Jean Meyer

Jean Yves Meyer is a founding attorney of Meyer | Shumrick, a Montana-based litigation firm focused on representing homeowners, condominium associations, and property owners in complex construction defect disputes.

Jean’s practice centers on significant residential construction failures, including defective building envelopes, water intrusion, structural deficiencies, foundation movement, and damage arising from expansive soils and improper site preparation. He represents clients in disputes against developers, general contractors, subcontractors, design professionals, and other parties responsible for defective construction.

Much of Jean’s work involves complex, multi-party litigation in which establishing responsibility requires detailed technical investigation, expert testimony, and a thorough examination of construction records, contracts, and financial relationships. He works with engineers, architects, building envelope specialists, geotechnical experts, and forensic accountants to investigate construction failures, establish the full extent of damages, and identify potentially responsible parties.

Jean also has substantial experience addressing the insurance coverage issues that frequently determine whether construction defect claims can be meaningfully resolved. His work includes disputes involving insurers’ duties to defend and indemnify, policy exclusions, and the availability of insurance proceeds to satisfy construction-related claims and judgments.

A significant part of his practice involves representing condominium and homeowners’ associations in large-scale construction defect disputes, where defects may affect entire developments and the financial interests of numerous property owners. These cases require coordinating complex investigations, evaluating substantial repair programs, and developing litigation strategies that account for both legal liability and the practical challenges facing the affected communities.

Jean approaches litigation with an emphasis on preparation, strategic decision-making, and achieving recoveries that reflect the actual cost of correcting defective construction. While negotiated resolutions are often in his clients’ interests, he prepares cases to be proven in court when a fair settlement cannot be reached.

In addition to his litigation practice, Jean has published on construction defect law, including statutory right-to-repair requirements in the Rocky Mountain and Plains regions. His academic background also includes the study of international law at The Hague Academy of International Law in the Netherlands.