Mary Beth Coburn, a partner with Best Best & Krieger LLP, is also a California licensed professional civil engineer with more than a decade of experience in design and construction of public facilities. She held positions with Los Angeles County Department of Public Works and several consulting engineering firms prior to law school.

For the last twenty years, Mary Beth’s primary practice has focused on public works and infrastructure construction law, including construction contracting and construction claims resolution. Her unique combination of “hands on” engineering experience and construction law provide clients with efficient, practical and comprehensive legal services. Mary Beth understands what it takes to get a project built and what delays and claims can do to that process.

Mary Beth is adept at assisting public agencies and private owners with all aspects of the construction process, including construction document preparation, bid protests, subcontractor substitution and default, contractors’ claims, stop notices, and project close out. She currently assists regional public agencies on contract drafting utilizing cutting edge procurement methods, including CM/GC and Progressive Design Build.

Mary Beth routinely works with all types of public agencies on all issues related to construction of public facilities, from master planning through claims resolution. She often assists clients with latent construction defects long after construction projects have been closed out and warranty periods have lapsed.

Mary Beth has successfully terminated contractors for failure to perform and routinely works with sureties on various payment and performance bond issues, including surety takeover of projects in default. She also has experience in false claim actions against contractors for inflating or falsely submitting extra work claims.

Mary Beth is frequently called upon to provide public works training sessions to assist firm clients in proper procurement practices, claims avoidance and dispute resolution as well as disaster recovery and resiliency utilizing federal funding.

Mary Beth is a member of the San Diego County Bar Association and the American Society of Civil Engineers. 

Education

• University of San Diego School of Law, J.D.
• Michigan Technological University, B.S., civil engineering 

Admissions

• California

Memberships

• San Diego County Bar Association
• American Society of Civil Engineers 

Awards

• The Best Lawyers in America®, Construction Litigation, 2019–2023
• Litigation - Construction Lawyer of the Year in San Diego, Best Lawyers®, 2020