Andrew T. Burns

Andrew T. Burns is Senior Counsel at Cosgrave Law and chairs the firm’s construction practice group. His practice focuses on advising contractors, developers, architects, and engineers and litigating construction defect and construction-related professional negligence claims. He also has substantial experience defending personal injury, products liability, environmental, and premises liability litigation.

Burns earned a Bachelor’s degree in economics from the University of Oregon and later earned his law degree from Northwestern School of Law, Lewis & Clark College. He was admitted to the Oregon State Bar and the US District Court for Oregon in 1988 and later to the Washington State Bar. His education and long practice history support work involving construction contracts, professional duties, project disputes, liability claims, and related risk-management issues.

Burns advises construction-industry clients on issues ranging from contract formation and procurement to construction disputes, liens, defects, and professional-negligence claims. His practice serves contractors, developers, architects, and engineers and includes litigation involving personal injury, products liability, environmental claims, and premises liability. He frequently speaks and writes on construction-law subjects, including project delivery methods, insurance, design liability, information management, procurement, and strategies for resolving construction disputes.

Andrew T. Burns is a former managing partner of the firm and participates in professional organizations serving architects, engineers, defense lawyers, and construction-law practitioners. He has served on legal ethics and lawyer-assistance committees and is involved with the ALFA International Construction Practice Group. His work combines construction-industry knowledge with decades of litigation experience, helping project participants address contractual risk, professional-negligence allegations, defect claims, and other disputes arising from construction activities.

Law Office Affiliations

• Attorney, Cosgrave Vergeer Kester
• Member, Oregon State Bar
• Member, Washington State Bar Association
• Member, Multnomah Bar Association
• Member, American Bar Association
• Former Member, State Lawyer Assistance Committee
• Member, Oregon Association of Defense Counsel
• Member, Defense Research Institute
• Former Member, Multnomah County Local Professional Responsibility Committee
• Member, ALFA International Construction Practice Group Steering Committee
• Member, American Institute of Architects
• Member, American Council of Engineering Companies of Oregon
• Member, Claims and Litigation Management Alliance

Licensed State

• Oregon
• Washington

Education

• Northwestern School of Law, Lewis & Clark College
  Law Degree
• University of Oregon
  Bachelor’s Degree in Economics

Awards & Badges