Other firms interpret construction law.
We define it.
A preeminent construction and business litigation firm serving contractors, suppliers, developers and design professionals throughout California — with published California appellate precedents to show for it.
The preeminent voice in California construction litigation.
Carno Law Group is a multi-faceted litigation firm built around contractors, suppliers, developers, engineers and architects. We represent the people who get projects built — from mechanic's liens and stop notices to bid protests, change orders and federal contract claims.
Clients keep us on speed-dial as trusted advisors, not just litigators — because we know the industry, the contracts and the people who work them. Every matter gets the whole team's drive and teamwork, from first call to final judgment.
When reasonable settlement efforts are exhausted, the gloves come off.
- Published precedents — Force Framing v. Chinatrust Bank & Mepco v. SVUSD
- Serving clients throughout California — with deep roots in Orange, LA, Riverside, San Bernardino & San Diego Counties
- 30-minute initial consultation ($300) — phone or in-person at our Laguna Hills office
The people who will handle your matter.
A small, dedicated team. The attorney who takes your first call is the one who sees it through. Call us at (949) 540-0320.
What drives us.
Unique challenges call for unique solutions. These are the standards our exceptional professionals hold themselves to on every construction and business matter we take — and the reason clients come back with results to point at.
Excellence & Integrity
Straight answers about what your matter is really worth — even when it is not what you hoped to hear. Integrity is how we keep clients for decades.
Client Focused
You get attorneys who answer the phone, explain the options in plain English, and move on your deadlines — not ours.
Industry Expertise
Deep construction-industry expertise and decades of litigation experience — we speak lien deadlines, FAR clauses and schedule impacts fluently.
Results & Services
An experienced, cutting-edge approach to construction disputes — with two published California appellate decisions to show for it.
A practice laser-focused on the construction industry — and the businesses that drive it.
Three connected practice areas, one team of exceptional professionals. From a $40,000 mechanic's lien to a multi-million-dollar public-works bid protest, our attorneys bring the same litigation experience to every unique challenge that lands on your desk.
Construction Law
Enforcement of contractors' and suppliers' payment rights on private and public works — the firm's core specialty.
- Mechanic's liens & stop notices
- Delay & acceleration claims
- Bid protests & bond claims
Business Law
Formation, contracts, governance and commercial litigation — steering construction businesses through legal complexity so they can build.
- Corp / LLC / partnership formation
- Contract drafting & review
- Business litigation & disputes
Certification & Gov't Contracts
DBE/WBE/MBE/SBE/DVBE certification and federal/state public-works claims — including Miller Act and FAR matters.
- DBE / WBE / MBE / SBE / DVBE
- Federal Acquisition Regulation
- Miller Act & surety claims
Built for the companies that build California.
Six industries, one shared reality: payment is contingent, schedules slip, and contracts are written by the other side. We've handled it.
General Contractors
Prime/general contractors on private and public works — payment rights, contract disputes, bid protests.
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Specialty Subcontractors
Trade subs needing lien enforcement, stop notices, payment bond claims and dispute resolution.
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Material & Equipment Suppliers
Materialmen, haulers and equipment providers — core clientele the firm was built to serve.
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Architects & Engineers
Design professionals — contracts, change orders, claims and dispute resolution on construction projects.
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DBE / WBE / MBE Contractors
Disadvantaged, women- and minority-owned contractors seeking certification and government contract work.
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Developers
Real estate developers and project owners — contracts, business formation, indemnity.
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Two California appellate decisions, authored by our work.
Most firms practice the law as written. We've helped write it. Two of our matters have become published California Court of Appeal decisions — now cited as precedent by other attorneys and courts. That is an experienced, winning approach on the record, not a promise on a brochure.
- Force Framing Inc. v. Chinatrust Bank, 187 Cal. App. 4th 1368 (2010) — expanded payment rights for laborers and materialmen relying on owner/GC representations.
- Mepco v. Saddleback Valley Unified School District, 189 Cal.App.4th 1027 (2010) — established attorneys' fee recovery path for unpaid public works contractors.
What we've done for our clients.
A selection of recoveries and wins from across our construction and business practice. Client names are withheld to protect confidentiality.
Settlement
A general contractor received over three million dollars on its mechanic's lien claim against a lessee on a manufacturing building conversion.
Settlement
A subcontractor on a subway extension project received over two and a half million dollars as partial payment on its pass-through delay claim against the general contractor and the public agency.
Settlement
A subcontractor on a Caltrans highway project received nearly half a million dollars on its change order claim against the general contractor.
Stadium Project Dispute
Resolution of a payment dispute between a subcontractor and the general contractor on a new multi-billion-dollar stadium.
Summary Judgment
Summary judgment for possession of a restaurant building in Los Angeles, granted in favor of the owner.
Multi-Year Lease
Negotiation of a new multi-year lease on a construction shopping building.
Prior results do not guarantee a similar outcome. Every matter depends on its own facts and circumstances.
What to expect after you reach out.
A simple, four-step intake — it starts with a 30-minute, $300 consultation, and there's no retainer until you decide it makes sense. Client focused from the first call.
Initial Consultation
Tell us what's happening. We reply within one business day to set up a 30-minute phone or in-person consultation ($300) at our Laguna Hills office.
Strategy & Path
An attorney walks you through the realistic options, timelines, deadlines (lien windows, claim periods, FAR clocks) and likely costs.
Action — Fast
Demand letters, lien recordings, stop notices, bid protest filings — we move on statutory deadlines, not on our own clock.
Settlement or Trial
We pursue reasonable settlement first. When that's exhausted, we litigate — including all the way to a published appellate decision.
Five stars across the board.
"This is one of the best law firms I have ever worked with."
— Anthony Thomas · Google Review
30 minutes with an attorney — $300.
Call (949) 540-0320 or schedule a 30-minute phone or in-person consultation ($300) at our Laguna Hills office. We respond within one business day.
Schedule a Case Evaluation
Questions we get a lot.
Good to Know
Tell us what you're up against.
An attorney will respond within one business day — phone or in-person at our Laguna Hills office. No engagement until you sign one.
- 30-minute initial consultation — $300
- One-business-day response
Thank you.
We received your request. An attorney will be in touch within one business day. For urgent matters, call (949) 540-0320.
Legal Disclaimer
The information included on our website, including any publications, does not constitute, nor is it intended to serve as, legal advice. Links to other websites are provided as a courtesy. The materials on this site have been prepared for general informational purposes only. Our firm, Carno Law Group, A Professional Law Corporation (“CLG”) is not affiliated or associated with and does not sponsor or endorse the information contained under such sites. CLG does not guarantee or represent that the information is correct, complete, or current. Rather, it is presented to provide the online reader with an understanding of the services our firm provides. Accordingly, you should not use this information as a substitute for legal advice from a licensed attorney.
Your use of this site, and its e-mail accessibility, does not create an attorney-client relationship. While we welcome the opportunity to be retained as counsel, your interaction with this website does not constitute any attorney client relationship between you and CLG. CLG will provide you legal services only after a mutual agreement to do so has been confirmed in writing by you and CLG.
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