Attorneys

Philip E. BeckPartner

PHILIP E. BECK is a partner in the Atlanta, Georgia office of Smith, Currie & Hancock LLP, where he practices construction law and commercial litigation.  Phil joined Smith, Currie & Hancock in 1981 upon his graduation from the University of Tennessee College of Law (No. 4 in his class) and his completion of a judicial clerkship with the Tennessee Court of Appeals.  He also holds a Master of Business Administration degree (with a concentration in Finance) from the University of Tennessee, where he earned his undergraduate degree (with high honors), as well.  Phil is a member of the legal honorary society Order of the Coif, the business honorary fraternity Beta Gamma Sigma, and the service honorary fraternity Omicron Delta Kappa.  He is a member of the Georgia, Florida, and Tennessee Bars and the Bars of various state and federal courts.  Phil is also an experienced arbitrator and mediator of construction claims and disputes.

Phil has experience with a broad range of construction issues, problems, and disputes, as well as a large variety of construction projects, both public and private, throughout the United States and abroad.  He has drafted and reviewed design and construction contracts on behalf of owner, developer, general contractor, subcontractor, supplier, architect/engineer, consultant, surety, design/builder, and construction manager clients.  He has successfully tried construction cases before a variety of forums, including various state and federal courts, various federal Boards of Contract Appeals, and numerous state and local administrative bodies, and has represented clients in over a hundred arbitrations and mediations conducted throughout the United States.

Phil is the immediate past Chairman of the Associated General Contractors of America, Inc. (AGC)'s Service and Supply Council and a member of AGC's Board of Directors.  He is active in several other construction trade associations and construction-related organizations as well.  Phil has written and lectured extensively on various topics relating to the construction industry and construction law. He has spoken on programs sponsored by various educational institutions and construction trade associations.  Phil's published works include chapters on construction contracts and construction litigation in over a dozen books and numerous articles for various construction trade publications.  Phil has been ranked as a “Georgia Super Lawyer” by the publications Law & Politics and Atlanta Magazine each year of the rankings’ existence; he is also listed annually by Chambers USA in its listing of ”America’s Leading Lawyers for Business” and in the publication The Best Lawyers in America.

Phil was born in Salisbury, North Carolina, and was raised primarily in Chattanooga, Tennessee.  He is married and has two children, and is a sports enthusiast.

Articles & Publications

• "The Owner Contemplating Litigation and Its Alternatives," Construction Litigation: Representing the Owner, 1st and 2nd editions, John Wiley & Sons, 1984 & 1990.
• "The Contractor Contemplating Litigation and Its Alternatives," Construction Litigation: Representing the Contractor, 1st and 2nd editions, John Wiley & Sons, 1986 & 1992.
• "Construction Contracts," Negotiating Real Estate Transactions, 1st, 2nd and 3rd editions, John Wiley & Sons, 1988, 1993 & 2000.
•  Numerous others.