Southern California construction site — steel frame and tower cranes at golden hour
Carno Law Group
Carno Law GroupA Professional Law Corporation
We Build Your Case

Other firms interpret construction law.
We define it.

A preeminent construction and business litigation firm serving contractors, suppliers, developers and design professionals across Southern California — with published California appellate precedents to show for it.

Schedule a Case Evaluation Call (949) 540-0320
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Published CA Appellate Precedents
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Southern California Coverage
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Proudly Serving
Ferreira Construction ROW Traffic Control Services Caliber Construction, Inc. Dalke & Sons Construction Hakanson Construction California Pools Landmark Electric Performance Pipeline Technologies WB Powell, Inc. EC Applications
Carno Law Group attorneys in conference
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Published California appellate decisions
Our Firm

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
  • Five-county footprint — Orange, LA, Riverside, San Bernardino, San Diego
  • Free initial case evaluation — phone or in-person at our Laguna Hills office
About the Firm
Mission, Skill, Success

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.

Practice Areas

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
Explore Construction Law

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
Explore Business Law

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
Explore Certification
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Who We Serve

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 contractor on a Southern California jobsite

General Contractors

Prime/general contractors on private and public works — payment rights, contract disputes, bid protests.

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Specialty subcontractor at work

Specialty Subcontractors

Trade subs needing lien enforcement, stop notices, payment bond claims and dispute resolution.

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Material supplier delivery to construction site

Material & Equipment Suppliers

Materialmen, haulers and equipment providers — core clientele the firm was built to serve.

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Architect reviewing blueprints

Architects & Engineers

Design professionals — contracts, change orders, claims and dispute resolution on construction projects.

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DBE / WBE / MBE certified construction team

DBE / WBE / MBE Contractors

Disadvantaged, women- and minority-owned contractors seeking certification and government contract work.

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Real estate developer at project site

Developers

Real estate developers and project owners — contracts, business formation, indemnity.

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California appellate reporter law books
Making New Law

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.
Read the Firm's Story
Working with Us

What to expect after you reach out.

A simple, four-step intake — no obligation, no retainer until you decide it makes sense. Client focused from the first call.

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Free Case Evaluation

Tell us what's happening. We reply within one business day to set a free phone or in-person consult at our Laguna Hills office.

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Strategy & Path

An attorney walks you through the realistic options, timelines, deadlines (lien windows, claim periods, FAR clocks) and likely costs.

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Action — Fast

Demand letters, lien recordings, stop notices, bid protest filings — we move on statutory deadlines, not on our own clock.

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Settlement or Trial

We pursue reasonable settlement first. When that's exhausted, we litigate — including all the way to a published appellate decision.

From a Client

Five stars across the board.

"This is one of the best law firms I have ever worked with."

— Anthony Thomas · Google Review

Free Initial Consultation

No-obligation case evaluation.

Call (949) 540-0320 or schedule a free phone or in-person consult at our Laguna Hills office. We respond within one business day.

Schedule a Case Evaluation
In Association With
United Contractors Associated General Contractors of America American Subcontractors Association Construction Financial Management Association Engineering Contractors' Association Western States Trucking Association Orange County Bar Association Orange County Women Lawyers Association California Women Lawyers California Women's Leadership Association Orange County Trial Lawyers Association

Questions we get a lot.

Good to Know
The deadline depends on the project's status and your role. For direct contractors, you generally have 90 days after completion or cessation of the work of improvement, reduced to 60 days if a notice of completion or cessation is recorded. For subcontractors and material suppliers, the windows are different and turn on serving a preliminary 20-day notice. Don't wait — call us as soon as a payment becomes uncertain.
A mechanic's lien attaches to the real property — it secures payment against the project itself. A stop payment notice attaches to undisbursed construction funds held by the owner (private works) or public agency (public works). Many matters use both remedies together, plus a payment bond claim if a bond was posted.
Yes. We handle federal Miller Act payment-bond claims and California's "Little Miller Act" equivalent, as well as FAR-based disputes, certified claims, and surety recovery on federal and state public works projects.
Yes — we routinely assist contractors in obtaining DBE, WBE, MBE, SBE and DVBE certifications, prepare appeals when applications are denied, and counsel on ongoing certification compliance.
Yes. Initial case evaluations are free and no-obligation — by phone or in-person at our Laguna Hills office. No engagement is created until a written agreement is signed.
From our Laguna Hills office we serve Orange, Los Angeles, Riverside, San Bernardino and San Diego counties. Federal matters are handled in district courts across California and beyond.
Schedule a Case Evaluation

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.

  • Free, no-obligation initial consultation
  • One-business-day response
  • Confidential — nothing is shared without your written engagement

Schedule a Case Evaluation

We respond within one business day.

No information transmitted is confidential until a written engagement is signed.

Thank you.

We received your request. An attorney will be in touch within one business day. For urgent matters, call (949) 540-0320.