Elaine Y. Lee
Elaine Lee is a Partner in Peckar & Abramson’s Los Angeles office. She concentrates her practice on construction litigation and dispute resolution and brings experience advising construction clients on California legal issues.
Elaine Y. Lee
Partner
Los Angeles, CA
P +1 310.228.1075
F +1 310.228.1076
“We combine legal expertise with a laser-focused understanding of the construction industry, allowing us to provide the best advice to our clients at every stage.”
Bio
Elaine represents owners, general contractors, and design and engineering professionals in construction litigation. She has extensive experience advising and advocating for clients in significant construction projects, including public infrastructure, commercial buildings, and cultural icons. From early-stage claim development and mediation, discovery, and motion practice, to evidentiary hearings and appeals, Elaine helps clients find their most advantageous position in high-stakes situations.
Recent matters include:
- Represented prime contractor joint venture in DRB procedures and mediation with owner of significant transportation project on the West Coast
- Represented prime contractor in arbitration against subcontractor terminated for inadequate manpower and defective work, resulting in multimillion dollar arbitration award which included cost of repairing and completing scope
- Oversaw several large electronically stored information (ESI) productions, including preservation, collection, review, and management of varied sources of data typically found on construction jobs
Elaine holds a J.D. from the University of Southern California Gould School of Law and is admitted to practice in California state and federal courts. Elaine has served on the Diversity + Inclusion Committee of the ABA Construction Forum, LACBA’s Access to Justice and Amicus Brief Committees, the advisory board of the Young Lawyers’ Division of the Association of Business Trial Lawyers, Los Angeles Chapter, and the advisory board of the Legal Aid Foundation of Los Angeles. She serves as a Women Construction Owners & Executives (WCOE) California Liaison to Women Working Together (WWT).
Highlights
Admissions
• State Bar of California
• United States District Court for the Central District of California
• United States District Court for the Eastern District of California
• United States District Court for the Northern District of California
Memberships
• Women Construction Owners & Executives (WCOE) California, Liaison to Women Working Together (WWT)
Education & Courses
• Washington University, B.S.
• University of Southern California Gould School of Law, J.D.
Awards & Recognitions
• Best Lawyers, “Rising Star,” 2026
• Chambers USA, “Up & Coming,” 2025-2026
Publications & Presentations
• “Current Trends in the Data Center Market,” 7×24 Exchange Southern California Chapter, October 2025.
• “Chapter 12: Changes in the Work,” ABA’s Fundamentals of Construction Law, 3rd Edition, September 2025.
• “Introduction to Construction Law,” Los Angeles County Bar Association panel discussion, August 2025.
• “How to Become ‘Next-Gen’ in Construction Disputes,” Society of Construction Law North America’s Young Professional Panel, July 2025.
• “You’ve Earned Your Seat a the Table: Now Own It,” Groundbreaking Women in Construction (GWIC) San Diego, June 2025 (Presenter)
• “Quicker But Less Dirty: The Biden Administration Both Streamlines and Seeks to Expand NEPA Environmental Review,” The Construction Lawyer – American Bar Association, vol 41 (2022)
News & Events
• Construction Super Conference – “In-House Insight: How Contractors are Managing Legal Risk Alongside Business Strategy”
• Chambers USA 2026 Names Peckar & Abramson Band 1 in Construction Law; 32 Attorneys Across Seven Regions and Government Contracts Practice Recognized
• GWIC 2026 – “Putting on the Lawyer Hat: How Project Teams Can Prevent Top Legal Mistakes”
• 7×24 Exchange – Southern California Fall Event – “Current Trends in the Data Center Market”
