Overview
Timothy F. Hegarty, a Partner at Zetlin & De Chiara, is well known for his successful litigation and transactional practice in the area of construction law with an emphasis on construction and development contracts, claims, arbitration, mediation, and surety law. Mr. Hegarty counsels property owners, developers, institutional clients, lenders, private equity firms, owner’s representatives, architects, engineers, design consultants, construction managers, general contractors, and various trade contractors.
Mr. Hegarty has drafted and negotiated complex design, construction, and development agreements for high-end projects involving traditional delivery methods as well as construction management, design-build, integrated project delivery, and public-private partnerships. He helps clients negotiate contracts, mitigate disputes that often arise during design and construction, and resolves large construction claims for projects located both across the United States and internationally.
Mr. Hegarty also has litigated construction cases in Federal and State Courts. Mr. Hegarty assists clients with their design and construction related legal issues from adjacent property and access license agreement related issues as well as preconstruction, demolition and from concept design through construction administration and post-project completion by anticipating and addressing common issues, outcomes and consequences that may impact their project.
Mr. Hegarty is an adjunct professor at Columbia University where he has proudly taught "Legal Issues in Building Construction" for more than ten years. He has counseled clients on projects that touch all ends of the construction built environment including redevelopment, adjacent property issues such as license agreements and disputes involving change orders, extra work, additional services, liquidated damages, delays, payment/ performance bond/ surety issues, mechanic’s liens, cumulative impact claims, lost productivity, acceleration and inefficiency claims for projects of all types including mixed-use commercial developments, residential communities, office buildings and universities, healthcare, hospitals, pharmaceutical, casinos and public projects, among others.
Prior to attending law school, Mr. Hegarty worked as a civil engineer on complex construction projects and developed a keen ability to read and understand plans and specifications - a highly specialized skill that provides him with a distinct advantage and perspective when evaluating claims and preventing and resolving disputes.
In addition, Mr. Hegarty is General Counsel to the American Council of Engineering Companies of New Jersey. He also serves as a member of the Glen Ridge Planning Board where he has also served as the Acting Chairman of the Board.
Mr. Hegarty is one of the contributors to "Construction Law," Second Edition, 2019, published by the American Bar Association, and is a frequent speaker before professional audiences including the ASCE, ACEC, AIA, PANYNJ, and The New York City Bar Association. He has also written numerous articles for various publications including the New Jersey Law Journal. He has also served as a visiting lecturer at Manhattan College, Pratt Institute, Brooklyn Polytech University and New York Institute of Technology.
Experience
Representative Matters
The following are select representative matters:
Honors
Honors & Recognitions
News & Events
News
Speaking Engagements
Publications
Affiliations
Organizations
Faculty Memberships
- Columbia University, Adjunct Professor
Education
Rutgers School of Law, Newark, J.D.
Rutgers College of Engineering, B.S.C.E.
Admissions
- New Jersey
- New York
Court Admissions
- U.S. District Court, District of New Jersey
- U.S. District Court, Eastern District of New York
- U.S. District Court, Southern District of New York