“I have had the pleasure of working with Bill Dean as an outside lawyer and a professional colleague for the better part of 30 years. There is no one who plays the complex three dimensional chess game that is modern business as well as Bill. He thinks clearly in even the most troublesome and difficult situations, simplifies the complex, and provides answers to questions which most lawyers and business people have not even formulated.”
“Bill Dean demonstrates a strong and genuine focus on developing and maintaining trust. On numerous occasions, I have witnessed Bill’s skillful hand in construction industry negotiations, project reviews, legal assessments, interviewing employees and contractors, client disputes, and contract terminations. His thoughtful and engaging approach to dispute resolution and conflict avoidance ensures minimal risk exposure for stakeholders. He is adept at identifying and expressing the significant interests within a negotiation and highlighting the points that are most important to all parties. Throughout, he remains objective and respectful.”
“My friendship with Bill Dean started in the bleachers at Saturday evening basketball games fifteen years ago as we watched our sons compete on the floor. I was struck right away with Bill’s unusual capacity to listen and provide compelling insights and questions. I enjoyed our friendship and our conversations that urged me to think more strategically. Bill is a person of outstanding character, integrity, humor and wit. In one of the most challenging moments in my life as pastor, Bill was a trustworthy friend who urged me to ask the right questions and then answer them with courage. He has a rare ability to bring solutions and peace to conflicted and difficult conversations. He is still a trusted friend and advisor.”
“During a legal career spanning over forty years, I have worked with many representatives of clients active in the construction industry. For a period of approximately four years, I had the pleasure of knowing and regularly working with Bill Dean as he managed potential and actual legal disputes and litigation for his then employer. On a personal level, I can unequivocally state that Bill is man of great integrity and intellect.
On a professional level, I have encountered few people in the industry with a better understanding of the dynamics of the interrelationship of the players on a construction project (i.e. – owner, design professional, contractor, subcontractors, etc.) and the nature of problems that affect that interrelationship and more importantly the ways that those problems can be addressed and ultimately resolved.
I considered him a partner in the dispute resolution process – whether negotiating a pre-suit settlement, participating in a mediation conference or preparing a case for resolution by a judge or jury. He has a complete familiarity with contracts and the key documents that govern activities on a construction project. He has the organizational skills to manage the tremendous flow of paper and electronic data that is typically generated on construction projects.
He has an ability to identify the “hot button” issues at the core of a dispute. He is not afraid to think outside the box and come up with imaginative responses to complex issues. I witnessed how he built trust in dealing with disgruntled parties and brought disparate positions and points of view together to reach fair, reasonable and economically viable results for everyone involved. I would classify Bill Dean as a true ‘problem-solver’.”