Cordes, a partner in the firm, leads Womble Bond Dickinson’s US-based Projects, Construction and Infrastructure Team and is a member of the Business Litigation Practice Group. He represents construction industry clients involved in multimillion-dollar disputes. During his more than 18 years of practice, he has represented project owners, developers, general contractors, subcontractors, architects, sureties, insurers and product manufacturers in a wide array of litigated matters in both state and federal courts and in arbitration.
Litigated matters he has handled include payment and mechanic’s lien claims, delay and inefficiency claims, and other project closeout disputes; post-completion warranty and construction defect matters; product defect claims; personal injury and wrongful death claims arising out of design, construction, and maintenance of improved property; payment bond, performance bond, and development bond claims; insurance coverage claims, including defense, indemnity, and both primary and additional insurance tenders, declaratory judgment actions, and bad faith claims. Other business matters he has litigated include commercial, contract and property disputes; business break ups; wage-payment claims; and will contests.
Cordes’ construction litigation experience also informs his advice to clients in the initial stages of construction projects where the goal is dispute avoidance. He is often asked to draft and negotiate construction contracts, and to advise on risk transfer issues, including indemnity provisions, additional-insurance provisions, and warranty provisions, and to review and assist in procurement of insurance policies, key policy endorsements, and surety bonds.
While Cordes has accumulated valuable experience as a client advocate, litigating and trying cases to verdict and resolving matters through arbitration, he also understands the need for businesses and individuals to resolve legal matters efficiently. With that in mind, he strives to provide his clients with sound counsel and an objective evaluation of risk exposure versus prospects for recovery. He is a proponent of early resolution and mediated settlements, when available, and in his clients’ best interests.
Cordes is the Managing Partner of Womble Bond Dickinson's Charleston office.
Publications
- Federal Election Commission v. Colorado Republican Federal Campaign Committee and Implications for the Future of Campaign Finance Reform, 54 South Carolina Law Review 181 (2002)
- Administrative Law and Litigation, 2002 Annual Report, American Bar Association Section of Public Utility, Communications, and Transportation Law 15
Professional Activities
- American Bar Association
- Charleston County Bar Association
- Defense Research Institute, Construction Law Committee
- Federal Bar Association
- South Carolina Bar Association
Honors and Awards
- Named the Best Lawyers® "Lawyer of the Year" in Litigation: Construction - Charleston (2023)
- Recognized in The Best Lawyers in America (BL Rankings), Construction Law (2017 - Present) and Litigation: Construction (2019 - Present)
- Recognized in Charleston Business Magazine's Legal Elite, Construction, Retail & Consumer Products (2020 - Present)
