Miller Morton Partner Peter Dessau Joins Exclusive Group of Arbitrators and Mediators for the American Arbitration Association

SAN JOSE, Calif. – May 13, 2014 – Peter V. Dessau, a construction partner at Miller, Morton, Caillat & Nevis, LLP, has been appointed to the American Arbitration Association’s (AAA) Panel of Construction Arbitrators. 

The nation’s leading provider of alternative dispute resolution services, AAA caters to individuals and organizations who wish to resolve conflicts out of court, administering cases from filing to closing. The organization’s arbitrators and mediators consist of highly accomplished and respected experts from the legal and business communities who offer diverse experiences across a wide range of fields. Attorney candidates for the AAA’s Panel of Construction Arbitrators must meet specific qualification criteria, including a minimum of 10 years in practice with at least 50 percent of that practice being devoted to construction law for the last 10 years. 

Dessau’s 26-year practice focuses on litigation involving construction defects and other issues. Regularly advising clients out of both the firm’s San Jose and Newport Beach offices, he represents developers, builders and contractors in payment disputes, and defends and prosecutes delay and impact claims against private owners, contractors and public entities. Dessau’s experience also includes providing counsel to members of the industry on risk management techniques to avoid litigation. 

In addition to his involvement with AAA, Dessau is a member of the State Bar of California, Building Owners and Managers Association (BOMA) and Tri-County Apartment Association and serves on the Board of Directors of the Housing Industry Foundation (HIF). A frequent author and speaker on various construction law topics, he has served as a guest lecturer at his alma mater, Santa Clara University School of Law, where he received his J.D. in 1998. Dessau earned his B.A. from Santa Clara University in 1984.