New Industry Contract Documents and Your Bottom Line Speaker Biographies

Bill Ernstrom is vice president of The Walsh Group, where he advises management on major strategic projects. He is a founding partner of the law firm of Ernstrom & Dreste LLP, where he spent over 25 years developing a law practice focused on the construction industry. Mr. Ernstrom is also Counsel to the Contract Documents Program for the Associated General Contractors of America. He has authored numerous articles on surety and construction law topics and frequently lectures for the Associated General Contractors, the National Association of Surety Bond Producers, the American Arbitration Association, the Design-Build Institute of America, and the Construction Financial Management Association.

James E. Frey has over 30 years of experience in the construction industry, working as an owner representative and in various capacities for general contractors and design-builders. He is senior vice president of Alberici Group, Inc., St. Louis, Missouri, a diversified international construction services firm specializing in providing general contracting, design-build, construction management, and specialty contracting services to companies worldwide. Mr. Frey has extensive experience with the design-build delivery process for both government and private sector projects and is the contract review officer and a member of the Project Review Committee for Alberici.

Kevin F. Peartree is a partner in the law firm of Ernstrom & Dreste LLP, where he represents clients in all areas relating to the construction industry, contract law, and suretyship. He most recently was a principal participant in the drafting of the new ConsensusDOCS standard form contract documents and was one of the principal drafters of the new ConsensusDOCS 300, Standard Form of Tri-Party Agreement for Collaborative Project Delivery, an agreement signed by owner, designer, and constructor promoting integration of efforts and lean construction principles.