Michael D. Lane
 

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Mike Lane is the founder and managing partner of Lane Law Group. Mike has considerable experience handling complex, large-loss property damage and construction defect claims. During his 20-year career, Mike has litigated numerous complex property damage claims arising from natural disasters, such as Hurricanes Katrina, Rita, Gustav, Ike, Harvey, Laura, Delta, Ida, Ian, Milton, and Helene. Mike and his team regularly represent businesses and property owners―including hotels, churches, agricultural buildings, multi-family residential, retail shopping centers, schools, and government buildings―seeking to recover property damage or lost business income.

 

Mike utilizes his unique experience in the insurance and construction law fields to assist policyholders against insurance companies that have not paid amounts owed under their policies.  As a former insurance defense attorney, Mike has unique knowledge and experience regarding how insurance companies handle and pay or deny claims.  Most of the disputes handled by Lane Law Group are resolved without the need to pursue litigation or arbitration. 

 

In the construction arena, Mike primarily advises and represents developers, general contractors, subcontractors, and suppliers on contract and litigation matters. Mike has been involved with several high-profile construction disputes (such as the Hard Rock Hotel collapse), successfully handled numerous Public Bid Law disputes, and represented contractors before the Louisiana State Licensing Board for Contractors. Mike has also tried cases in state and federal court and before arbitration panels.

 

Mike regularly publishes articles and presents educational seminars on insurance and construction topics for industry groups and organizations, including the American Bar Association, New Orleans Bar Association, Levelset, and Associated Builders and Contractors, among others. Mike recently wrote a chapter on expert testimony in the Construction Trial Deskbook published by the American Bar Association. Mike also serves as a member of the Louisiana State Bar Journal Editorial Committee and the Louisiana State Bar Ethics Committee.

 

Lane Law’s primary goal is to help clients avoid costly litigation or arbitration. With his understanding of the complexities of insurance, construction, and commercial issues, Mike strives to provide practical advice and top-notch legal representation to his clients.

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RECENT PUBLICATIONS AND PRESENTATIONS

• Represented mitigation and roofing contractors in recovering millions of dollars in outstanding amounts due from insurance companies and building owners.

• Represented condominium association in Florida on a claim arising from extensive Hurricane Ian damage and recovered more than $5 million without filing a lawsuit.

• Recovered more than $50 million in insurance proceeds for hotel, church, retail shopping center, and general business claims in Louisiana arising from Hurricane Ida.

• Represented historic high-rise building in New Orleans and recovered more than $3,000,000 on a claim that had previously been denied with no payment.

• Represented businesses and homeowners on wind, hail, and flood claims in Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Louisiana, Mississippi, Tennessee, and Texas.

• Assisted numerous agricultural producers on wind and hail claims in Kentucky, Tennessee, and Indiana.

• Presenter, Extreme Winds on Built Environment and Recent Changes in Building Codes, American Bar Association, Forum on Construction Law, September 2022

• Author, White Paper, Impact of Arbitration Clauses on Hurricane Ida Claims, August 2022

• Author, Construction Trial Deskbook, Chapter 6 (Expert Witnesses), American Bar Association, Forum on Construction Law, August 2021

• Co-Author, Insurance Coverage for Project-Related Losses Amid COVID-19, Engineering News-Record Magazine, May 2020 

• Author, Restoration of Surety’s Right to Enforce Conditional Payment Clauses on State Projects, Surety Claims Institute Newsletter, Volume 33, No. 3, September 2019 

• Author, Are CM’s Now “At Risk”?, Under Construction, Vol. 20, Issue 2, December 2018 

• Author, Federal Government Escapes Liability in Class-Action Seeking Recovery of Damages Caused by Hurricane Katrina, The Dispute Resolver, August 2018

REPRESENTATIVE MATTERS 

• Recovered more than $7 million for New Orleans metro area hotel due to Hurricane Ida damage after rejecting insurer’s attempt to invoke appraisal.

• Represented condominium association in Florida and successfully mediated and settled Hurricane Ian claim without filing suit.

• Recovered more than $3 million for a nursing home located in Houma for losses arising from Hurricane Ida.

• Defended general contractor in more than 100 cases stemming from hotel collapse in New Orleans, including civil litigation and OSHA proceedings.

• Represented condominium association in Texas on building that sustained extensive damage due to hard freeze and recovered more than 10 times initial payment from insurer.

• Represented a subcontractor defending against a $7 million subrogation claim brought pursuant to a Subguard policy. 

• Represented three major subcontractors in a consolidated litigation involving the University Medical Center in New Orleans with claims totaling more than $40 million. 

• Represented contractor on roadway construction projects involving claims for extra compensation of nearly $5 million due to unsuitable and unstable soil conditions. 

• Obtained summary judgment dismissing several hundred residential property damage claims against a general contractor that performed extensive drainage work in the New Orleans uptown area. 

• Defended a commercial property insurer in litigation involving a condominium tower with property damage claims in excess of $25 million. 

• Represented a general contractor on several apartment complex projects in Georgia and Florida in disputes with owners overpayment and scope of work. 

• Successfully resolved claim of more than $10 million on behalf of an insulation contractor for extra work performed in an industrial facility in Texas. 

• Represented mechanical subcontractor in contract disputes with general contractor and federal government related to renovations of Naval and Air Force stations in the Southeast U.S. 

• Defended general contractor in several trials in bankruptcy court against claims by government agencies seeking recovery of damages due to suspension of work. 

• Pursued claims on behalf of an owner of a ship-building facility in southern Louisiana against a general contractor for damages arising from differential settlement. 

• Successfully defended a movie theater against claims arising from property damage to a nearby restaurant caused by extensive water intrusion. 

• Obtained dismissal of claims against a pile-driving subcontractor related to an office building and health club project. 

• Successfully mediated a dispute on behalf of a developer of a nursing home in Baton Rouge for claims of defective design against an architect. 

• Represented a grocery store chain in a dispute involving the condition of facilities sold in an asset purchase agreement.