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Christopher D.
Cazenave

Position
Partner
Office
New Orleans

Chris Cazenave is a partner on the Construction Team. He focuses on construction litigation and alternative dispute resolution.


Chris advises clients in all facets and at every step of construction-related disputes, including early dispute avoidance, pre-litigation counseling, settlement, mediation, arbitration, pre-trial strategy development, and trial. He understands that disputes on a project can lead to costly delays or threaten successful outcomes altogether, and works closely with clients to manage risks and determine the most effective, results-oriented resolution to keep projects on time and on budget. Fully prepared to take a matter to trial, he and others on his team have received $100s of millions for clients in arbitration awards and jury verdicts involving multi-billion dollar projects.

Chris represents owners, general contractors, subcontractors, lenders, and other stakeholders and businesses from across the construction industry. He has successfully handled many multimillion-dollar disputes across the United States in federal and state courts and in arbitration before the American Arbitration Association and the International Chamber of Commerce.

With deep experience in a broad range of subjects, Chris has counseled clients in matters involving oil and gas facilities; petrochemical facilities; condominium, retail, and office space; entertainment venues; and other projects. Chris draws on a network of skilled consultants to create and manage efficient teams of in-house counsel, Jones Walker attorneys, and outside professionals, as needed.

Chris is active in the American Bar Association Forum on Construction Law, a presenter at industry conferences, and the author of a number of papers on construction-litigation issues.

Noteworthy

  • Chambers USA, Construction (listed annually since 2023)
  • Best Lawyers®, "Ones to Watch," Construction Law, Litigation – Construction, New Orleans (2024 and 2025)
  • Benchmark Litigation, 40 & Under List (listed annually since 2022)

Experience

  • Represented a subcontractor in a payment dispute and defective workmanship claim in Iowa federal court and before the International Court of Arbitration relating to the construction of a $3 billion fertilizer plant in Iowa
  • Represented a government contractor in a dispute with the Army Corps of Engineers relating to improvements to the interstate in Los Angeles
  • Represented the owner of a $500 million high profile, building construction project in Manhattan in the resolution of over $50 million in claims and other complex project close out issues
  • Represented a general contractor in a payment dispute relating to the repair of several pumping stations in New Orleans that were damaged during Hurricane Katrina
  • Represented a petrochemical company and the owner, relating to a defective workmanship claim involving the retubing of a large boiler at a petrochemical facility outside of Baton Rouge
  • Represented a general contractor in a payment dispute and defective workmanship claim with the Plaquemines Parish government
  • Represented a general contractor in a fraud case involving the construction of three CVS stores in Texas 
  • Represented a national contractor in a licensing dispute with the Louisiana Contractor Licensing Board

Publications

  • "Construction Defects," Fundamentals of Construction Law, August 28, 2025
  • "What You Should Know About Liquidated Damages and Liability Caps for Delay and Performance Liquidated Damages," ConsensusDocs, April 11, 2024
  • "Law and Practice," Chambers Global Practice Guide, Construction Law – USA Chapter, 2023
  • "Government Contracts," Construction Law Update, Wolters Kluwer, 2023
  • "Does Article 2 of the Uniform Commercial Code Impact Your Construction Project?" ConsensusDocs, October 10, 2022
  • "Law and Practice," Chambers Global Practice Guide, Construction Law – USA Chapter, 2022
  • "Louisiana Federal Court Follows Other Federal Courts Enjoining Vaccine Mandates for Government Contractors," LAGC Magazine – Winter Edition, 2022
  • "Construction Warranties: Have you Seen Me Lately?" ConsensusDocs, February 7, 2022
  • "Beyond the Blog — COVID-19 Recap — January 16, 2022," Jones Walker LLP Disaster Prep & Recovery Client Alert, January 16, 2022
  • "Louisiana Federal Court Follows Other Federal Courts Enjoining Vaccine Mandates for Government Contractors," Jones Walker LLP Construction Client Alert, January 5, 2022
  • "Post-Disaster Construction Projects: Reminder That Construction Contracts in Louisiana With Unlicensed Contractors Are Very Risky," Louisiana Associated General Contractors, News to Build On Newsletter, Fourth Quarter 2021
  • "Law and Practice," Chambers Global Practice Guide, Construction Law – USA Chapter, 2021
  • Construction Law Update, Wolters Kluwer, 2021
  • "Beyond the Blog — COVID-19 Recap — April 11, 2021," Jones Walker LLP Disaster Prep & Recovery Client Alert, April 11, 2021
  • "COVID-19’s Impact on Construction," Associated General Contractor’s Georgia Construction Today, March 2021
  • "Contracting with Louisiana Public Entities: How to Navigate Procurements Under the Louisiana Public Bid Law," Louisiana Associated General Contractors News to Build On, 2020
  • "Liability for Innovative but Unproven Designs," Architect and Engineer Liability: Claims Against Design Professionals, Wolters Kluwer, 2020
  • "LEGAL: Louisiana’s Broad Anti-Indemnity Statute Overcomes Public Owner’s Additional Insured Requirements," Louisiana Associated General Contractors News to Build On, 2020
  • "Southwest Region: Arkansas, Kansas, Louisiana, New Mexico, Oklahoma, Texas," Construction Law Update, Wolters Kluwer, 2020–2023
  • "Beyond the Blog — COVID-19 Weekly Recap — July 26, 2020," Jones Walker LLP Disaster Prep & Recovery Client Alert, July 26, 2020
  • "Executive Orders to Address Rising COVID-19 Cases in the Construction Industry," Jones Walker LLP Construction Client Alert, July 22, 2020
  • "LEGAL: Issues for Contractors to Consider as Louisiana Enters Phase 1 of Coronavirus Reopening," Louisiana Associated General Contractors’ (LAGC) News to Build On Newsletter, May 2020
  • "Beyond the Blog — COVID-19 Weekly Recap — April 13, 2020," Jones Walker LLP Disaster Prep & Recovery Client Alert, April 13, 2020
  • "Beyond the Blog — COVID-19 Weekly Recap — April 5, 2020," Jones Walker LLP Disaster Prep & Recovery Client Alert, April 5, 2020
  • "COVID-19’s Impact on Construction: Is There a Remedy? — Time Extension, Force Majeure, or More?" Jones Walker LLP Construction Client Alert, April 3, 2020
  • "Impact of State and Local 'Stay-at-Home' or 'Shelter-in-Place' Orders on Construction in AL, FL, GA, LA, MS, and TX," Jones Walker LLP Construction Client Alert, March 2020
  • "Construction Trust Fund Statutes: Know What’s Required in the State Where Your Project Is Underway," ConsensusDocs, February 6, 2020
  • "Defending Against Owner Claims," chapter in Construction Disputes: Representing the Contractor, Fourth Edition, Wolters Kluwer, 2019
  • "Jury Consultants in Construction Cases: From Early Case Development through Trial," American Bar Association's Under Construction, August 20, 2019
  • "Forum Selection Clauses: Avoiding Potential Pitfalls to Losing Home Field Advantage," The Associated General Contractors of America's Law In Brief, January 2019
  • "Steel, Aluminum Tariffs Loom with Details Scarce," Jones Walker LLP Client Alert, March 2018
  • "Interstate Discovery Simplified: Louisiana Passes the Uniform Interstate Depositions and Discovery Act," Louisiana Bar Journal, April 22, 2015

Presentations

  • "Generative AI in Construction," New Orleans Bar Association Construction Law Committee CLE, New Orleans, Louisiana, June 20, 2025
  • "Building Strong Agreements: Navigating Construction Contracts and Key Clauses," LSBA CLE Seminar, Building for Success: Construction Law Seminar, New Orleans, Louisiana, October 10, 2024
  • "The Unexpected and Unwelcome: Defective Design and Changed Conditions Disputes," 2023 Construction Law Update, May 18, 2023
  • "Remedies on Public and Private Projects," Construction Law from the Ground Up Seminar Program, March 22, 2023
  • "E-Discovery in Construction Disputes," American Bar Association Construction Forum, June 21, 2022
  • Louisiana Associated General Contractors' 2021 Future Leaders Forum, November 18, 2021
  • "Considering COVID-19 Vaccination Policies for Your Construction Project?: A Primer on Legal, Administrative, and Practical Issues at Play," New Orleans Bar Association CLE Zoom Webinar, April 30, 2021
  • "How to Navigate Procurements Under the Louisiana Public Bid Law and the Louisiana Procurement Code," Louisiana Association of General Contractors Webinar, November 18, 2020
  • "COVID-19’s Impact on Construction: Is There a Remedy? – Time Extensions, Force Majeure, or More?" myLawCLE Webinar, April 30, 2020

Memberships

  • American Bar Association, Forum on Construction Law
  • Boys and Girls Hope of New Orleans
  • CASA Jefferson, Board of Directors
  • Federal Bar Association
  • Louisiana Bar Association
  • New Orleans Bar Association, Construction Law Committee
  • State Bar of Texas, Construction Law Section
New Orleans
201 St. Charles Ave
New Orleans, LA 70170-5100
D: 504.582.8408
F: 504.589.8408
Emailccazenave@joneswalker.com
Houston
Suite 2900
811 Main St
Houston, TX 77002
D: 713.437.1846
F: 713.437.1810

Education

  • George Mason University School of Law
    JD, 2009
    Executive Editor, George Mason Law Review; Member, Moot Court Board
  • Louisiana State University
    BS, Economics, summa cum laude, 2005

Bar Admissions

  • Louisiana
  • Texas

Court Admissions

  • US Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit
  • US Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit
  • US Court of Federal Claims
  • US District Court for the Eastern District of Louisiana
  • US District Court for the Middle District of Louisiana
  • US District Court for the Western District of Louisiana
  • US District Court for the Eastern District of Texas
  • US District Court for the Southern District of Texas

Related Practices

  • Construction
  • Dispute Resolution
  • Litigation

Related Industries

  • Construction Industry
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