Suanne P. Hirschhaut | Shareholder

Ms. Hirschhaut is a founding member of the firm, serving as a shareholder, officer and director at Fisher Kanaris, P.C. Ms. Hirschhaut heads the firm's Construction Law Practice Group. Ms. Hirschhaut practices in both the State and Federal Courts. She frequently participates in early dispute resolution through mediation.

The vast majority of Ms. Hirschhaut's nearly thirty years in practice has involved construction litigation, the defense of design professionals and other related fields. Among others, she provides defense litigation services for architects, engineers, surveyors, appraisers, design-build firms, construction management, owner representatives, property owners, contractors and subcontractors in tort, contract, indemnity, subrogation and statutory-based actions. She provides legal services to many of her design clients respecting contract formation/reformation and risk management, and often speaks at seminars about these issues. She also provides coverage analysis and associated litigation services in third-party casualty insurance coverage matters involving tenders of defense/indemnity, equitable contribution and failure to procure coverage.

Ms. Hirschhaut has had a wide array of professional experience, ranging from first-party property coverage and defense, to large subrogation prosecutions, to extensive experience defending contractors in Structural Work Act claims and other professionals (attorneys and accountants) in malpractice actions. Claims brought against these various professionals include tort, contract and RICO claims arising out of litigation and transactional situations. Additionally, Ms. Hirschhaut has successfully litigated claims on behalf of banking and corporate clients to recover monies for fidelity losses and defaulted transactions, including direct actions against borrowers and related collateral, tort actions, contract actions and collection matters. Ms. Hirschhaut has litigated a variety of claims both under Federal and State securities and consumer protection statutes. Her experience also extends to the defense of product liability claims and defending trademark infringement matters.

Notable examples demonstrate her range of experience. For instance, design professionals and contractors have consistently found themselves dismissed out early in litigation as a result of her aggressive efforts. In the area of first-party property claims, Ms. Hirschhaut participated in litigating to successful resolution one of the country's largest high-rise fire losses which involved the abatement of environmental hazards. Ms. Hirschhaut was among the responsible attorneys defending a Washington, D.C. law firm for multi-million dollar claims of malfeasance made by a failed defense contractor. Ms. Hirschhaut was also involved in a fidelity defense matter raised in a multi-district, multi-million dollar commodities security fraud case which was favorably settled. She also successfully litigated first-party arson defense property claims wherein the insurers made one hundred percent (100%) recoveries from the insureds responsible for the wrongdoing. She also prosecuted to successful settlement a multi-million dollar plaintiff's personal injury suit.