For the past 36 years, Richard Paciaroni has concentrated his law practice in the area of commercial litigation with emphasis on engineering and construction law and international commercial transactions. He has extensive experience with construction disputes worldwide with a particular focus on projects in South America and the Middle East. In the construction field, his practice includes representation of owners, engineers, general contractors and specialty subcontractors in matters involving the offshore oil & gas, petrochemical, steel, heavy & highway, pulp and paper, power generation and general building construction industries on matters ranging from $1 million to $6 billion. Richard's experience includes both private and public works projects, bonding and insurance claims, mechanic’s liens and Miller Act claims, government contracting and the drafting and negotiation of construction contracts.
- K&L Gates, 1986-date, partner since 1994
- Project Engineer with LTV Steel Corporation 1981-1984
- Selected for inclusion in the 2013 - 2023 edition of The Best Lawyers in America in the practice areas of Commercial Litigation, Construction Law, and Litigation-Construction.
- Selected “Pennsylvania SuperLawyer” for Construction by Philadelphia Magazine (2004, 2008, 2009, 2013 - 2019)
- Member of Engineers’ Society of Western Pennsylvania
- Pennsylvania Bar Association (Construction Litigation Section, Civil Litigation Section, Federal Practice Section)
- Allegheny County Bar Association (former Chair, Construction Law Section)
- American Bar Association (Forum Committee on the Construction Industry, Tort and Insurance Practice Section)
- Member of AAA National Panel of Arbitrators since 1991
- Panel Speaker – Construction SuperConference, San Diego, California, “Be Prepared! Best Practices to Deal with Disrupted or Terminated Construction Projects due to “Black Swan” Events”, December 9, 2015.
- Panel Speaker – Joint Marsh/K&L Gates Seminar - EPC Contracting Issues in the Oil and Gas Industry – “Successfully Resolving Disputes Under EPC Contracts” – November 2015, Houston, Texas.
- Panel Moderator and Speaker - K&L Gates’ Construction Master Class - “FIDIC Contracts in Qatar and the GCC Region,” May 15, 2014, Doha, Qatar.
- Panel Speaker – Engineer’s Society of Western Pennsylvania Program on Project Development: “Failure is an Option,” Pittsburgh, PA, April 17, 2013.
- Panel Speaker – FIDIC Americas Contract User’s Conference, New York City, October 2012 – “Successfully Resolving Disputes Under FIDIC.”
- Panel Speaker – Joint Marsh/K&L Gates Seminar “Major Construction Projects – Key Risk and Insurance Strategies” – September 2012, Dubai.
- Panel Speaker, Lorman Seminar, “Sales of Goods: Battle of the Forms Under UCC and CISG – A Practical Perspective.” August 10, 2011.
- Guest Lecturer, Construction Law, Luiss University, Rome, Italy, Masters Program in Construction Management. 2010.
- Panel Speaker, Construction Superconference, San Francisco, California, “When Lessons Learned Aren’t.” December 17, 2010.
- Panel Speaker, International Bar Association Annual Meeting in Buenos Aires, Argentina, “Electronic Documentation in International Construction Arbitration, The Role of the Tribunal in Controlling Costs and Saving Time.” October 14, 2008.
- Panel Moderator and Speaker, International Arbitration Day “Managing Risks in High Growth – High Risk Markets.” September 10, 2008.
- Panel Moderator and Speaker, International Arbitration Day “Managing Cross Cultural Factors.” October 4-5, 2007.
- Panel Moderator and Speaker, International Arbitration Day “Techniques for Controlling Time and Cost in Arbitration.” April 19, 2007.
- Author, “Pennsylvania Construction Amid COVID-19,” Construction Alert, April 2020.
- Co-author, “United States EPC Construction Contracting in the Wake of COVID-19,” Construction Alert, April 2020.
- Author, “Middle East Arbitration Centers – Qatar Joins the Fray,” K&L Gates Arbitration World, March 2013.
- Author, “International Arbitration in Chile – 2004 and Beyond,” K&L Gates Arbitration World, September 2012.
- Author, “Unsolved Mystery: Colombia’s International Arbitration Law,” K&L Gates Arbitration World, June 2012.
- Author, “International Commercial Arbitration in Brazil – A Primer,” K&L Gates Arbitration World, August 2011.
- Co-author, “Anti-Indemnity Statutes: A Threat to Limitation of Liability Clauses?,” by Richard F. Paciaroni and Janet M. Serafin.
- Co-author, “Construction Law,” Forensic Science and Law, 2006.
- "Understanding the Issues Prior to Construction," presented at the Pennsylvania Bar Institute's Dealing With Mold Claims, 29 January 2003.
- "Plaintiff's Perspective on Toxic Mold," presented at the Pennsylvania Bar Institute's Dealing With Mold Claims, 29 January 2003.
- Solving Water Intrusion and Mold Problems in Pennsylvania - Prepared for Solving Water Intrusion and Mold Problems, 14 May 2002.
- "Pennsylvania Construction Payment Remedies," prepared for one-day K&L Gates Seminar, 3 October 2001.