Slade Sevier is the US based coordinator of the Construction and Infrastructure practice group. A professional engineer and commercial litigator with over 20 years of experience litigating disputes and negotiating contracts on projects across the country, Slade delivers strategic, cost-effective solutions and representation for clients in the energy and renewables, healthcare, higher education, automotive, manufacturing, life sciences, hospitality, and commercial real estate development sectors. Complimented by a robust transactional and regulatory practice, most of Slade’s work is dispute resolution, whether before state or federal courts or agencies or in alternative dispute resolution (ADR), including mediation and domestic or international arbitration. Given his industry experience and the global platform of the firm, Slade has considerable experience with cross-border capital investments and construction operations.
Slade has been honored four times as “Lawyer of the Year” by The Best Lawyers in America® in various categories, including Construction Law and Real Estate Litigation in Nashville. He has also been consistently ranked as Tier 1 Construction-Tennessee by Chambers USA and recognized by The Legal 500 for his construction practice. These independent recognitions highlight his outstanding reputation among his peers and his track record of guiding clients through complex, high-value construction transactions, litigation and arbitration. Slade is also registered to practice patent law before the United States Patent and Trademark Office and a registered Professional Engineer.
Litigation and Disputes Practice
Although Slade handles a wide variety of matters, including bid protests, tax appeals, eminent domain actions, and commercial or business disputes involving real estate, leases, purchase orders, services, etc., he has extensive experience with construction disputes in jurisdictions throughout the country. Slade has represented public and private owners, developers, tenants, contractors, subcontractors, suppliers, and design professionals in various types of construction disputes involving design and construction defects, scheduling, disruption and delay, covid claims, warranty, code violations, licensing requirements, nonpayment, mechanics' and materialmen's liens, prompt pay act claims, copyright infringement, consumer protection act claims, and bond and insurance claims.
Transactional EPC and Regulatory Practice
Slade regularly advises on project delivery and drafts and negotiates construction, design, procurement, installation, maintenance and operation, service, joint venture, and other agreements related to construction and infrastructure projects throughout the country. He also advises on regulatory compliance with respect to permitting and professional licensing.
Slade has experience with traditional design-bid-build, design-build and engineering-procurement-construction (EPC) delivery methods and with custom, bespoke contracts and industry standard forms (e.g., AIA, DBIA, EJCDC, FIDIC, ConsensDocs, etc.). The types of projects include energy, renewables, and utility facilities, industrial and manufacturing facilities, hospital and healthcare facilities, laboratories, medical office buildings, senior living facilities, office towers and tenant buildouts, educational and athletics facilities, and on-campus residential, multi-family, retail, hospitality and entertainment venues, and mixed-use developments .
Before law school, Slade was a civil engineer with a design/consulting firm. This experience involved commercial, industrial and residential developments, construction permitting, zoning and code compliance, surveying, roadway and traffic design, construction supervision, utility and infrastructure design, earthwork, site grading, floodplain analysis, stormwater management, and dam design.
- Recognized by Chambers USA for Construction in Tennessee, 2023-2025
- Recognized by The Legal 500 United States as a Recommended Lawyer for Construction (including construction litigation), 2025
- Listed in The Best Lawyers in America® for Construction Law in Nashville, Tennessee, 2019-2024
- Listed in The Best Lawyers in America® for Litigation - Real Estate in Nashville, Tennessee, 2020-2024
- Listed in The Best Lawyers in America® for Litigation - Construction in Nashville, Tennessee, 2023-2024
- Recipient of “Lawyer of the Year” award for Construction Law in Nashville, Tennessee by The Best Lawyers in America®, 2022
- American Bar Association, Forum on the Construction Industry
- Nashville Bar Association
- Tennessee Bar Association
- National/Tennessee Society of Professional Engineers
- Tennessee Association of Construction Counsel, President
- Safe Haven Family Shelter, Former Exec Member, Advisory Board
- Metro Stormwater Management Committee, Former Board Member and Chairman