Litigator Aaron J. Flores grew up working for his family's tile and masonry company, where his duties weren't always glamorous.
"I remember as a teenager climbing scaffolding in front of a building several stories high, grouting stone in the middle of winter," Flores said, noting that his father often asked him to tackle some of the day's most unpleasant tasks.
"One of the reasons I ended up going to law school was because my dad really put me through my paces when I would go to work with him," Flores recalled, mentioning with a chuckle that his father was likely trying to encourage him toward a different career path. "Doing all the heavy lifting stuff -- he made sure I experienced that."
Flores hung a shingle in May 2021 with partner Peter J. Ryan, launching construction law boutique Flores Ryan LLP in Pasadena, where the two handle everything from Contractors State License Board issues to transactional work and a range of litigation.
"A lot of people think of construction defect law when they think of construction law. Construction defect is maybe like a fifth of the practice," Flores explained. "What we're really doing is any type of dispute in the construction industry."
Ryan, who also handles some real estate matters, noted the firm's clients are often developers, contractors, subcontractors and occasionally homeowners.
"There's really two main facets. ... You've got your larger clients, who are engaged in larger disputes. A lot of times, in that case, we'll be representing subcontractors on large public work projects -- cases that go potentially for a number of years," Ryan explained. "The other facet would be trying to help smaller stakeholders in the industry, as well as developers, operate day to day on what they need to do to be in compliance, to resolve small disputes, to protect lien rights -- things like that."
Like Flores, Ryan spent time as a teenager working for his family's construction business, a Ventura-based electrical company started by Ryan's grandfather.
"They're a mid-size electrical contractor, often doing public works projects in LA and in Ventura County," Ryan said, "large buildings, utilities, stuff in the harbors."
Flores said the time he and his partner spent working in the industry sets their firm apart.
"What makes us unique is rather than just another set of lawyers that practice construction law, we both have a fair amount of experience in the field in construction, managing and working on projects," he explained.
Flores grew up in Apple Valley and graduated from Trinity Law School in 2009. Ryan was raised in Ventura and graduated from Notre Dame Law School in 2014. The two met at Hunt Ortmann Palffy Nieves Darling & Mah, Inc. in Pasadena, where they worked together for five years before deciding to strike out on their own in the spring of 2021.
"They don't come better than Peter," Flores said. "He's got an incredibly strong work ethic paired with an incredibly strong business acumen paired with a great legal mind."
And Ryan certainly didn't hesitate to rave about his partner.
"I chose to start the firm with Aaron because he's honestly one of the most dedicated and diligent attorneys I've ever met," he said. "And he's just a master in construction law."
Flores said much of the satisfaction he takes from his practice comes from working beginning to end with clients who are looking to create a long-lasting enterprise.
"I'll help them spread their wings and get off the ground. That's a big part of what we do," he said. "The construction industry is a small community at the end of the day. ... And helping clients create something and build something that is sustainable -- not just for that business owner but that business owner's future generations and family. I really enjoy that."
Santa Monica construction litigator David J. Sire said he's opposed Flores on three occasions, including a recent dispute connected to a $125 million public works project for the Castaic Union School District. Sire said he and Flores have ultimately been able to resolve all those disputes, thanks in no small part to Flores' extensive construction law expertise.
"Public works construction is a sub niche that not a ton of people do in Los Angeles or southern California," Sire said. "So it's been helpful to deal with someone who's knowledgeable and can understand both the strengths and weaknesses of the claims that are being made."
Sire also noted that Flores keeps what's best for his clients forefront.
"He's been proactive in helping to get matters resolved and pushing for his clients' interests but without undercutting them by needlessly prolonging litigation," Sire explained.
Flores also mentioned that his firm has a few clients who have, in fact, never actually paid anything.
"There are times when we'll have a small contractor call us and say, 'Hey, I got this notice from the licensing board, and it says all this scary stuff. What do I need to do? Can you help me?'" Flores explained. "Could we make some money off this person and further our bottom line? Sure we could. But maybe it's better just to help that person and steer them in the right direction. ... We want to be there to serve the industry and have a reputation as people who care about the industry, care about people. So we're going to demonstrate that by giving what we can even when that means there's no [financial] benefit to us."