Darren G. Rowles

Darren G. Rowles brings an engineering background to his construction and energy law practices, allowing him to rapidly understand technical issues and focus the legal strategy on what will drive results. He represents owners, contractors, and other project participants in construction disputes—including arbitration and trial—and provides contract and project counsel during all phases of construction to help prevent claims. He regularly advises clients performing public and private utility work and heavy construction on complex, time-sensitive projects.

Prior to law school, Darren was an environmental/civil engineer at the United States Army Corps of Engineers, MWH, and Malcolm Pirnie (the Water Division of ARCADIS). His engineering experience includes providing design and construction management services for water and wastewater treatment facilities, wastewater collection systems and water distribution systems throughout the southeastern United States.

Darren served as a founding officer of the Construction Law Section of the State Bar of Georgia.  He also serves as counsel for the Georgia Utility Contractors Association (GUCA), a construction trade association representing the underground utility construction industry.  He has lectured on various topics, including changes to significant provisions in various industry form contracts as well as various project delivery methods, including design, bid, build; construction manager at risk; design-build; and integrated project delivery.

In addition to his construction and energy law practices, Darren represents clients in the entertainment business, including producers and production companies in sports television and advertising. His experience includes negotiating agreements with partners, television networks, and broadcasters.

Darren is a Plymouth Argyle and Atlanta United supporter and spends his time outside the office on the golf course, in the garden, or exploring new places and restaurants with his family.

Darren's Practice

Representative Matters

• Leads team of lawyers to assist utility client with its multi-year coal combustion residual (CCR) asset retirement program. The program primarily involves the construction of environmentally secure landfills, beneficial reuse facilities, or closure-in-place infrastructure. SGR advises the utility with the development and negotiation of all program contracts (construction, procurement, design services, etc.) and counsels the utility on a day-to-day basis with any legal matter that arises in connection with the program.
• Leads team of lawyers to assist utility implement a multi-year grid investment program involving upgrades of transmission and distribution infrastructure across the power grid to improve reliability and efficiency in connection with the development and negotiation of contracts with its engineering and construction contractors.
• Represents a Fortune 500 home improvement specialty retailer with compliance monitoring, addressing license board complaints, and developing consumer construction and rental contracts for use throughout the United States.
• Represents multiple general contractors negotiating construction agreements and resolving disputes that arise on various projects throughout the United States.
• Represented land development company creating for sale and build-to-rent communities with target markets throughout the United States with the creation of its various construction contract forms.
• Represented a publicly traded residential lot development company in claims relating to stormwater runoff that concluded in a favorable settlement.
• Represented a utility contractor in an arbitration with an earthwork subcontractor and its co-sureties that involved delay claims, alleged differing site conditions, and municipal regulations that concluded in a favorable settlement.
• Represented multiple sports production company clients in contract negotiations, including with ESPN and the Golf Channel.