National construction law firm Peckar & Abramson, P.C. (P&A) is pleased to announce that Founding Partner, Robert S. (“Bob”) Peckar was selected by Women Builders Council (WBC) as a 2021 We for She Inspiration Award recipient. Melissa Salsano, Senior Counsel in the firm’s New York office, also received WBC’s Next Generation of Women Builders Award.

Bob and Melissa were honored at the organization’s 16th Annual Champion Awards Red Tie reception in New York on September 24, which recognized award winners during a presentation that included a series of videotaped interviews with honorees. Many of the presentations, and much of the event, focused on the future of the industry and those who will lead it now and in years to come.

“We applaud WBC for recognizing Bob as a leader who has inspired and driven change in DE&I in the construction industry and the construction bar for nearly five decades,” said firm Chair, Steven M. Charney. He continued, “Bob continues to serve as a guiding force and mentor to the next generation of P&A attorneys and other industry professionals as they pursue careers in construction and in construction law.”

Of Melissa Salsano, New York office Co-Managing Partner Paul Monte said, “Melissa is a smart, talented attorney and engineer who is highly committed to her clients and the profession. She is an emerging leader in our New York office, and we are delighted that WBC named her a Next Generation of Women Builders recipient this year”.

Melinda S. Gentile, Chair of P&A’s Diversity & Inclusion Committee, also commented on this year’s WBC awards for the firm, saying “P&A’s dedication to fostering diversity, equity, and inclusion in the construction industry and construction law is intentionally woven into the firm’s strategic efforts, and is central to our practice. We celebrate Bob and Melissa, whose efforts demonstrate our commitment and echo the culture of P&A.”

About Bob Peckar

Peckar & Abramson, PC Founding Partner Bob Peckar is a lifelong participant in the construction industry. His long and distinguished career spans more than four decades and he continues to have a significant impact on the construction industry and the construction bar. Over his career, Bob has shaped construction law in New York, New Jersey and nationally. His dedication to the development of construction law as the General Counsel to the Building Contractors Association of New Jersey, New York Building Congress and the Building Trades Employers Association of New York for many years, where among his many accomplishments was his role in New Jersey State legislature’s adoption of the current Lien Law. Bob is also author of New Jersey Practice: Construction Law (Volume 41) and dozens of articles on construction law and dispute resolution in the industry. Having spent the first half of his career successfully litigating complex construction cases, he has since concentrated his efforts in guiding clients to the resolution of complex project disputes through creative solutions, including the use of ADR processes, of which he is one of the industry’s leading advocates.

About Melissa Salsano

Melissa Salsano is Senior Counsel and an engineer who practices in the construction and commercial litigation practices in Peckar & Abramson’s New York office. Her primary areas of focus include complex commercial litigation and construction law on behalf of contractors on public and private projects, including delay and extra work disputes, engineer and architect liability suits, contract development and negotiations, and business counseling during project pursuit and performance. Having earned her degree in civil engineering, she offers her clients first-hand knowledge of design and construction, and confronts legal matters with a consistently practical, forward-thinking approach.

About Women Builders Council and the Champion Awards 

Established in 2004, Women Builders Council (WBC) mission states it “represents women in the construction industry on several important fronts: legislative advocacy, new business, and professional development with a special focus on leadership; and empowers women and promotes diversity throughout the construction industry.” Learn more about WBC at wbcnyc.org.

During WBC’s annual Champion Awards 2021 event, the organization honored professionals with its WeForShe Awards who “demonstrated a deep commitment to creative a more inclusive construction industry, by fostering an atmosphere where women can grow, excel and become leaders in their firms.” The Champion Awards also honored WBC’s Next Generation of Women Builders with an award “present[ed] to the young women of the construction industry, who are the rising stars in their firm.”

About Peckar & Abramson, P.C.

Peckar & Abramson, P.C. maintains offices in New York, Austin, Boston, Chicago, Dallas, Houston, Los Angeles, Miami, Oakland, River Edge, NJ, and Washington, DC, and has affiliations with global firms in Latin America (through its founding membership in CONSTRULEGAL) and 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, corporate and regulatory compliance issues including D/M/WBE compliance and general corporate and real estate matters.