Douglass F. Wynne, Jr. is a partner with the firm and focuses his practice in the areas of construction, fidelity and surety matters, and commercial litigation. He has represented contractors in all aspects of the construction phase including bid disputes involving governmental entities, disputes with the Louisiana Licensing Board of Contractors, negotiation of commercial terms in the bid phase, change order administration, delivery and close out issues, and warranty disputes. He has also represented sureties in payment bond and performance bond claims, including the negotiation and drafting of completion contracts and takeover agreements. He is routinely involved in high stakes cases in Louisiana where he strategically prioritizes, plans, and coordinates legal matters to ensure on-time resolutions while striving to maintain high quality standards. His experience also includes participating in trials, trial preparation, drafting legal motions and memoranda, depositions, and many other litigation tasks, including managing multiple large scale e-discovery matters.
Doug also spends a considerable amount of his time reviewing, editing, drafting, and litigating all types of public and private construction contracts. His contract experience includes preparing and negotiating indemnity provisions, safety hazard risks, warranty issues, defective work, time extensions, lien claims, and licensing and insurance requirements.
For the last several years, Doug has consistently received recognition from Best Lawyers in America, Chambers USA, Louisiana Super Lawyers, and New Orleans Magazine Top Lawyers for his work in construction litigation. He has held numerous positions on the DRI Fidelity & Surety Committee. He is a frequent author on construction and surety topics and speaks at construction law and surety law industry events throughout the country.
Practice Areas
Bar Admissions
- Louisiana
- U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Louisiana
- U.S. District Court for the Middle District of Louisiana
- U.S. District Court for the Western District of Louisiana
Education
- J.D., Loyola University New Orleans College of Law, 2008
- B.A., Tulane University, 2005
Memberships
- American Bar Association
- DRI Fidelity & Surety Committee
- Chair (2018—2019)
- Vice Chair (2016—2017)
- Young Lawyers Liaison (2012—2016)
- Roundtable Program Co-Chair (2016)
- Louisiana State Bar Association
- National Bond Claims Association
- New Orleans Bar Association
- Federal Bar Association
- Fidelity and Surety Law General Committee for the American Bar Association Forum Committee on the Construction Industry Tort and Insurance Practice Section (“TIPS”)
- Vice Chair (2018-present)
- Surety Claims Institute
Publications
- Co-author, “Effect of the Davis Bacon Act on Sureties,” Surety Claims Institute, June 2024
- Co-author, “Phases of the Construction Project,” Chapter 1 of The Construction Project, American Bar Association, 2023
- Co-author, “Notary Bonds,” Chapter 18 of The Law of Commercial Surety and Miscellaneous Bonds, American Bar Association, 2022
- Co-author, “The Bad Faith Defense – Still a Viable Counter to a Surety’s Indemnity Claim?,” Surety Claims Institute Newsletter, September 2021, Volume 36, Number 6
- Co-author, Chapter 34 – Payment Bonds, Wolters Kluwer Construction Law Handbook, Fourth Edition, Volume 2
- Co-author, “New Year, New Resolutions,” LAGC Magazine, V.4.1, 2021
- Co-author, Louisiana Civil Practice Forms
- Co-author of “Better Safe Than Sorry: Understanding OSHA and Project Safety,” TIPS Fidelity & Surety Law Division, Spring Surety Meeting, Austin, TX, May 2019
- Co-author, “Litigation Issues,” Chapter 5 of The Annotated Performance Bond (2017)
- “Construction Without a License is a Disaster,” Fidelity & Surety Law Committee Newsletter, Fall 2014
- “OMG, #WorstTakeoverEver. ESI Issues for Sureties,” Surety Claims Institute Newsletter, May 2014, Volume 26
- Co-author, “Arbitration of Construction Disputes,” Construction Law Seminar at LSU Law Center, September 30, 2016
- Contributing Author, “Notary Bonds”, Chapter 18 of The Law of Commercial Surety and Miscellaneous Bonds, American Bar Association, 2012
- “The Responsibility of the Seal: Know Your Duties as a Notary,” DRI, January 2012
Speaking Engagements
- “From Conflict to Resolution: Effective Remedies for Public and Private Projects,” Building for Success, Construction Law 2024, Louisiana State Bar Association, October 2024
- “The Importance of Indemnity Agreements,” Surety School, Pearlman 2024 Conference
- “The Role of the Surety in a Construction Project,” LSU Law, Construction Law in Louisiana Seminar, September 2024
- “Effect of the Davis Bacon Act on Sureties,” Surety Claims Institute, Colorado Springs, Colorado, June 2024
- “Phases of the Construction Project,” American Bar Association, TIPS Fidelity & Surety Law Division, Midwinter Meeting, New Orleans, LA, January 2024
- “Notary Bonds, The Law of Commercial Surety and Miscellaneous Bonds,” American Bar Association, TIPS Fidelity & Surety Law Division, Spring Surety Meeting, Hilton Head, SC, May 2022
- “Challenges and Risks Facing Contractors Today,” TIPS Fidelity & Surety Law Division, Midwinter Meeting, New York, NY, January 2020
- “Arbitration Discovery in the Digital Age, Charting a Course in Unfamiliar Waters, Tips for Winning Your Case in Arbitration,” Louisiana State Bar Association, December 2019
- “Better Safe Than Sorry: Understanding OSHA and Project Safety,” TIPS Fidelity & Surety Law Division, Spring Surety Meeting, Austin, TX, May 2019
- “See You in Court, Part II: The Performance Bond Surety’s Typical, Substantive Defenses and How they are Impacted by the Bond Form and Applicable Statutes,” American Bar Association, TIPS Fidelity & Surety Law Division, Spring Surety Meeting, Naples, FL, May 2017
- “#Fidelity & Surety – Discovery of Information through Emerging Technologies”, DRI Fidelity & Surety Roundtable, Chicago, IL, May 2013
- “Notary Bonds, The Law of Commercial Surety and Miscellaneous Bonds,” American Bar Association, TIPS Fidelity & Surety Law Division, Spring Surety Meeting, Hilton Head, SC, May 2012
Professional Recognition
- Super Lawyers, Construction Law, 2015—Present
- Best Lawyers in America, Construction Law and Construction Litigation, 2019—Present
- Chambers USA, Construction, 2019—Present
- New Orleans Magazine “Top Lawyers List,” Construction Law, 2022—Present