Ellen Chapelle

With more than three decades of experience in representing clients involved in major construction projects, Ellen Chapelle knows how to assess, protect and defend her clients’ interests both before and after any problems arise.

As a partner in the firm’s Construction Practice, as well as the Chair of the firm’s Insurance Counseling and Recovery Practice, Ellen’s wide range of experience spans both the litigation and corporate sides of representing construction clients. After beginning her career as a complex-commercial litigator, Ellen began applying the knowledge gained through litigation to commercial contracts, including construction contracts, vendor agreements and non-disclosure agreements, with a special emphasis on insurance coverage.

Ellen’s work in the construction industry has involved representing corporations, partnerships, owners, general contractors and subcontractors in connection with both public and private projects. Her experience includes handling construction defect claims, change orders, delay claims, claims for cardinal changes in the contract, mechanics lien claims, bond claims and claims involving “pay when paid” clauses.

For the past several years, Ellen served as Associate General Counsel of the Fermi Research Alliance, which manages the Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory for the U.S. Department of Energy. While at Fermilab, Ellen supported multiple large projects that are line items in Congressional budgets, including the Long Baseline Neutrino Facilities/DUNE-US Project, which recently completed construction on nine-story caverns a mile underground at the Sanford Underground Research Facility in South Dakota. Ellen also worked on the risk management and insurance plans to prepare for Fermilab to host international collaborators who will be participating in the installation of scientific equipment at those facilities in South Dakota.