Michael J. Vardaro

Top rated Construction Litigation attorney in New York, New York

Zetlin & De Chiara LLP
Michael J. Vardaro
Zetlin & De Chiara LLP

Practice areas: Construction Litigation, Business & Corporate, Alternative Dispute Resolution; view more

Licensed in New York since: 1997

Education: St. John's University School of Law

Selected to Super Lawyers: 2011 - 2025

Zetlin & De Chiara LLP

801 2nd Avenue
16th Floor
New York, NY 10017 Visit website

Details

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.

Practice areas

Construction Litigation: Business, Business/Corporate, Alternative Dispute Resolution

Focus areas

Arbitration, Business Formation and Planning, Business Organizations, Contracts, Mediation

  • 50% Construction Litigation: Business
  • 30% Business/Corporate
  • 20% Alternative Dispute Resolution

First Admitted: 1996, New Jersey

Professional Webpage: https://www.zdlaw.com/professionals-michael-j-vardaro

Bar/Professional Activity:
  • Member, American Council of Engineering Companies
  • Member, Board of Directors of the Center for Active Design
  • Member of the New York Building Congress
  • U.S. District Court, District of Vermont
  • U.S. District Court, Northern District of New York
  • U.S. District Court, Southern District of New York
  • U.S. District Court, Eastern District of New York
  • U.S. District Court, Southern District of Florida
  • U.S. Supreme Court
  • U.S. District Court, District of New Jersey
  • U.S. Court of Appeals, Sixth Circuit
  • U.S. Court of Appeals, Second Circuit
  • New York Building Congress - Member, Energy, Environment, Public Procurement, Healthcare Committees 
  • New Jersey
  • Florida
  • New York
  • New York State Bar Association  
  • American Council of Engineering Companies - Member, Legal Counsel Forum 
  • American Bar Association  
  • American Society of Civil Engineers
  • Florida Bar Association
Special Licenses/Certifications:
  • Guest Lecturer, Columbia University
  • LEED AP
Honors/Awards:
  • AV Rating, Martindale-Hubbell
  • Chambers, Chambers
  • The Legal 500
Educational Background:
  • Villanova University - Bachelor of Civil Engineering, 1993
White Papers:
  • Explore the incorporation of ethical considerations into the practice of architecture through the examination of the post-design issues surrounding the Citicorp Center in New York City. This fascinating story serves as an excellent case study by which to analyze the competing demands placed on design professionals, and the emphasis that should be placed on fulfilling ethical obligations, LeMessurier Stands Tall - A Case Study in Professional Ethics, Construction, 2013
Scholarly Lectures/Writings:
  • Author, With New President Bullish on Building, Opportunity and Challenge Lie Ahead, Real Estate Weekly, 2017
  • Presenter - "Ethics for Engineers," ASCE Long Island and Society of Women Engineers, January 2011
  • Presenter - "Is Your Firm Addressing Green Building Issues?," AIA New York State Convention, October 2010
  • Co-Author - "Construction and Corruption: The Foreign Corrupt Practices Act," Zetlin & De Chiara LLP Review, December 2010
  • Author - "Greening the Globe: United Nations Developing Worldwide Building Emissions Monitoring Standards," Zetlin & De Chiara LLP Review, December 2010
  • Author, LeMessurier Stands Tall: A Case Study in Professional Ethics, AIA Trust, 2013
  • Video Interview, AIA Trust Risk Management, AIA National Convention, 2013
  • Ethics for Design Professionals, Webinar, RLI Corp., 2013
  • Panelist, A Better Project Playbook: Your Guide to Successful Construction Contracts and Risk Management to get the Deal You Expect, Association of Corporate Counsel (Greater New York Chapter) Real Estate Practice Group, 2014
  • Moderator, 6th Annual Construction and Development Update, Bisnow, 2016
  • Multijurisdictional Practices: An Exploration of the Financial, Legal and Marketing Issues related to Providing Services through Multiple Entities, New York Chapter of the American Council of Engineering Companies, CFO Forum
  • Moderator, NY Construction & Development: Is Supply Outpacing Demand?, Bisnow, 2016
  • Speaker, Healthcare Facilities Symposium & Expo, 2017
  • Author, The BIM Lifecycle Revolution, Mann Report, 2013
  • Author, Results from the 2014 Architecture & Engineering Market Outlook Survey, Zetlin & De Chiara LLP, 2014
Industry Groups:
  • Commercial
  • Construction
  • Distribution
  • Energy
  • Government
  • Infrastructure
  • Manufacturing
  • Technology

Office location for Michael J. Vardaro

801 2nd Avenue
16th Floor
New York, NY 10017

Phone: 646-916-3174

Selections

15 Years Super Lawyers
  • Super Lawyers: 2011 - 2025

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