Construction Lawyer and Arbitrator in Houston TX, Litigation & ADR – Kristi Belt
Kristi Belt is a trial attorney with extensive experience handling high-stakes commercial and construction disputes across a broad range of industries. She has represented contractors, subcontractors, owners, engineering firms, and manufacturers in matters involving construction defects, non-payment, delay and disruption claims, scope changes, and professional liability. Kristi advises clients on large-scale projects delivered under EPC, EPCM, design-build, fast-track, and design-bid-build models, and has litigated and arbitrated cases in state and federal courts as well as international forums.
Her representative experience spans industrial, commercial, and residential projects, including LNG and petrochemical facilities, steam methane reformers, cogeneration plants, cryogenic gas processing facilities, multi-family housing, schools, hospitals, and large-scale infrastructure. Kristi has secured multi-million-dollar awards for clients while successfully defending significant counterclaims. She has also represented clients in international disputes, product liability, and oil and gas matters, including contract, royalty, premises liability, and toxic tort claims.
Kristi’s practice combines legal expertise with industry knowledge from her prior experience in oil and gas exploration and production, allowing her to navigate complex disputes across the construction and energy sectors. She is a member of four distinguished American Arbitration Association panels: the AAA National Panel of Construction Arbitrators, AAA National Panel of Commercial Arbitrators, AAA National Panel of Consumer Arbitrators, and the AAA International Centre for Dispute Resolution (ICDR) Panel of Construction Arbitrators.
Bar and Court Admissions
- Texas
- U.S. District Court, Southern District of Texas
- U.S. District Court, Northern District of Texas
- U.S. District Court, Eastern District of Texas
- U.S. District Court, Western District of Texas
- U.S. District Court, District of Colorado
- U.S. District Court, District of Nebraska
- U.S. Court of Appeals, Fifth Circuit
- U.S. Supreme Court
Education
- South Texas College of Law, Houston, Texas
- J.D. – 2000
- University of Houston, Houston, Texas
- B.S. (magna cum laude) – 1997
Representative Experience
- Represented a property management company in a dispute over construction and remediation work following a major storm event
- Represented a leading safety glass manufacturer in a non-payment dispute with a major school district
- Representing pipeline owner in a dispute related to drilling operations
- Representing a multi-family property owner in a dispute concerning the design and construction of an apartment complex
- Representing a modular pipe fabricator in a non-payment dispute arising from the construction of a multi-million-dollar steam methane reformer (SMR) facility
- Represented a leading general contractor in a dispute over non-payment arising from a $500 million office campus project
- Represented an industrial subcontractor in prosecuting and defending competing claims arising from non-payment and schedule delays on a $10 billion LNG facility project
- Represented homeowner in residential construction defect action
- Represented major subcontractor in prosecution of claims for non-payment in construction of state-of-the-art e-commerce distribution center
- Represented mechanical equipment fabricator in prosecution of claims for non-payment in construction of batch plant
- Represented major subcontractor in prosecution of and defense of claims resulting from schedule delay and scope creep in construction of LNG facility
- Represented Owner of industrial facility in prosecuting and defending competing delay claims against EPC Contractor
- Represented General Contractor of multi-family housing project on successful $5.2 million award, zeroing out defendant’s $4 million counterclaim.
- Represented EPCM Contractor of cogeneration plant in prosecuting and defending competing claims against Owner
- Represented subcontractor on successful $4.8 million award, defeating counterclaim in its entirety, involving construction delays and payment disputes related to multi-billion dollar petrochemical construction project
- Represented mechanical contractor on successful $12.87 million award, defeating counterclaim of $15 million with only $300,000 in recoverable costs
- Represented EPC contractor in defense of $20 million schedule delay claim arising from among other things allegedly late and erroneous engineering of a Superfund water treatment facility
- Represented General Contractor in prosecution of claims arising from constructive change, schedule delay and forced acceleration in construction of steel manufacturing plant with damage in excess of $45 million
- Represented materials supplier in prosecution of claims resulting from extensive schedule delays
- Represented General Contractor in disputes with Owner and subcontractors related to construction delays arising from extreme weather events
- Represented General Contractors of multi-family housing and educational facilities in disputes with Owners and landowners involving issues related to prompt payment violations, storm water prevention and TCEQ requirements, and the Clean Water Act
- Represented EPC Contractor in dispute with subcontractors related to construction delays, poor quality workmanship and cost overruns
- Represented General Contractor in disputes with subcontractors involving commercial and retail construction
- Represented General Contractor in dispute with architect/engineer in cost overrun dispute
- Represented General Contractor in pipeline construction disputes involving defects and delays
- Represented EPC Contractor related to construction for the supply of several cryogenic gas processing facilities
- Represented engineering firm involving defect claims related to design of cellular towers
- Represented EPC contractor in international dispute involving breach of contract and alleged United States Foreign Corrupt Practices Act violations by foreign agent
- Represented Owner in dispute with general contractor related to project abandonment
- Represented Owner in dispute with geotechnical engineers involving the collapse of project improvements
- Repreesented design/manufacturer of oil and gas storage devices in international dispute involving product liability
- Represented EPC contractor in dispute relating to the design and manufacturing of fracking/distillation towers
- Represented commercial design and engineering firm in construction management, construction defect and professional liability disputes
- Represented manufacturers of residential and commercial building products, including fire suppression and detection systems in multi-unit facilities
- Represented manufacturers of industrial, pharmaceutical and medical device products in products liability disputes
- Represented oil and gas manufacturers in contract, employment, toxic tort, and royalty and premises liability disputes
- Represented national engineering firm in defense of construction management and professional liability claims related to design of flood control systems
- Represented national engineering firm in defense of construction defect claims in connection with highway infrastructure developments
- Counseled general contractor on matters related to contingent payment clause of contract in connection with the construction of a hotel
- Counseled general contractor on matters related to contingency payment clause of contract and owner’s bankruptcy in connection with construction of condominium complex
- Represented national engineering firm in defense of construction management claims in connection with drainage systems
- Represented state agency in defense of takings claim in connection with design and construction of toll road
- Represented national engineering firm in defense of construction defect claim in connection with water detention pond
- Represented homeowners in construction defect, breach of contract and fraud action related to construction of vacation home
- Represented subcontractor in defense of water damage subrogation claim in connection with construction of apartment complex
- Represented subcontractor in defense of water damage subrogation claim in connection with renovation of hospital
- Represented subcontractor in defense of water damage subrogation claim in connection with construction of several new buildings at a University health science facility
Professional Recognition
- Arbitrator – American Arbitration Association
- America’s Top 100 Bet-the-Company Litigators, 2021
- Voted a “Texas Rising Star,” as presented by Super Lawyers, a Thomson Reuters Business, in Texas Monthly, 2007 – 2010
Professional Associations and Memberships
- State Bar of Texas, Construction Law Section
- American Arbitration Association; Construction, Consumer and Commercial Law Panels
- American Arbitration Association, International Centre for Dispute Resolution (ICDR) Panel of Construction Arbitrators
- Houston Bar Association, Litigation and Construction Law Sections
- American Bar Association, Forum on the Construction Industry Member
- American Bar Association, Litigation Section and Woman’s Advocate Committee Member
- Women’s Energy Network
Speeches and Publications
- “Controlling Costs in Arbitration: Strategies for Managing Document Production under AAA Rules,” October 2025
- “AAA vs. JAMS in Construction Arbitration: A Comparative Look,” AM Monthly Law Alert, August 2025
- “ADR Offers Alternatives for Resolutions to AI-Driven Disputes and Concerns,” AM Monthly Law Alert, June 2025
- “What are Wearables?,” AM Monthly Law Alert, August 2024
- “Arbitration Spotlight,” AM Monthly Law Alert, April 2024
- “Getting to Know Your Arbitrators,” AM Monthly Law Alert, April 2024
- “AAA Construction Rule Changes Effective March 1, 2024,” AM Monthly Law Alert, March 2024
- Disaster Law… Facing Increased Scrutiny in the Wake of Disasters, Build Houston, June/July 2013
- Presenter of “Ethics Refresher 2007: Lying Witnesses, Inadvertent Disclosures and Other Thorny Ethical Issues,” Chevron U.S.A., Inc., Houston, September 26, 2007
- Jim Hurd and Kristi Belt (contributing author), What’s Left? Dilemmas and Options in Attorney-Client Privilege and Waiver (2007), 57th Annual Conference on Oil and Gas Law, (Institute for Energy Law), Feb. 15, 2007
- TRCC Rules: March 1 Deadline for Residential Builder is Just Around the Corner, Houston Business Journal, (Feb. 27–Mar. 4, 2004)
- Presenter and co-author of “Ethics: Conflicts and Confidences,” Houston, Galveston & Fort Bend Young Lawyers CLE, February 20, 2004
- Presenter and co-author of “The Lawyer’s Role in Corporate Governance,” El Paso Corporation CLE Seminar, Houston, August 13, 2003
- K. B. Battaglini and Kristi Belt, Settlement Credits: What is the Current State of the Law? (2003)
- Did Congress Really Intend to Give Investigative Officers Free Reign with Your Personal Electronic Mail?, Steve Jackson Games, Inc. v. United States Secret Service, 36 F.3d 457 (5th Cir. 1994), 41 South Texas Law Review 1457 (2000)
- Recommendations of the Working Group on Confidentiality and the Limits of Attorney-Client Privilege, 41 South Texas Law Review 33 (1999)
- Report of the Working Group on Confidentiality and the Limits of Attorney-Client Privilege, 41 South Texas Law Review 37 (1999)
