Barclay Damon has added a new practice area, Power & Energy Construction, following the combination announced earlier this year with Washington DC–based Shapiro, Lifschitz & Schram (SLS). The addition of 10 lawyers, three paralegals, and four administrative staff of SLS includes five lawyers dedicated exclusively to commercial and construction litigation and transactions with a deep industry focus in power and energy construction disputes, EPC contracts, and complex projects.
As noted by co-chair of the new practice area, Judah Lifschitz, “Our team is seasoned, with multidisciplinary construction industry professionals serving public utilities, owners of power and energy plants and related facilities, developers, private equity firms and EPC contractors, and more on matters throughout the United States.” Having won one of the largest liquidated damages awards in the history of the construction industry, Lifschitz leads a veteran team with extensive experience in construction-related matters, including power and energy construction matters. Partner Laura Fraher will serve as co-chair of the new practice, bringing with her over 14 years of close collaboration with Lifschitz.
The timing could not be better, noted Rick Capozza, the principal architect of building out the firm’s Energy Practice Area over the past 25 years. It has become Barclay Damon’s leading industry and strategic focus and boasts one of the largest client segments of the firm. “The initial response from our energy clients has been overwhelmingly positive since the news got out that Judd and the SLS team were joining the firm,” said Capozza. He added, “Given the speed of play in the development of new power generation projects, particularly utility-scale renewable projects, we anticipate an exponential need in the areas of EPC contracting and construction disputes.”
Several other practice areas at the firm have benefited from the SLS combination, as the team has added further depth in the Corporate, Real Estate, Financial Institutions & Lending, and Commercial Litigation & Complex Trials Practice Areas. Barclay Damon’s Construction & Surety Practice Area chair, Jim Domagalski, welcomed Lifschitz and his team to the firm and to his group with the decision to share leadership responsibilities for that group with him.
About Barclay Damon
For over two decades, Barclay Damon has been successfully pursuing a disciplined expansion strategy throughout its platform of offices in major and smaller markets. In addition to the SLS combination, the firm’s recent deal history includes the addition of a five-person intellectual property team from Murtha Cullina, the addition of 20 lawyers from LeClairRyan, the addition of seven wealth management planning and elder law attorneys from Lacy Katzen LLP, a combination with the 14-attorney bankruptcy firm Menter, Rudin & Trivelpiece, PC, and the addition of the 11-attorney energy-environmental firm Gilberti Stinziano Heintz & Smith, PC. The 65-lawyer Damon Morey LLP combined with the 210-lawyer Hiscock & Barclay in 2015, resulting in the name change to Barclay Damon LLP. The firm’s signature lateral recruitment and integration program has increased the firm from 50 to nearly 300 attorneys over the past three decades. For more information, please visit the firm’s website at Homepage | Barclay Damon.