In his work representing a variety of construction entities, J.D. Glisson may find himself on any given day on top of a wind turbine or inside a mine. Construction law brings unique opportunities with each project, and J.D. takes a practical, business-minded approach to understanding the details and advising clients on the best course of action.

J.D. is co-leader of the firm's Construction Industry Group. With an extensive background in construction litigation, he represents contractors, subcontractors, owners and design professionals in mediations, arbitration and trials, as well as hearings before government boards. He has handled cases involving contract default claims, bid disputes; delay, acceleration and disruption/inefficiency claims; defective workmanship claims; engineering and design error claims; and lien and bond claims. 

In recent years, J.D. has worked with several clients in the fast-growing senior- living and healthcare sectors. His work has included contract negotiation and dispute resolution between contractors and owners of these types of facilities. Another growing area of his practice involves issues related to the construction and maintenance of oil & gas and energy projects.

He also advises clients on contracts and handles requests for real-time advice on issues that come up while construction is in progress. With the goal of helping the parties avoid disputes and have greater project success, questions may range from how to proceed with extra work to handling delays or contract termination issues.

J.D.’s nearly two decades of experience in construction law originated in a bit of family wisdom. Two civil-engineer uncles in the construction field had one piece of advice on working in their industry teeming with legal issues: “Go to law school.” So J.D. paired a degree in engineering with a law school education and work experience in engineering and construction. Then and now, that background gives his construction law practice a solid foundation of industry understanding. 

Professional Affiliations

• Associated General Contractors of Missouri (AGCMO), Board of Directors
• American Bar Association, Forum on  Construction Law, Construction Litigation Committee, Public Contract Law Section, Tort and Insurance Practice Section, Fidelity and Surety Law Committee
• The Missouri Bar, Construction Law Committee, past chair
• Illinois State Bar Association
• Bar Association of Metropolitan St. Louis, Construction Law Committee, past co-chair
• Engineers’ Club of St. Louis

Community/Civic Activities

• Bar Association of Metropolitan St. Louis, Mock Trial Judge/Evaluator
• Habitat for Humanity - St. Louis, Lawyers Committee
• Manchester United Methodist Church
• FOCUS - Leadership St. Louis
• Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America, St. Louis Chapter, Board of Directors, past president
• Regional Union Construction Center, Advisory Board of Directors

Honors & Awards

• The Best Lawyers in America, Construction Law, Litigation – Construction, 2012-2023; St. Louis area Litigation – Construction Lawyer of the Year, 2023
• Missouri & Kansas Super Lawyers, Construction Litigation, 2007-21

Representative Matters

• Port crane construction: Represented a fabrication contractor in prosecuting and defending arbitration claims arising out of the construction of a port crane.
• Senior living facility: Represented the owner of a large senior living facility in construction defect claims against the contractor and design defect claims against the architect.
• Data center: Represented an international owner in prosecuting claims against an engineer on a new data center facility.
• Cement manufacturing plant: Successfully defended a contractor’s arbitration claims for delay, inefficiency and extra work and prosecuted owner’s counterclaims for defective and incomplete work arising out of the construction of a new dry-process cement plant.
• Airport terminal facility: Represented a general contractor in a breach of contract action against the city of St. Louis arising out of construction of the East Terminal at Lambert-St. Louis International Airport. McCarthy Building Companies, et al. v. City of St. Louis, 81 S.W.3d 139 (Mo.App. E.D. 2002)
• Federal courthouse: Trial of a contractor’s claim against a government agency for additional costs incurred in constructing the federal courthouse in Kansas City, Missouri, due to defective specifications. J.E. Dunn Construction Co. v. General Services Administration, GSBCA No. 14477, 00-1 BCA 30806, 2000 WL 260609 (March 2, 2000)
• Highway construction: Trial of claims brought by a road contractor against surety for delays on a highway project in Arkansas. Angelo Iafrate Construction, LLC v. Potashnick Construction, Inc. and The Travelers Casualty & Surety Co., 370 F.3d 715 (8th Cir. 2004).
• University recreation center: Trial of a contractor’s differing site conditions and defective specifications claims against a public owner related to the construction of a university recreation center in West Virginia.
• Deep water well: Jury trial of a well-drilling contractor’s differing site conditions claim against a public water district arising out of the construction of a deep water well.
• Nuclear waste handling facility: Delay and inefficiency claims against a construction manager pertaining to the construction of a nuclear waste facility for the U. S. Department of Energy in Tennessee.
• Military base: Bid protest on a project for the construction of an Army aviation support facility in Rolla, Missouri.
• Public housing: Enforcement of an arbitration clause in a contract between a general contractor and a subcontractor for excavation work on a public housing project. Metro Demolition & Excavating Company v. H.B.D. Contracting, Inc., et al. 37 S.W.3d 843 (Mo.App. E.D. 2002)
• Football stadium/exhibition hall: Structural steel subcontractor’s claims against the general contractor for extra work/design defects arising out of the construction of a sport stadium/exhibition hall.

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