Stites & Harbison, PLLC

Matthew J. Devries

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Matt’s practice focuses primarily on construction and business litigation, with a concentration on health care and transportation industries.  He represents contractors, subcontractors, design-builders, owners, developers and design professionals.  He is a member of the Construction Service Group, the Business Litigation Service Group and the Sustainability and Emerging Technologies Practice Group. 

Matt is the founder of www.bestpracticesconstructionlaw.com, a construction-related blog that focuses on green building and sustainable design, technology, project management and legal trends in the construction industry.  Matt is a LEED Accredited Professional.  In 2010, Matt received the Nashville Business Journal’s Commercial Real Estate Most Valuable Player award in the Professional Services category.  In June 2011, Engineering News-Record named Matt a top up-and-coming leader under 40 in its South Central Region for his work in construction law.  Matt has been named as a Rising Star by Mid-South Super Lawyers for 2011.

Recent Speaking Engagements and Publications

• "Social media policies versus right to privacy," Nashville Business Journal, October 21, 2011
• "Crash Course on Social Media," Nashville Business Journal seminar, March 30, 2011
• Author, "Surviving your first ten years as a lawyer," The Practical Lawyer, February 2011
• Author, "Paper to Paperless on the Modern Construction Project," Construction Executive, Associated Builders and Contractors, January 2011
• Author, "Preparing for LEEDigation in the New Year," Stites & Harbison, PLLC, Client Alert, December 10, 2010
• Webinar Presenter, "From Paper to Paperless: Controlling construction documentation, improving record management, and identifying risk in an electronic age," WPL Webinar, October 13, 2010
• Presenter, “Construction Law Seminar for The Navajo Nation,” October 2010
• Author and Presenter, “Comparison of Construction Law Applied by the States of NC, TN, VA, GA and SC,” Construction Law Section for the North Carolina Bar, September 2010
• Presenter, "LEED 101 and Beyond: Incentives, Design, Construction Pitfalls, Certifications and Contracts," University of Texas Construction Law Conference, September 2010.
• Author, “Twitter, LinkedIn and Facebook: Using Social Media to Help Build Your Presence,” Leaderboard Magazine, Merchant’s Bonding, August 2010
• Presenter, AGC of Tennessee Monthly Meetings and educational programs: “Are You Smarter Than a Fifth Grader? Public Construction Contracting Edition,” July 2010; “Computers, Contractors, Construction: Using the Internet and Social Media to Build Your Business,” June 2010; Co-Presenter, “What Happens When Green Isn’t So Green,” State Convention, September 2009; “Old Dog—New Tricks! Tennessee Lien Laws & Prompt Pay Act,” March 2009; “Will the Real Construction Documents Please Stand Up! A Comparison of the AIA and ConsensusDOCS,” May 2008
• Co-Author and Co-Presenter, “The Green Explosion: The Legislative Impact of Alternative Energy, Climate Change, and Sustainability on the Construction Industry,” American Bar Association Forum on the Construction Industry Annual Meeting, April 2009
• Editor and Author, “Construction Law Update: Case Law and Legislation Affecting the Construction Industry,” American Bar Association Forum on the Construction Industry, 2009, 2008, 2007, 2006 editions
• Co-Presenter, “Aging Infrastructure—Where Need Meets Debt: Options for Project Funding and Delivery,” American Bar Association-CLE Webinar, March 2010
• Presenter, “Lessons from the Movies: Drafting and Negotiating Contracts,” Construction Specifications Institute (CSI), Nashville Chapter, March 2010
• Presenter, “Construction Document and Record Management, Get it Right to Prevail in Disputes,” Construction Claims Advisor Online Webinar, November 2009
• Presenter, “Introduction to Commercial and Construction Law,” Middle Tennessee State University Department of Engineering, October 2009
• Presenter, “When Green Turns to Red: Assessing and Implementing Risk Management Strategies in Green Building,” Half Moon Seminars, April 2009 
• Presenter, “This is Your Life…Ethical Issues in Discovery and Litigation for the Construction Lawyer,” Tennessee Association of Construction Counsel Annual Meeting, April 2008
• The Falmouth Institute, Indian Country Construction Conference, Presenter, “Law School 101: General Construction Law Principles and Legal Trends Relating to Tribal Immunity,” February 2008; “Projects Gone Wild! Best Practices for Document and Record Management,” February 2008; “The Top 10-tions of Construction Law: From Indemnification to Termination to Resolution,” February 2008; Co-Presenter, “Principles of Construction Law and Project Delivery Systems,” February 2006
• Author, “Case Update: Role of Materials/Supplies Determine Applicability of Prevailing Wage Law,” Construction Claims Online, www.constructionclaims.com, December 2007
• Presenter, “Documentation and Record Management,” Vanderbilt University, Construction Law and Contracts Class, April 2007
• Presenter, “Business Ethics in Government Contracting:  Misappropriation of Trade Secrets,” Government Contracting Breakfast Series, November 2005 
• “Ethical Issues in Discovery and Pre-Trial Litigation,” Law Practice Management Series, April 2005

Before Stites & Harbison

After working more than 10 years at two construction law firms in Nashville and Washington, D.C, Matt joined Stites & Harbison to lead the firm’s construction presence in Tennessee.  Prior to entering private practice, Matt clerked for the Chief Judge of the Court of Appeals of Virginia.  He has also worked on Capitol Hill for U.S. Senator Pete Domenici (NM), as well as participated in the U.S. Department of Justice’s summer honors program. 

Besides Stites & Harbison

Matt and his wife, Courtney, homeschool their six young children.  They are involved in the leadership at their local church, where Matt’s dad is the pastor.  In his spare time, Matt blogs about life, leadership, marriage and parenting at www.growingandgrowing.com.

For a more detailed bio, click here.