Kristi Belt

Overview

Kristi Belt is an experienced trial attorney who has earned a reputation for handling high-stakes litigation, having successfully represented owners, developers, contractors, subcontractors, engineering firms, manufacturers, and oil and gas companies in a multitude of complex commercial and construction disputes. Kristi has represented clients in matters involving design and construction defects, structural steel defects, construction management, quality of workmanship, equipment defects, delay and disruption, and payment disputes, as well as professional liability for specially manufactured equipment. She has counseled Owners, Developers, Construction Managers and Project Engineers in large-scale projects, including data centers, multi-family housing, wastewater treatment facilities, pipelines and LNG facilities, involving comprehensive development agreements, EPC, EPCM, fast track, design-build, and design-bid-build delivery methods, and has guided owners through project management on active projects. While her practice is focused in the area of construction, Kristi has handled, tried and/or appealed commercial cases in state and federal courts, arbitration and international arbitration in a wide array of areas.

Kristi’s representative industries are broad, providing her with the knowledge, experience and versatility to handle the most complex matters. She has successfully represented clients in the fields of hydraulics and hydrology, industrial plants and pipelines, including horizontal directional drilling and frac-out matters, data centers and mission-critical facilities, water and wastewater treatment, multi-family and residential construction, infrastructure and highway system design and construction, oil and gas, geophysical and geological seismic imaging and data analysis, and commercial and industrial building products, among others. Kristi has also represented major oil and gas companies in matters related to toxic tort, personal injury claims involving oil field machinery, and premises liability disputes, as well as royalty, leasing and other contract disputes between companies. Her legal acumen is complemented by experience with a major oil and gas company, where she worked within the exploration and production division. This distinctive combination allows her to navigate between the oil and gas and construction industries with ease.

Kristi is a member of four distinguished American Arbitration Association (AAA) panels: The AAA National Panel of Construction Arbitrators, The AAA National Panel of Commercial Arbitrators, The AAA National Panel of Consumer Arbitrators, and the AAA International Centre for Dispute Resolution (ICDR) Panel of Construction Arbitrators. 

Kristi is also chair of the firm’s Attorney Development and CLE programs.