Levi W. Barrett

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Levi W. Barrett

Co-Managing Partner, New Jersey Office

Chair - Construction Contracts & Risk Management

River Edge, NJ

P +1 201.343.3434

F +1 201.343.6306

New York, NY

P +1 212.382.0909

F +1 212.382.3456

P 212.382.0909

F 212.382.3456

Biography Practice Areas Highlights

"Clients benefit from our extensive experience on a wide range of construction projects in both the public and private sectors."

Bio

Working closely with contractors, construction managers, owners, and developers, Levi structures and negotiates contract documents for construction projects nationwide. Leading a team of lawyers, he oversees the preparation, negotiation, and review of hundreds of construction contracts annually. The team counsels clients on issues related to risk mitigation planning and risk assessment in connection with both public infrastructure and private construction projects.

Levi guides and advises foreign contractors on operating in the United States and assists domestic contractors and service providers in managing business operations and risks abroad. Levi is also regularly engaged to provide due diligence services to clients in the process of acquiring construction companies.

In addition to his transactional practice, Levi has extensive experience representing general contractors and subcontractors in complex disputes involving construction inefficiencies, delays, differing site conditions, constructive changes, extra work, and default claims.Ěý

Recognized as a thought leader in his field, Levi frequently presents and writes on contract negotiations and emerging issues relative to project delivery methods, such as design-build and delegated design. He teaches a master’s course in construction law annually at the University of Stuttgart and serves as a guest lecturer at Columbia University’s College of Engineering and at Syracuse University.Ěý

Levi has received many accolades including recognition by Chambers USA in construction law. He is admitted to practice in the State of New York, the State of New Jersey, and the United States District Court for the District of New Jersey. Levi received his Bachelor of Arts in economics from San Francisco State University and his law degree from Syracuse University College of Law.

Highlights

Admissions

• State of New York

• State of New Jersey

• United States District Court for the District of Jersey

Memberships

• New York City Bar (Construction Law Committee)

• Associated General Contractors of America (Construction Leadership Council Steering Committee Member, 2019-2021)

Education & Courses

• San Francisco State University, B.A., Economics

• Syracuse University College of Law, J.D.

Awards & Recognitions

• Chambers USA, 2025

• Chambers USA, "Up and Coming", New York, 2023-2024

• New York Metro Super Lawyers, 2022-2024

• New York Metro Super Lawyers - Rising Star, 2016-2021

• The Legal 500: United States - “Recommended Lawyers,” 2024

• Lexology Index: Construction, 2025

• Who's Who Legal: Construction, 2023-2024

• New Jersey Super Lawyers - Rising Star, 2016-2018

• New Jersey Law Journal, New Leader of the Bar, 2020

• Bergen Magazine, Top Lawyer - Construction, 2022-2024

Publications & Presentations

• “Expert Q&A: Responding to the Impacts of Trump Administration Tariffs on Construction Materials,” Practical Law Real Estate, March 2025 (Co-Author)

• “The Art of Dealing with Tariffs,” AGC WebEd, February 2025 (Presenter)

• “Ask the Authors: Tariffs and the Art of the Price Escalation “Deal”,” P&A Webinar, January 2025 (Presenter)

• “Tariffs and the Art of the Price Escalation “Deal”,” P&A Client Alert, January 2025 (Co-Author)

• “The Collaboration Conundrum – A Better Model for Achieving Design-Build Success” 2024 Construction Super Conference, December 2024 (Presenter)

• “Building a Solid Foundation: Strategies for Operational Risk Management,” Construction Financial Management Association NJ Dinner Meeting, May 2024 (Presenter)

• “Design-Build – All About Alignment” A Third Thursday Interview with Levi W. Barrett, Construction Super Conference, May 2024 (Presenter)

• “New York Revises Retainage Requirements for Private Construction Contracts: Overview of the “5% Retainage Law”,” P&A Client Alert, January 2024 (Co-Author)

• “Pricing Risk – A Construction Insider’s Point of View,” Construction Super Conference, December 2023 (Presenter)

• “Managing Subcontractor Default Risk,” Associated General Contractors (AGC) New York State, April 2023 (Presenter)

• “The Enforceability of “Pay-if-Paid” Provisions Affirmed in New Jersey,” P&A Client Alert, December 2022 (Co-Author)

• Lockton Heavy Construction Risk Management Roundtable, June 2022 (Panelist)

• “Construction Contracting Revisited: The Three Rs and How Owners Want You to Negotiate,” AGC 2022 National Convention, March 2022 (Presenter)

• “The Wage Theft Act – What Contractors Need to Know Now,” NASBP Webinar, January 2022 (Co-Presenter)

• “Preparing for the Unknowable: Lessons Learned from the Construction Industry’s Response to Significant Disruptions,” 2021 Construction SuperConference, December 2021 (Presenter)

• “Design Build: General Considerations When Using Design Build: Part 2,” ACCNJ, October 2021 (Co-Presenter)

• “Design Build Construction Services Procurement Act: Part 1,” ACCNJ, October 2021 (Co-Presenter)

• “Project Delivery Methods: A Bird’s Eye View,” ConsensusDocs, October 2021 (Co-Author)

• “Selecting the Right Delivery Method for the Job,” Construction Dive, August 2021 (Co-Author)

• “Who’s the Designer? Recognizing and Mitigating Design Risk in Construction Contracts,” NASBP Webinar, September 2021 (Presenter)

• “How to Keep Your Contract Negotiations Out of the Mud,” 2021 AGC Annual Convention, September 2021 (Presenter)

• “Material Price Escalation – Strategies for Existing and Future Contracts,” Associated Construction Contractors of New Jersey (ACCNJ) Webinar, June 2021 (Presenter)

• “How Will Today’s Pandemic Impact Tomorrow’s Construction Contracts?,” ConsensusDocs Newsletter, October 2020 (Co-Author)

• “Public Sector Design-Build: What New York City Contractors Need to Know,” P&A and Aon Webinar, July 2020 (Presenter)

• “COVID-19 Forum: A Series on Managing Risk in Unprecedented Times – Episode 3,” P&A Webinar Forum, April 2020 (Presenter)

• "Coronavirus (COVID-19) - Guidance For Contractors," P&A Client Alert, March 2020 (Author)

• Construction SuperConference, Rancho Palos Verde, California; Presenter, "Who's the Designer? Recognizing and Mitigating Design Risk in Construction Contracts", December 2019 (Presenter)

• "Delegated Design, Design-Assist, and the Erosion of the Spearin Doctrine – Risks and Opportunities for Contractors" – Associated General Contractors of America’s 100th Annual Convention, Denver, Colorado, April 2019 (Presenter/Moderator)

• "Design Delegation – Practical Considerations and the Need for Clarity" – Associated General Contractors of America’s Law in Brief, Volume 5, Issue 1, March 2019 (Co-Author)

• “Managing Construction Risk Through Insurance” – New York State Associate General Contractors’ Construction Industry Conference, December 2018 (Presenter)

• “Recent Changes to the AIA Contract Documents” – Construction Section of the Montana State Bar Association, October 2018 (Presenter)

• “Last Call… On October 31 the AIA Retires the A201-2007 General Conditions – What Does This Mean to You?” – Associated General Contractors of America’s Law in Brief, Volume 4, Issue 4, July 2018 (Author)

• “More Sticks and Bricks – A Practical Guide to Construction Systems and Technology”– American Bar Association Construction Law, July 2018 (Co-Editor)

• “Impact of Steel and Aluminum Tariffs on Contractor Pricing” – National Association of Surety Bond Producers webinar, April 2018 (Presenter)

• “Understanding Your Client’s Corporate and Project Structure” – American Bar Association Forum on Construction Law Annual Meeting, April 2018 (Presenter/Moderator)

• “Consent Agreements: A Trap for the Unwary” – Associated General Contractors of America’s Law in Brief, Volume 3, Issue 5, October 2017 (Author)

• “Old Dog, New Tricks: What You Need to Know About the 2017 AIA A201 General Conditions” – Associated General Contractors of America’s ConsensusDocs Construction Law Newsletter, Volume 3, Issue 3, June 2017 (Co-Author)

• The 2017 AIA A201 Deskbook, Chapter 3 – ABA Publishing – October 2017 (Co-Author)

• “Significant Changes to the AIA Owner/Contractor Agreements: What’s New? What’s a Concern?” Webinar for the Associated General Contractors of America – August 2017 (Presenter)

• “Finding Common Ground in Drafting and Negotiating Design and Construction Documents” Damages Provisions. Forum on Construction Law Regional Meeting, Newark, New Jersey – March 2016 (Presenter)

News & Events

• Lexology Index Recognizes 18 Peckar & Abramson Attorneys for Leading Construction Practices

• Chambers USA Names Peckar & Abramson to Band 1 Level in Construction Law; 33 P&A Lawyers Recognized as Leading Attorneys; Eight Regions and Government Contracts Practice Recognized

• 2025 IBDIC International Conference: “Project Management and Oversight: Contracts, Responsibilities and Challenges”

• AGC WebEd – “The Art of Dealing with Tariffs”