Q: Tell us about your background in construction law or the construction industry.
Jocelyn: For more than three decades, I’ve guided public and private owners, developers, contractors, design professionals, manufacturers, suppliers, and subcontractors through complex construction and infrastructure disputes in the U.S. and abroad.
I founded Jocelyn Knoll ADR Services LLC to focus exclusively on resolving high-stakes disputes as a neutral. I also serve as a partner at Dorsey & Whitney LLP, where I lead the firm’s P3 claims practice and previously chaired the Construction & Design Practice Group. My practice also spans the Construction, Infrastructure, Energy, and Litigation groups.
My representative experience includes multi-billion-dollar public, private, and P3 projects—stadiums, airports, heavy highway and rail systems, data centers, pipelines, bridges, energy facilities, flood diversion and dam projects, healthcare facilities, educational institutions, commercial and industrial developments, and shipbuilding.
Select achievements include:
- Successfully defending the $2.2 billion Eagle P3 Commuter Rail Project through trial and appeal.
- Securing a $74 million arbitration award for an EPC energy client.
- Obtaining multiple multi-million-dollar verdicts and dismissals in high-stakes disputes.
Q: What types of construction disputes do you typically handle as an arbitrator or mediator?
Jocelyn: I resolve disputes that span the full lifecycle of construction—from design through completion—across nearly every sector of the industry. These include:
- Schedule impacts: delays, disruptions, acceleration.
- Defective design/construction: engineering errors, defective materials, scope disagreements.
- Cost disputes: change orders, pricing, liquidated damages, cost overruns.
- Risk allocation: force majeure, supply chain disruptions, safety events.
My ADR experience includes arbitration, mediation, dispute boards, neutral evaluations, referees, and non-binding summary trials.
Q: What drew you to ADR work in the construction space? What do you value most about serving as a neutral?
Jocelyn: ADR offers parties efficiency, control, and the opportunity to resolve disputes in ways that preserve critical business relationships.
Early in my career, I saw how traditional litigation was expensive, disruptive, and slow—sometimes harming the very projects it was meant to protect. ADR provides parties with the flexibility to control timing, process, and outcomes; preserve partnerships for future collaboration; and avoid costly delays and reputational risks.
As a neutral, I value impartiality, technical fluency, and creative problem-solving. A fair process, combined with deep knowledge of engineering and contracts, allows me to help parties craft solutions that align with their business, financial, and technical realities.
Q: What advice do you have for parties preparing for arbitration or mediation in complex disputes?
Jocelyn: Preparation and pragmatism are the cornerstones of success in complex construction disputes.
My advice:
- Master the details: know your contract, schedule, costs, and technical issues thoroughly.
- Engage ADR early: consider bringing in neutrals or dispute boards before positions harden.
- Stay pragmatic: focus on resolution rather than entrenchment to preserve both resources and relationships.