Jennifer L. Harris
Jennifer Harris is a Partner in Peckar & Abramson’s Washington, D.C. office. Her primary areas of practice are construction law, government contracts, and complex commercial litigation.
Jennifer L. Harris
Partner
Washington D.C.
P +1 202.293.8815
F +1 202.293.7994
Collaboration, leadership, and sound business practices are key to the success of any construction project, which presents a fascinating set of challenges regardless of your role in the industry.
Bio
Jennifer represents general contractors, subcontractors, and joint ventures on public and private projects. She handles disputes involving claims for nonpayment, mechanic’s liens, wage and hour claims, design defects, and delay and disruption claims, as well as the representation of clients in the investigation and defense of payment and performance bond claims and indemnity actions. Jennifer also counsels her clients on federal and state compliance issues, joint ventures, mentor protégé relationships, and assists her clients with minority certifications.
Over the course of her career, Jennifer has counseled her clients in arbitrations and mediations, as well as in all stages of state and federal litigation, including jury trials and appeals.
Prior to joining Peckar & Abramson, Jennifer was a real estate and business litigation attorney in Baltimore, Maryland. She also clerked for the Honorable Mickey J. Norman in the Third Judicial Circuit of Maryland.
Jennifer holds a J.D. from the University of Baltimore School of Law, where she graduated summa cum laude and was a member of the Heuisler Honor Society. During law school, she was on the Executive Board of the University of Baltimore Law Review, competed on the National Labor Law Moot Court Team, and served as a Rule 16 Attorney for the Civil Advocacy Clinic. Jennifer also completed externships with the U.S. Department of Labor – OSHA and the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission.
Jennifer is admitted to practice in Washington, D.C., Maryland, and Virginia.
Highlights
Admissions
• State of Maryland
• Commonwealth of Virginia
• District of Columbia
• United States District Court for the District of Maryland
• United States District Court for the District of Columbia
• United States District for the Eastern District of Virginia
Memberships
• Washington Building Congress
• NAWIC DC Chapter
• Associated Builders and Contractors Metro Washington, Board of Directors, 2025; Women Building Washington Committee – 2021-2025; Joint Legislative Committee – 2022-2025
• ACE Mentor Program, Greater Washington-Metro Chapter
• Trash Free Maryland, Pro Bono Non-Profit Advisory Counsel - 2018
• Business Volunteers of Maryland - GIVE Program Fellow - 2018
• University of Baltimore School of Law Peer Mentorship Program - 2018
• University of Baltimore Alumnae Council – 2017, 2018
Education & Courses
• University of Maryland at College Park, B.A.
• University of Baltimore School of Law, J.D., summa cum laude
Awards & Recognitions
• Best Lawyers “Ones to Watch,” 2022-2027
• Chambers USA “Up & Coming,” 2025-2026
• Washington, DC Super Lawyers, 2026
• Washington, DC Super Lawyers, Rising Star, 2019, 2022-2025
• Heuisler Honor Society, University of Baltimore School of Law
Publications & Presentations
• Virginia Construction Law, Virginia Practice Series 2022-2023 and 2023-2024 Editions, (Co-Author). Contributor for the 2019-2020, 2020-2021, and 2021-2022 Editions
• Lexology Panoramic: US Construction (State by State) USA - DC, 2026 Edition (Co-Author)
• “Putting on the Lawyer Hat: How Project Teams Can Prevent Top Legal Mistakes, ” 2026 Groundbreaking Women in Construction Conference, June 2026 (Presenter)
• “Batten Down the Hatches: How Counsel and Project Teams Prevent Catastrohpic Failures,” P&A and Construction Super Conference Webinar, April 2026 (Presenter)
• “Build Your Foundation, Frame Your Decision-Making Strategy,” Women in Construction Leadership and Networking Conference, October 2025 (Presenter)
• “Prevailing Wage, Davis Bacon, PLA, and Wage Theft & Misclassifications,” ABC Metro Washington, October 2025 (Presenter)
• “Deep Dive into MWDBE,” Groundbreaking Women in Construction (GWIC) San Diego, June 2025 (Presenter)
• “Riding the Waves: Navigating the Uncertain Waters of Diversity Initiatives,” Groundbreaking Women in Construction (GWIC) San Diego, June 2025 (Presenter)
• “Wage Theft and Misclassification: Recent Developments and How to Avoid the Consequences,” ABC Regional Construction Summit, March 2025 (Presenter)
• “Riding the Waves: Navigating the Uncertain Waters of Diversity Initiatives,” Groundbreaking Women in Construction (GWIC) New York, March 2025 (Presenter)
• “Key Risks, Implications, and Consideration When Working on Public Projects,” 2024 Construction Super Conference, December 2024 (Presenter)
• “Taking Advantage of New Tax Credits and Prevailing Wage Bonuses Under the Inflation Reduction Act for Clean Energy Construction Projects,” ConsensusDocs Newsletter, September 2024 (Co-Author)
• “AI: What You Do Not Know Could Hurt Your Business,” ABC-Metro Washington Chapters Building Washington Magazine, Summer 2024 (Co-Author)
• “Change Order Management: Maximize Your Recovery, Minimize Your Costs & Time,” Associated Builders and Contractors (ABC) of Metro Washington – Women Building Washington Webinar, May 2024 (Presenter)
• “Lunch Table: Taking the Lead and Embracing Opportunity,” Groundbreaking Women in Construction Conference, May 2024 (Presenter)
• “AI in Construction: Exploring the Opportunities and Risks,” Associated Builders and Contractors (ABC) of Metro Washington – Women Building Washington, March 2024 (Presenter)
• “United States Department of Labor Finalizes Independent Contractor Rule,” ConsensusDocs Newsletter, April 2024 (Co-Author)
• “New Certification Requirements for Veteran-Owned Small Business Concerns and Service-Disabled Veteran-Owned Small Business Concerns Seeking Public Procurement Contracts,” P&A Client Alert, January 2024 (Co-Author)
• “United States Department of Labor Finalizes Independent Contractor Rule,” P&A Client Alert, January 2024 (Co-Author)
• Construction Arbitration, The Advocate’s Practical Guide, Chapter 8 – Strategy and Tactics during the Hearing, August 2023 (Co-Author)
• “Building and Fostering Relationships in the Construction Industry” Groundbreaking Women in Construction (GWIC) conference, May 2023 (Presenter)
• “New Certification Requirements for Veteran-Owned Small Business Concerns and Service Disabled Veteran-Owned Small Business Concerns Seeking Public Procurement Contracts,” P&A Client Alert, January 2023 (Co-Author)
• “Strategic Partnerships: How to Build Industry Relationships,” Associated Builders and Contractors (ABC) of Metro Washington – Women Building Washington, March 2023 (Moderator)
• “Recent Federal Contracting Developments: New Veteran-Owned Small Business Certification Requirements, Joint Venture Regulations and Inflation Relief,” National Association of Surety Bond Producers, February 2023 (Co-Presenter)
• “Contract Administration,” 2022 Regional ABA Meeting Forum on Construction Law, December 2022 (Presenter)
• “Women Building Washington Presents: Mentorship in Construction - Why It Matters,” Associated Builders and Contractors (ABC) of Metro Washington Presentation, October 2022 (Presenter)
• “The World is a New Place: New Laws, Regulations, Pandemics, Escalation, Manpower and Material Shortages, Public Money, and More Have Changed the Construction Industry,” Associated Builders and Contractors (ABC) of Metro Washington seminar, October 2022 (Presenter)
• “Bonding and Insurance - Risk Management Considerations,” Associated Builders and Contractors (ABC) of Metro Washington seminar, September 2022 (Presenter)
• “Navigating the Impact and Negotiating for the Future – Labor and Material Escalation,” Associated Builders and Contractors (ABC) of Metro Washington Presentation, August 2022 (Presenter)
• “SBA Reduces Obstacles for Small Businesses Competing for Prime Federal Government Contracts,” Peckar & Abramson Government Contracts Blog, August 2022 (Co-Author) and republished by National Association of Surety Bond Practitioners
• “DoD Issues Guidance on Inflation Adjustments for Contractors,” Peckar & Abramson Government Contracts Blog, June 2022 (Co-Author)
• “The Realities and Implications of Diversity and Inclusion in Construction Law: The Impact of Implicit Bias,” Groundbreaking Women in Construction (GWIC), May 2022 (Co-Presenter)
• “How to Prepare a Claim that Will Maximize Your Recovery and Maximize Your Costs and Recovery Time,” Associated Builders and Contractors (ABC) of Metro Washington seminar, May 2022 (Co-Presenter)
• “Killer Contract Clauses,” Associated Builders and Contractors (ABC) of Metro Washington presentation, April 2022 (Co-Presenter)
• “Time to ‘Construct’ New Social Media Policies,” ConsensusDocs Newsletter, March 2022 (Co-Author)
• “Secrets to Preparing a Winning Proposal,” ABC Metro Washington Seminar, March 2022 (Presenter)
• “Quantifying a Loss of Labor Productivity: When You Can’t Do a Measured Mile, What Now?” 2021 Construction Super Conference, December 2021 (Panelist)
• “Virtual Mediation – How Do I Make it Work for Me?” ConsensusDocs, December 2020 (Co-Author)
• “Subcontractor Failure to Pay Employee Wages Could Fall on General Contractors,” Construction Executive, November 2020 (Contributor)
• “Government Limits Adequate Price Competition Exception to the Requirement to Submit Certified Cost or Pricing Data,” Peckar & Abramson GovConLaw Blog, July 2019 (Author)
• “Collections: Statute of Limitations on Service Contracts and Commercial Leases,” June 2018 (Author)
• “’Technically Speaking’—the Do’s and Don’ts of the New Maryland Electronic Filing Rules,” October 2017 (Author)
• “Maryland’s Reasonable Accommodations for Disabilities due to Pregnancy Act: Meaning, Interpretation, and Implications,” 44 U. Balt. L. Rev. (Sept. 29, 2014) (Author)
News & Events
• Construction Law and Public Contracts Seminar – “Standard of Care in a Fast-Evolving World”
• Construction Super Conference – “Perspectives from In-House and Outside Counsel: Managing Catastrophic Failures – Insolvency, Defaults, and Legal Strategies for Survival”
• ABC Metro Washington – “Building in the District: A Practical Guide to D.C. Legal Compliance for Construction Companies”
• Peckar & Abramson Again Tops Construction Law Rankings in Best Lawyers 2027
