Millions Of Dollars Recovered For Our Clients.
Dedicated & Tenacious Litigation Lawyers in Indianapolis
On many construction projects, especially public ones, a mechanic’s lien isn’t available since a lien can’t attach to government-owned property. Performance and payment bonds fill that gap. A payment bond guarantees that subcontractors and suppliers will be paid even if the general contractor fails to pay them, while a performance bond guarantees that the project itself will be completed if the contractor defaults. Both are backed by a surety company that steps in when the contractor can’t or won’t perform.
Indiana’s public works statute, sometimes called Indiana’s Little Miller Act, generally requires payment and performance bonds on public construction projects above a certain size, similar to the federal Miller Act that applies to federal projects. Making a claim against a bond involves its own set of notice requirements and deadlines, which are often shorter and stricter than a typical breach of contract claim. Missing a bond claim deadline can mean losing access to what’s often the most reliable source of recovery on a public project.
At RileyCate, we help subcontractors and suppliers pursue payment bond claims when a general contractor fails to pay them, and we help owners and general contractors respond to performance bond claims when a project runs into trouble. Bond claims require careful attention to the specific bond language and the applicable notice requirements, since a technical misstep can jeopardize an otherwise valid claim.
Bond claims involve strict notice deadlines and technical requirements that leave little room for error, which is exactly where careful, trial-tested representation matters most. Will Riley and Russell Cate lead our bond claims team. Russell Cate is recognized as a Super Lawyer, and his civil litigation practice includes extensive business and construction dispute experience, with appellate work alongside Will Riley before the Indiana Court of Appeals and the Indiana Supreme Court that adds real depth in this area. Will Riley’s Super Lawyers, Top 100 Trial Lawyers, and AV Preeminent recognition reflects that same trial-tested approach.
Every matter we take on is personally overseen by Will and Russell, who staff it with the attorneys, associates, and staff it calls for based on its size and complexity, so your bond claim gets prompt, careful attention when deadlines are tight. We also offer alternatives to the standard billable hour for qualifying matters.
Nobody plans to need a lawyer. When something goes wrong, what you need first is someone who will listen, tell you honestly where you stand, and take the next steps off your plate. That is how every case at RileyCate, LLC begins.
We represent individuals, families, and small businesses across Fishers, Indianapolis, and surrounding counties in personal injury and complex litigation, business and real estate disputes, criminal defense, and appeals.
Will Riley and Russell Cate personally oversee every matter, staffing each case to its size and complexity. Both are recognized as Super Lawyers and have argued before the Indiana Court of Appeals and Supreme Court. Will also holds an AV Preeminent rating from Martindale-Hubbell and a Top 100 Trial Lawyer designation.
We are trial-tested, not just settlement-focused. We have tried hundreds of cases, because insurance companies, opposing businesses, and prosecutors negotiate differently with a firm willing to go the distance.
If you haven’t been paid on a bonded project, or a contractor has defaulted and you need to understand your options against a performance bond, don’t wait, since bond claim deadlines can be shorter than you’d expect. We offer a consultation to review your situation and the bond involved. Reach out to RileyCate today to speak with a bond claims attorney about your project.
