Kenneth A. Slavens

Ken Slavens contributes articles on design professional liability to IRMI.com.

Mr. Slavens is a partner in the Saint Louis office of the law firm of Husch Blackwell Sanders LLP. He is a 1979, cum laude, graduate of the St. Louis University School of Law. He concentrates his practice in the areas of construction and commercial disputes, with an emphasis on the representation of design professionals. Husch Blackwell Sanders has offices in Kansas City, Missouri; St. Louis, Missouri; Springfield, Missouri; Overland Park, Kansas; Omaha, Nebraska; Belleville, Illinois; Washington, D.C.; and London, England.

Mr. Slavens served as the chair of the Missouri Bar's Construction Law Committee from 1997 to 1999. He serves as the editor for construction law for the Missouri Bar publication, The Courts and CLE Bulletin, reporting on case law development from the Missouri Supreme Court and the Eastern District Court of Appeals for this publication for general distribution to all bar members. He is also the author of a chapter in the publication of the Missouri Bar Continuing Legal Education Deskbook Missouri Construction Law, 2nd Edition, titled "Liability of Design Professionals," published in 2004. He was also the author of a chapter in the first edition of the Missouri Bar Continuing Legal Education Deskbook Missouri Construction Law titled "Alternative Dispute Resolution, Mediation and Partnering," first published in October 1994.

Mr. Slavens is listed in the Best Lawyers in America (Woodward /White) publication for the practice area of Construction Law. He is also listed as a Missouri and Kansas Super Lawyer in the practice of construction litigation, as published by Law & Politics.

Mr. Slavens served on the Steering Committee for Division 3 - Design of the American Bar Association's Forum on the Construction Industry. He also is the case note editor for Missouri and the Federal Eighth Circuit Court of Appeals for the Construction Litigation Committee of the American Bar Association's Section on Litigation's publication, CONSTRUCT!.

From March of 1997 to October of 1999, Mr. Slavens served as the chair of the Defense Research Institute and Trial Lawyers Association's Construction Law Committee. He was also the committee's vice-chair and the Seminars Subcommittee chair from 1995 to 1997. Mr. Slavens serves as a member of the Regional Advisory Committee, Construction, to the American Arbitration Association. He is listed in Strathmore's Who's Who and in Who's Who in American Law. He is a frequent speaker and author on issues related to the design profession, construction law issues, as well as trial and evidence topics.

Mr. Slavens is licensed to practice in the States of Missouri and Illinois, the U.S. District Courts for the Eastern and Western Districts of Missouri and the Southern and Central Districts of Illinois, and the Federal Eighth and Seventh Circuit Courts of Appeals.

Articles on IRMI.com

Legal Trends: Design Professional Liability

Design Professional's Attention to Contract Clauses Can Pay Dividends (September 2008)

Protection of Architectural Plans (September 2007)

Remote Relations and Legal Duties of Design Professionals (September 2006)

Trying To Do the Right Thing: Self-Preservation by Good Faith Decision Making (March 2006)

Negligent Misrepresentation and the Economic Loss Doctrine (July 2005)

The "Bargained-for" Result: Torts, Contracts, and Statutes of Limitation (June 2005)

Making the Most of Standard Indemnity Clauses (June 2004)

The Ability To Disclaim Liability Resulting from Inspection Duties (May 2003)

Design Disclaimers and Implied Warranties (November 2002)

Stumbling Blocks to the Defense of Torts and Contractual Indemnity Claims (July 2002)

Architects and "Design and Construct" Liability under the ADA (December 2001)

The Design Professional's Responsibility for Job Site Injuries (September 2001)

Design Professional Liable for Approving Payment Absent a Bond (June 2001)

The Design Professional's Protection under the Economic Loss Doctrine (March 2001)

What Is Subrogation ... and Why Is My Contract Waiving It? (December 2000)

AIA Standard Form Is an Acceptable "Allocation of Risk" (September 2000)

The Design Professional's Obligation of Good Faith (May 2000)