City of Washington in 1792

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Practicing Construction Law Since 1993

Have been practicing construction law in New York nearly my entire career, and exclusively since 1993 after joining the former New York construction law firm of Altieri, Kushner, Miuccio & Frind, P.C. New Jersey construction law was added to my practice in 1996. Due to the construction needs of condominiums I also represent condominium boards providing general and specialty counsel.

What is construction law?

Construction law involves any existing or anticipated dispute regarding payment or performance related to the construction of a building or other structure. In the United States, construction law originated with Maryland’s enactment of the Mechanics Lien Act of 1791. It was introduced by Thomas Jefferson to encourage the construction of Washington D.C. Contractors and subcontractors needed a greater remedy for non-payment for their work than merely the right to sue on their contracts. If the party employing them was not sufficiently financially responsible, they could be left without an effective remedy even though they had improved the owner’s property with their labor and materials. The Act allowed the unpaid contractor to lien the property for the value of their unpaid labor and materials. New York enacted its mechanic’s lien act in 1830. Today, in addition to contractual and lien claims, payment remedies include payment, performance and lien bonding claims, prompt payment act claims and trust fund claims.

What does a construction lawyer do?

Lien filings, commencing and defending against court actions, and making bond claims, is what all construction lawyers do. My experience is in all claims regarding private and public construction projects. My public project experience includes the Metropolitan Transportation Authority, the School Construction Authority, the New York City Housing Authority, the New York City Police Department, the Dormitory Authority of the State of New York, the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, and the federal government. My practice, in addition to litigation, includes contract evaluation and drafting, union and insurance claims, contractor ethics, and legal and business advice.

I am experienced in representing general contractors, prime contractors and subcontractors, custom and standard material suppliers and equipment suppliers, property owners and bonding companies. See my “Trades” page for my experience regarding particular trades and specialty construction.