Mr. Berman concentrates his practice in construction, contracts, and real estate including trials, appeals, and alternative dispute resolution. He also focuses on "green" building and "lean" construction matters.

Mr. Berman is active in several major construction industry associations. He a member of the Washtenaw Contractors Association, the Builders and Remodelers Association of Greater Ann Arbor, NARI of Southeast Michigan, and the American Institute of Architects (Allied). He is also a member of the Steering Committee of Division 2 (contracts) of the American Bar Association’s Forum on the Construction Industry.  Mr. Berman is also one of only 14 lawyers in Michigan who is a LEED Accredited Professional, specializing in sustainable building systems and practices.

Mr. Berman practices in all state and federal courts. He was chairperson of the Commercial Litigation Committee of the Business Law Section from 1984 to 2000 and is an ex-officio chairperson of the Alternative Dispute Resolution and the Business Law sections of the State Bar of Michigan.

Mr. Berman also frequently acts as an arbitrator, mediator and case evaluator and is a member of the American Arbitration Association’s Construction Panel.

Mr. Berman is certified by the State of Michigan and the Michigan Association of Home Builders as a licensing instructor for builders and remodelers and teaches a course entitled: Contracts, Liability, and Risk Management.

Mr. Berman serves as chair of Bodman LLP’s Construction Practice Group.

Mr. Berman is a member of the Board of Directors of the Washtenaw Home Builders Association Foundation, the Builders and Remodelers Association of Greater Ann Arbor, and the Ann Arbor Student Building Industry Program, Inc.  He is listed in The Best Lawyers in America 2010 under Construction Law and Michigan Super Lawyers & Rising Stars 2009 under Construction/Surety.  He has received the W. Nelson Vander Hyden Award for outstanding service to the construction industry (Washtenaw Contractors Association, 2004) and was named Associate of the Year Award (Homebuilders Association of Washtenaw County, 2004).  He is AV® Peer Review Rated by Martindale-Hubbell.

Selected Publications

• Author of monthly “High Ground” legal column for Ann Arbor.com Business Review
  • Recent articles include:
    • The cost of building green - perception vs. reality (July 1, 2010)
    • LEED building certifications surpass 5,000 (June 3, 2010)
    • Integrated Project Delivery is promising new direction for construction industry (May 6, 2010)
    • EPA lead paint rule requires certified renovators and work practice requirements (April 1, 2010)
    • Building Information Modeling's 3-D imaging is changing construction industry (March 4, 2010)
    • Top 10 Resolutions for 2010: Real Estate and Construction (January 6, 2010)
    • ICC makes rapid progress on International Green Construction Code (December 3, 2009)
    • Ten tips for planning a successful green building project (November 5, 2009)
    • Mirror, mirror on the wall: Who’s the greenest of them all - and will green disclosure become the norm? (October 1, 2009)
• Author, "Building 'Green' Involves Legal Risks: What to Know When Seeking LEED Certification," Detroiter (November 2009)
• Author, "Termination of Construction Projects Requires Caution, " Bodman Financial Crisis Response Team (December 2008)
• Author, "Michigan Cracks Down on Unlicensed Contractors, " Bodman Field Notes (Winter 2008)
• Co-Author, “The General Conditions of the Contract for Construction: A Matrix of Selected Clauses in Four Standard Forms Plus FAR,” ABA Forum on the Construction Industry, Division 2 (2006)
• Author, “AAA Commercial Rules Provide Emergency Relief for Construction Projects, ” ABA Forum on the Construction Industry (December 2005)

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