Gerard J. Onorata
Gerard J. Onorata has been with Peckar & Abramson since 1992 in the construction practice. He concentrates primarily on representing general contractors. He has authored a number of articles related to ERISA preemption of the New York Lien Law, the New Jersey Bond Act and the New Jersey Construction Lien Law for the Construction and Public Contracts Law Section Newsletter of the New Jersey State Bar Association.
Gerard J. Onorata
Partner
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+1 201.343.3434
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+1 201.343.6306
“Contractors engaged in complex, high-profile projects require counselors who are deeply embedded in the construction industry and have experience advising clients through each stage of the building process.”
Bio
Gerard has worked on an array of cases arising out of projects being constructed within and outside the United States. He routinely handles multimillion-dollar litigations and arbitrations, some of which have resulted in several published decisions. To his credit, he has obtained a number of successful arbitration awards during his time at Peckar & Abramson and has developed a reputation as being a tough and aggressive adversary. His experience ranges from handling disputes that relate to large commercial projects to infrastructure projects to extremely high-end residential homes. He has been recognized by New Jersey Super Lawyers, New York-Metro Super Lawyers and Best Lawyers for his prominence in construction law. In 2019, Gerard was invited to become a member of the panel responsible for rating arbitrators on the American Arbitration Association’s Construction Mega Projects panel. According to AAA, “the rating committee is a diverse group of advocates and in-house counsel representing owners, contractors, design professionals and insurers with experience in disputes arising out of significant construction and infrastructure projects”.
Practice
Highlights
Admissions
State of New York
State of New Jersey
United States Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit
United States District Court for the Eastern District of New York
United States District Court of the Southern District of New York
United States District Court for the District of New Jersey
Memberships
New Jersey State Bar Association
New York State Bar Association
American Bar Association
Education and Courses
University of New Haven, B.A.
Seton Hall University School of Law, J.D.
Awards and Recognitions
New Jersey Super Lawyers, 2007, 2015 - 2021
New York-Metro Super Lawyers, 2012 - 2021
Best Lawyers, 2012 - 2022
Best Lawyers, "Lawyer of the Year" in Litigation – Construction – Hackensack region, 2019
ALM & Martindale-Hubbell “New York Top-Rated Lawyers”, 2020
Bergen Magazine, Top Lawyer – Construction, 2021
NJBIZ Leaders in Law, 2021
Publications & Presentations
“Building Blocks for Handling Construction Law Cases,” New Jersey Institute for Continuing Legal Education Webinar (speaker), April 2022.
“The Basics of Subcontractor Defaults – Key Considerations,” AGC ConsensusDocs, February 2021.
“Construction Disputes - Session 3: What Can We Do to Make the DRB Work for Us?,” P&A Webinar (speaker), January 2021.
“Construction Disputes - Session 2: Contract Provisions,” P&A Webinar (speaker), October 2020.
“Construction Disputes - Session 1: Tackling Subcontractor Disputes,” P&A Webinar (speaker), August 2020.
“Construction Law Issues in the Age of Coronavirus (COVID-19),” P&A Webinar (speaker), April 2020.
“Successful Strategies for Preparing and Putting Forward Claims for Additional Compensation and Time,” P&A Breakfast Seminar (speaker), January 2019.
“Winning The Subcontractor Fight,” P&A Breakfast Club Seminar (speaker), January 2018.
“It’s Complicated: Public-Private Relationships on Transformative Developments & Infrastructure,” Third Annual Anchin Construction & Development Forum (moderator), February 2017.
“Ownership Rights of an Architect’s Work,” New Jersey State Bar Association Construction and Public Contracts Law Section Newsletter, June 2005.
