Peckar & Abramson, P.C. (P&A) is pleased to announce that partners Cornelius “Lee” Banta, Jr. and Tiffany Harrod recently passed the Texas Board of Legal Specialization (TBLS) Certification Exam and are now Board Certified in construction law by the Texas Board of Legal Specialization. P&A ranks in the top one percent of the Texas organizations that employ Board-Certified construction lawyers, based on the number recognized.

Board Certification is a mark of excellence and a distinguished accomplishment within the Texas legal community. Of the over 100,000 lawyers in Texas, only 6,850 are Board Certified, and only 161 are Board Certified in construction law.

According to the TBLS, the process for construction law certification includes practicing construction law for at least five years as an active member of the State Bar of Texas, showing substantial involvement in construction law, submitting qualified references from judges and lawyers in the area, completing 60 hours of approved continuing legal education, and a written examination.

“We’re incredibly proud of Lee and Tiffany,” commented Matt Moore, Co‑Managing Partner of Peckar & Abramson’s Texas offices. “Their achievement reflects the depth of talent within our firm and reinforces our commitment to delivering the highest level of expertise to our clients across Texas.” He added, “We’re fortunate to have attorneys who not only excel in their practice but also elevate the standard of service we provide to our clients.”

Lee and Tiffany join seven other attorneys in our Texas offices who hold this certification – George Baldwin, Angela Connor, Denis Ducran, Curtis Martin, Timothy Matheny, Matthew Moore, and Cody Schneider. In addition, Partner Stephen Irving is Board Certified in labor & employment.

About Cornelius “Lee” Banta, Jr.

Cornelius “Lee” Banta, Jr. is a Partner in Peckar & Abramson’s Houston office. Lee has experience with delay and lost productivity claims, lien and bond claim disputes, construction defect litigation, and general commercial matters in arbitration, state, and federal court. He has represented owners, contractors, subcontractors, and materialmen at all stages of the litigation process, securing favorable judgments for his clients. Lee earned his J.D. from the University of Houston Law Center, where he received the Susman Godfrey L.L.P. Award for Outstanding Paper in the Area of General Litigation (2015) and his B.A. in History from Amherst College.

About Tiffany Harrod

Tiffany Harrod is a Partner in Peckar & Abramson’s Austin and Houston offices and serves as the Partner-in-Charge of the Austin office. She concentrates her practice on construction and commercial litigation. Tiffany’s practice includes energy litigation involving both onshore and offshore projects, real estate, construction, insurance, professional liability, products liability, and infrastructure. Tiffany has more than eighteen years of experience, including trial experience in state and federal courts throughout Texas, and in various arbitration forums.

About The Texas Board of Legal Specialization

The Texas Board of Legal Specialization (TBLS) was established in 1974 by the Supreme Court of Texas. TBLS certifies lawyers and paralegals that have substantial, relevant experience in select areas of law, completed continuing legal education hours in the specialty area, and passed a rigorous exam.

About Peckar & Abramson, P.C.

P&A is a national law firm with offices in New York City, New Jersey, Washington D.C., Boston, Miami, Los Angeles, Austin, Houston, and Dallas, and has affiliations with global firms across Europe (through its founding membership in Leading Construction Lawyers International Alliance). In addition to its core construction practice, the firm has affiliated practice groups who counsel contractors on labor and employment matters, regulatory compliance issues including D/M/WBE compliance, and general corporate and real estate matters.