Construction litigation attorney recruiters
We recruit construction litigation and construction law attorneys for Am Law firms, regional firms and construction boutiques. Share your background to evaluate your compensation and caseload against firm hiring criteria.
- We recruit for Am Law and regional firms, plus construction boutiques.
- Posted associate base ranges of $150,000 to $200,000 at two to six years.
- Billable targets mostly between 1,800 and 1,950 hours.
- Discreet representation with zero cost to the attorney.
- 2,400+
- Lawyers at firms ITG recruits construction attorneys for
- 25
- States, plus DC, where those firms have offices
- Am Law 100
- to construction boutiques
- $200K
- Top of 2 to 6 year base in construction roles we recruited for
Why construction litigation attorneys work with ITG
ITG advises construction litigation associates and partners evaluating lateral firm moves across the United States. We track market compensation and billable expectations directly through attorney interviews and client mandates.
- Law firm client caliber
- Client firms range from Am Law firms to regional full-service firms and construction boutiques. These firms employ more than 2,400 lawyers combined across 25 states and Washington, DC.
- Recent placements
- Placement details are anonymized, and we share them only with permission.
- What hiring partners screen for
- Hiring committees evaluate standalone file handling, deposition experience, and drafting capabilities. We brief associates and partners on specific partner expectations before submissions occur.
- First-party compensation data
- Our compensation benchmarks come directly from law firm client ranges and confidential interviews conducted with practicing attorneys mostly in 2025 and 2026.
Construction litigation attorneys we have placed
Every placement is fully anonymized, and we share specific attorney details only with permission.
- 2026: construction and commercial litigation associates joined an Atlanta litigation firm with a construction practice.
- Construction litigators have also joined the same firm's construction group.
What do construction litigation attorneys make in 2026?
ITG recruits construction attorneys for Am Law firms, regional firms and construction boutiques. Together those firms employ more than 2,400 lawyers, with offices in 25 states and DC. The compensation benchmarks on this page draw from ITG recruiting data for law firm clients and confidential interviews with practicing construction attorneys through 2026.
Posted base salary ranges for construction associate roles requiring two to six years of experience run from $150,000 to $200,000, and senior construction roles have posted above $200,000. In our interviews, median current base was $130,000 for one to three years, $160,000 for four to six years, $157,500 for seven to ten years, and $197,500 for eleven or more years. Roles in insurance defense that list construction defect as a plus post base salaries between $120,000 and $160,000 for associates with two to six years of experience.
The construction attorneys we interview cluster in Florida, Atlanta and Texas, followed by Los Angeles and Seattle. In our interviews, median current base was $180,000 in Georgia, $155,000 in California, $152,500 in Florida, and $137,500 in Texas. Attorneys evaluating a lateral move asked for a median base of $160,000 at four to six years and $195,000 at 11 or more years.
Annual billable hour targets in construction roles fall between 1,600 and 1,950 hours, with most roles between 1,800 and 1,950. Our billable hour expectations breakdown shows how firms structure billable tiers. Some firms pay hours-based bonuses that scale above target or quarterly bonuses tied to hours targets, while others issue discretionary year-end bonuses. Roughly half the roles were in office and half hybrid, and fully remote is rare.
Firms focus hiring on commercial construction disputes, defect claims, lien filings, and construction contract negotiation. A real share of construction defect work is carrier-paid insurance defense, but firms want commercial litigation as the base.
| Experience or role | Base pay |
|---|---|
| Construction associate roles, 2 to 6 years (posted) | $150,000 to $200,000 |
| Insurance defense roles with construction defect, 2 to 6 years (posted) | $120,000 to $160,000 |
| Median current base, 1 to 3 years (interviews) | $130,000 |
| Median current base, 4 to 10 years (interviews) | $157,500 to $160,000 |
| Median current base, 11+ years (interviews) | $197,500 |
| All lawyers, all employers, Georgia mean (BLS) | $191,190 |
Posted ranges: roles ITG recruited for, 2025 and 2026. Interview medians: base pay reported by attorneys doing construction work, mostly 2025 and 2026; many mix construction with insurance defense or commercial work, and pay flattens between about years four and ten. As of October 2026.
How we got these numbers: Salary figures derive from ITG recruiting data for law firm clients and candidate interviews conducted across 2025 and 2026. The BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025 data covers all lawyers across all employers, which accounts for differences with private law firm compensation.
Updated
What construction litigation hiring firms screen for
Direct case handling experience
Firms look for attorneys who run their own files and take and defend depositions.
Substantive construction knowledge
Firms want [commercial litigation](/for-attorneys/commercial-litigation) as the base, with construction experience preferred. Specific asks include lien cases and drafting and negotiating construction contracts. Some boutiques screen for candidates who want construction work.
Stable career tenure
Law firms favor candidates with steady progression at prior firms. Short stints need an explanation.
Local bar admissions and office location
California construction defect roles require an active California bar license, while Florida roles require Florida Bar admission. Some roles are in office and prefer candidates who live near the office.
Moving from insurance defense to construction litigation
Insurance defense positions that list construction defect as a plus post base salaries between $120,000 and $160,000 at two to six years. Construction associate roles post between $150,000 and $200,000 for the same experience band. Firms want commercial litigation as the base, and lien, construction contract and defect experience all count.
A frequent deal-breaker for transitioning attorneys is accepting a position framed as construction that consists primarily of auto and general liability claims. Attorneys handling California defect defense must hold an active California bar license.
Why construction attorneys change firms
Pay is one reason construction attorneys move: base below market, or billing over the minimum with no incentive and weak or unpaid bonuses. Others want out of high-volume auto and slip-and-fall defense and into construction or commercial work with more sophisticated clients. Low carrier rates and adjuster approvals come up often in those conversations.
Practice restrictions create opposing pressures, as defect specialists move to avoid narrow pigeonholing while other associates seek platforms with clear partner tracks. Deal-breakers in attorney interviews center on billable minimums exceeding 1,900 to 2,000 hours, base salary reductions, firms with a churn reputation and, for some, fully in-office schedules.
Open construction positions
Each firm is confidential. We name the firm before anything about you is shared, and we don't share résumés or names without your permission.
- Construction Litigation AssociateHouston, TX · In office · 2+ years$175,000
- Mid Level Construction and Commercial Litigation AttorneyAtlanta, GA · Hybrid · 3 to 6 years$150,000 to $200,000
Real recruiters who know the legal market.
You work with one person who specializes in your practice and keeps your search confidential.
Common Questions
What is the typical construction litigation associate salary?
Is construction litigation a good career move?
Can insurance defense attorneys switch to construction litigation?
What do law firms screen for when hiring construction lawyers?
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Are there remote construction litigation jobs?
Does board certification in construction law matter for a lateral move?
How much does it cost to use a legal recruiter, and is it confidential?
Talk to a recruiter who knows your market
Tell us what you practice and what you'd want in a next seat. A recruiter will reach out, usually within one business day. It's confidential and free, and we don't share résumés or names without your permission.