Scott S. Orenstein is a principal in the firm’s Middletown
Prior to joining the firm, Mr. Orenstein began his professional career as an engineer employed by for the State of Connecticut Department of Transportation. Thereafter, he worked for over 10 years as a project manager and estimator for a general contractor where he handled the preparation of bids and the negotiation of change orders, claims and contract disputes. Mr. Orenstein became a Licensed Professional Engineer in 1994. Since obtaining a law degree in 2001, Mr. Orenstein has practiced almost exclusively in the area of construction law. His construction industry experience is a tremendous asset that he relies upon when negotiating or litigating construction contract disputes.
Some of Attorney Orenstein’s previous legal career accomplishments are:
Obtained a $300,000 arbitration award in favor of a general contractor that had its million dollar contract for a commercial building project wrongfully terminated while simultaneously defeating the owner’s $750,000 counterclaim for defective workmanship and the failure to pay subcontractors.
Successfully negotiated a $225,000 settlement of contractor’s claim for delay damages and lost productivity on a public works construction project.
Obtained a $60,000 trial court judgment for a general contractor that renovated a private school in a situation where the parties’ written agreement stated that the cost of the work shall not exceed $30,000 and the general contractor had been paid $30,000. This judgment was an impressive victory because, prior to being retained to represent this contractor, its mechanic’s lien was discharged after the court found that there was not probable cause to sustain the lien.
Obtained a $180,000 arbitration award in favor of a subcontractor in a situation where the general contractor was demanding a substantial credit on the parties’ lump sum contract because the differing site conditions substantially reduced the quantity of work that had to be performed.
Obtained a $120,000 trial court judgment in favor of a subcontractor that performed work pursuant to a lump sum contract but successfully claimed that it had encountered differing site conditions entitling it to additional compensation.
Obtained a $212,000 trial court judgment on behalf of a subcontractor that was wrongfully accused of performing defective work. This trial court judgment was upheld on appeal.
Obtained a $90,000 trial court judgment, which included attorneys’ fees and costs, for a subcontractor that performed work for a general contractor without a written contract. This trial court judgment was upheld on appeal.
Successfully negotiated a $130,000 settlement on behalf of a general contractor that the owner claimed was not entitled to payment because it allegedly had performed defective work.
Successfully defended a surveyor from claims of professional malpractice by getting the plaintiff ’s expert witness to admit that there was a scenario under which my client’s actions were not negligent despite the proposed building’s foundation having been poured 3 feet over the property line.
Attorney Orenstein obtained his J.D. from Quinnipiac University School of Law, cum laude, in 2001 and his B.S. in Civil Engineering from the University of Massachusetts , Amherst
Practice FocusEducation
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J.D., cum laude, Quinnipiac University School of Law,
Hamden ,Connecticut -
B.S. Civil Engineering,
University ofMassachusetts, Amherst,MA , 1990
- Licensed Professional Engineer, State of Connecticut
- Registered U.S. Patent Attorney
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Connecticut Construction Industries Association
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CSA-AGC-CMAA Joint Committee
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Connecticut Bar Association Construction Law Section
Member, Executive Committee -
Rhode Island Bar Association
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International Society of Explosive Engineers
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Town of Guilford, Standing Building Committee
Member
- State of Connecticut
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State of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations
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Commonwealth of Massachusetts
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State of North Carolina
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U.S. District Court, District of Connecticut
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U.S. Federal Court of Claims
- "Mechanic’s Lien Law Applied to Retail Construction", New England Construction News
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"Sick Building Syndrome: What Every Contractor Should Know", New England Construction News
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"The True Meaning of 'Pay When Paid' Clauses", New England Construction News
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"Beware of 'Information Not Guaranteed' Clauses", New England Construction News
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"Disappointed Bidders May Have Day In Court", New England Construction News
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"The Laws Governing Blasting", ISEE Journal
