stop payment notice, obligating them to withhold the claimed amount from the contractor (Cal. Civ. Code § 8502 et seq.). On public works — where mechanics liens are unavailable — stop payment notices and payment bond claims (Civ. Code § 9100 et seq.) are the principal collection tools.

Legal information, not legal advice.

From the answer files

Construction by city in Alameda County

Related counsel in Alameda County

Construction in nearby counties

Source: Cal. Civ. Code § 8412 · State Bar of California licensee records · Checked: · Maintained by the California Attorney Registry from official State Bar of California records. Legal information, not legal advice.

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