Michael J. Vardaro

Michael J. Vardaro, LEED AP, is the Managing Partner at Zetlin & De Chiara LLP and brings years of experience in the construction industry.  Before practicing law, Michael worked in the construction industry and was trained as a civil engineer.  He focuses his practice on litigation, arbitration, drafting and negotiating contracts, professional licensing, corporate transactions (mergers/acquisitions/ownership transitions), risk management, and general business counsel. Michael's practice is nationwide and has experience with complex construction issues arising on various types of projects including those with alternate delivery methods (EPC, IPD, and progressive design-build) in various industry sectors (power generation, power transmission, manufacturing, supply chain distribution, data centers, museums, stadiums, theatres, healthcare, water treatment, roadway/bridge/tunnel infrastructure, transit, education, commercial and mixed use buildings, and laboratories.  Michael has experience with addressing various issues confronting those projects including, sustainable design and green construction, building information modeling (BIM), repurposing/conversion of existing buildings, and artificial intelligence (AI). 

In addition to Super Lawyers, Michael is recognized as a leading construction lawyer by Chambers and The Legal 500.  In recognition of his high ethical standards and long list of successful results, he holds the highest peer rating possible of AV Preeminent from Martindale-Hubbell.

Michael is admitted to practice in New York, Florida and New Jersey as well as the United States Supreme Court, United States Court of Appeals for the Second and Sixth Circuits and the United States District Courts for the Southern District of Florida, the Eastern, Southern and Northern Districts of New York, New Jersey, and Vermont.  He is on the panel of Construction Arbitrators for the American Arbitration Association.

He serves on the Board of Directors at the Center for Active Design, Active Design Advisors, Inc. and the Real Estate and Construction Committee for Lincoln Center.  He is active with the Construction Industry Forum of the American Bar Association, the American Council of Engineering Companies and the New York Building Congress.  He speaks regularly on a variety of topics including ethics.