Peckar & Abramson, PC (P&A) is pleased to announce that Christopher M. Bletsch of the firm’s New York office has been promoted to Partner.

P&A also announces the promotion of the following attorneys to Senior Counsel and Senior Associate:

Senior Counsel

• Angela A. L. Connor (Houston)
• Freddy X. Muñoz (Miami)
• Patrick Murray (New Jersey)
• Melissa Salsano (New York)

 
Senior Associate

• Cornelius “Lee” Banta, Jr. (Houston)
• Crystal T. Dang (Houston)
• Charles E. Fombrun (Miami)
• Ian Fullington (Dallas)
• Jennifer Harris (Washington, DC)
• Joshua A. Morehouse (Washington, DC)
• Mark A. Snyder (New York)
• Justin Van Houten (New York)

 
“Peckar & Abramson’s 2021 promotions reflect each attorney’s dedication and commitment to our clients and the industries we serve, their exceptional work ethic and remarkable legal acumen”, said Steven M. Charney, Chairman of Peckar & Abramson. He continued, “The firm’s attention to the development of our attorneys and our culture of support are paramount – and set the course well for a strong future. We are delighted that our newly promoted attorneys will continue P&A’s more than 42 year legacy of serving the construction industry and other businesses, and help us deliver excellent client service in the years and decades to come”.

About the Attorneys

Christopher M. Bletsch (New York, NY) focuses his practice primarily on construction and other commercial litigation. He counsels general contractors and construction managers on issues such as delay and impact claims, breach of contract, lien foreclosure actions, extra work claims, subcontractor defaults, contract negotiation, project administration, bidding issues, and more. Chris has extensive experience litigating cases in federal and state courts, as well as in arbitration and mediation, and has tried multiple cases to verdict. His representative matters include many public infrastructure projects, such as water treatment, railway, bridge, utility, transportation, and other public sector projects, as well as a variety of private projects encompassing all types of commercial developments. Chris earned his J.D. from Cornell Law School and his B.S. from Georgetown University’s School of Foreign Service.

Angela A.L. Connor (Houston, TX) is dedicated to construction litigation, dispute resolution and contract negotiation. Known for her sound and practical legal advice, she represents a wide range of construction industry clients and regularly handles complex construction-related matters involving mechanic’s liens, payment bonds, contract disputes, collections, delay claims and construction defects. She is also engaged in drafting and reviewing of contract documents and regularly performs contract risk assessment and risk management for a range of construction projects. Angela received her J.D. from South Texas College of Law Houston and her BBA from Texas A&M University.

Freddy X. Muñoz (Miami, FL) is known as a wise business and legal counselor. He handles a wide variety of construction and commercial litigation matters on behalf of his clients and his practice primarily includes the representation of contractors, developers, and other construction professionals in litigation disputes stemming from contract, design, delay, defect, and insurance related matters, as well as creditors and business owners in commercial disputes. Fluent in both Spanish and English, Freddy provides counsel to a range of U.S. and international clients throughout the construction and business communities. Prior to entering the legal field, Freddy led a successful career as a Certified Public Accountant and Senior Risk Consultant for a leading international consulting firm. Freddy earned his J.D. from University of Florida Levin College of Law and his B.S. in Accounting from University of Central Florida.

Patrick Murray (River Edge, NJ) represents construction managers and general contractors in the resolution of various issues such as contract disputes, construction defects, delay and disruption claims, lien claims, performance and payment bond claims, public bidding challenges, and insurance coverage. He is also involved in commercial litigation, aiding clients on a number of claims including business contract disputes, consumer fraud, and bankruptcy. Patrick received his J.D. from Seton Hall University School of Law and his B.A. from Fordham University.

Melissa Salsano (New York, NY) is a construction lawyer and engineer in the firm’s Construction and Commercial Litigation practices. 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, Melissa offers her clients first-hand knowledge of the field and confronts their legal matters with a consistently practical, forward-thinking approach. She has successfully handled numerous construction-related disputes in litigation and in alternative dispute forums. Melissa earned her J.D. from Rutgers University School of Law and her B.S. from New Jersey Institute of Technology.

Cornelius “Lee” Banta, Jr. (Houston, TX) represents general contractors and construction managers and his experience with lien and bond claim disputes, construction defect litigation and general commercial matters. He has represented owners, contractors, subcontractors, and materialmen at all stages in the litigation process, and has obtained favorable judgments for his clients. Lee earned his J.D. from The University of Houston Law Center and his B.A. from Amherst College.

Crystal T. Dang (Houston, TX) is a Construction and Commercial attorney experienced in all aspects of litigation. She has first-chair jury trial experience and works closely with clients from the start to the completion of their case, including handling pre-suit investigations, pre-trial hearings, and dispute resolution. In addition, Crystal has experience in construction, infrastructure, and energy projects. She is fluent in both English and Vietnamese. Crystal earned her J.D. from South Texas College of Law Houston and her B.A. from Houston Baptist University.

Charles E. Fombrun (Miami, FL) handles a variety of legal matters including construction litigation, contractual disputes and commercial related litigation matters. His practice focuses on the representation of contractors and other construction professionals in disputes arising from commercial, governmental and residential projects. Charles is fluent in French, Creole and Spanish, which allows him to provide counsel to both U.S. and international clients. He received his J.D. from the University of Florida Levin College of Law and his B.A. from the University of Miami.

Ian Fullington (Dallas, TX) focuses his practice on construction litigation, commercial dispute resolution and construction defect litigation. He has significant experience with Texas lien and bond claims. He is actively involved with the Young Constructors Council of TEXO, the largest commercial contractor’s association in Texas, representing the North and East Texas chapters of both the Associated General Contractors of America (AGC) and Associated Builders and Contractors (ABC).  Ian also serves as Chair of the Dallas Young Lawyers Division of the State Bar of Texas Construction Law Section. He received his J.D. from the University of Oklahoma College of Law and his BBA from the University of Oklahoma.

Jennifer Harris (Washington, DC) focuses her practice on construction law, complex commercial litigation, and real estate law. Her experience includes representation of general contractors and subcontractors in all aspects of the dispute resolution process, representation of clients in the investigation and defense of payment bond and performance bond claims, as well as the representation of clients in land-use litigation and real estate transactions. Jennifer earned her J.D. from the University of Baltimore School of Law and her B.A. from the University of Maryland at College Park.

Joshua A. Morehouse (Washington, DC) focuses his practice on construction litigation, commercial litigation and construction dispute resolution. He was En Banc Editor of the Vanderbilt Law Review, a member of the Vanderbilt Law School Mock Trial Board and he participated in the Vanderbilt Appellate Clinic, working together with a team of law students on an appeal before the Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals. Josh earned his J.D. from Vanderbilt University Law School and his B.A. from University of Central Florida.

Mark A. Snyder (New York, NY) is known as a thoughtful attorney with a strong practical foundation in construction from working in the business and having a deep understanding of the needs of his construction clients. He focuses on handling complex construction disputes, contractual matters and commercial litigation for highway, utility and building contractors in New York, New Jersey and Pennsylvania. Mark earned his J.D. from Seton Hall University School of Law and his B.A. from Trinity College.

Justin Van Houten (New York, NY) focuses his practice on the representation of general contractors, managers and other members of the construction industry. He regularly assists clients on a wide range of issues that arise throughout the construction process—from contract review and negotiation, to the handling of claims and complex disputes. Prior to joining Peckar & Abramson, Justin held a number of positions in related industries, including having worked for three years as an Assistant Project Manager in New York’s Mid-Hudson Valley and Capital regions. While earning his J.D., he earned competitive legal internship positions at General Electric Company and the Dormitory Authority State of New York (DASNY). Justin earned his J.D. from Albany Law School, with honors, and his B.S. from Syracuse University.

About Peckar & Abramson, P.C.

Peckar & Abramson, P.C. maintains offices in New York City, New Jersey, Washington, D.C., Miami, Chicago, Oakland, Los Angeles, Austin, Houston, and Dallas, and has affiliations with global firms in Europe and Latin America (through its founding memberships in the Leading Construction Lawyers International Alliance and CONSTRULEGAL), London, Paris, China and India. In addition to its core construction practice, the firm has affiliated practice groups who counsel contractors and other businesses on labor and employment matters, corporate and regulatory compliance issues including D/M/WBE compliance and general corporate and real estate matters.