Scott MacDonald is a construction attorney in the firm’s Seattle office, helping clients navigate public and private construction projects and related disputes. He works with owners, general contractors, subcontractors, and suppliers across the Pacific Northwest on projects ranging from heavy civil infrastructure and transportation work to multifamily housing, schools, hotels, and residential developments.
Scott advises clients on contract structure and negotiation for both traditional and alternative project delivery methods, including GC/CM and design-build. He focuses on helping clients manage risk and resolve disputes efficiently, whether through informal solutions or formal proceedings when needed.
He has extensive experience with state and federal public works projects at all stages—bidding, procurement, contract drafting, risk analysis, on-project claims and requests for equitable adjustment, CPARS evaluations, and disputes under the Contract Disputes Act. Scott represents prime contractors and subcontractors, including 8(a), DBE, and non-DBE entities, on projects for public agencies such as NAVFAC, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, and NOAA, both in the U.S. and internationally.
Education & Credentials
Education
Seattle University School of Law
J.D.- magna cum laude
- Research and Technical Editor, Seattle University Law Review
- CALI Excellence for the Future Award, Constitutional Law I
- CALI Excellence for the Future Award, Federal Courts
- CALI Excellence for the Future Award, Aviation Law
- CALI Excellence for the Future Award, Homeless Rights Advocacy Practicum II
Westmont College
B.A., Political ScienceBar Admission
Acknowledgements
- Best Lawyers®
- Ones to Watch, Litigation – Construction, 2026
- Ones to Watch ,Construction Law, 2023 – 2025
- Washington Super Lawyers
- Rising Star, 2018 – 2026
Prominent Assignments
Construction Contracting
• Advised on the mid-project transition of general contractors on a large data center development in Oregon, including negotiating a separation agreement, transferring remaining work to a successor contractor, assigning existing subcontracts, and completing the transition without termination or delay claims.
• Represented public works contractors from contract award through final completion on complex vertical and heavy civil projects in downtown Seattle, achieving negotiated resolutions of claims exceeding $20 million without formal dispute proceedings.
• Represented a public works contractor on a multi-jurisdictional utility relocation project in Seattle, resolving more than $19 million in claims through negotiation rather than litigation.
• Represented a contractor in the $87 million sale of contractor-owned real property to a commercial developer, including negotiation of a related construction contract for development of apartment projects on the site.
Insurance Recovery
• Obtained substantial recovery under builder’s risk insurance policies for a data center owner following explosions and fires during construction of a 250,000-square-foot facility in Oregon, through litigation and mediation involving extensive electronic discovery and motion practice.
Construction Litigation and Dispute Resolution
• Obtained summary judgment for a heavy civil contractor on a military project, dismissing a subcontractor’s claim exceeding $900,000 in federal court.
• Achieved full recovery of a general contractor’s lien following owner default and involuntary receivership on a mixed-use commercial and residential project.
• Secured complete recovery for a steel supplier on claims exceeding $400,000 through summary judgment.
• Obtained a permanent restraining order protecting a client’s construction workforce from harassment by an adjacent property owner.
Publications/Presentations
- “UW Ascend Seattle: Contracts Panel,” University of Washington Foster School of Business, panelist, April 2025.
- “Alternative Procurements,” The Seminar Group, Bid Protests on Public Works Projects Conference, April 2025.
- “Construction Law, Bonding, & Insurance,” Association of Women and Minority Businesses, Northwest Contractors’ Day, April 2025.
- “Finish First When Others Around You Fall: Tips on How to Financially Protect Your Organization During a Project,” Miller Nash, Construction Webinar Series, October 2024.
- “Construction Risk,” Legacy Group Capital, Builder’s Breakfast, September 2024.
- “The Dos and Don’ts of Public Contracting in 2023—Procurement Processes,” Miller Nash, Construction Webinar Series, February 2023.