Department profile
Varela, Lee, Metz & Guarino

Construction

USA Guide 2026 : USA - Nationwide

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Varela, Lee, Metz & Guarino

About

Provided by Varela, Lee, Metz & Guarino

Founded in 2014 with the opening of offices in Northern Virginia and San Francisco, Varela, Lee, Metz & Guarino (VLMG) represents clients spanning the breadth of the construction industry, including owners, developers, contractors, subcontractors, design professionals, sureties, and public agencies. VLMG’s attorneys have handled litigation and arbitration across the United States and around the world involving a diverse spectrum of construction projects, including civil, industrial, power, commercial, and military/government projects, among many others. VLMG’s attorneys also have substantial experience in counseling clients during ongoing projects, as well as the drafting or review of contract documents. At its core, VLMG is a construction services law firm. Disproving the concept that legal service should only be consulted upon litigation, clients realize value from VLMG’s contract administration support during active projects. As many of our clients understand, project-level decision-making, such as scheduling and change order management, can avoid a lawsuit. VLMG’s professionals work as a team with executive, legal, accounting and engineering personnel as a foundational risk management asset. 

Clients (9)

  • Balfour Beatty
  • Clark Construction
  • DPR Construction
  • Gilbane Building Company
  • Hensel Phelps Construction Co.
  • Parsons Transportation Group
  • CB&I, Inc.
  • CH2M HILL
  • Mitsubishi Hitachi Power Systems, Ltd.

Industries (6)

  • Construction
  • Litigation - Construction
  • International Construction Arbitration
  • Government Contracts
  • Commercial Litigation
  • Surety

Chambers Review

Provided by Chambers

Construction - USA - Nationwide

Band 3

What the Team is Known For

Varela, Lee, Metz & Guarino is a well-respected boutique comprised of construction law specialists on both coasts. It handles sensitive and substantial cases for many of the country's top industry players, and specializes in industrial and power sector projects with engineering, procurement and construction contractors and developers. It is increasingly active in international construction projects and arbitrations, and has significant experience in government contract disputes. The team is particularly skilled in cross-border and multijurisdictional matters.

Notable practitioners

Joseph S. Guarino is a key contact.

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Work Highlights

Provided by Chambers

  • Varela, Lee, Metz & Guarino worked with the joint venture of The Lane Construction Corporation & Salini Impregilo on the prosecution of a claim against the South Florida Water Management District.

Strengths

Provided by Chambers

  • Varela, Lee is extremely knowledgeable with great judgment, the firm understands our company's business and has a broader understanding of construction law and issues.

    Construction respondentUSA

Members

Provided by Varela, Lee, Metz & Guarino

  • Paul A Varela

  • Bennett J Lee

  • Todd R Metz

  • David B Wonderlick

  • Michael M Suga

  • Garrett E Dillon

  • Brian R Dugdale

  • Christopher M Burke

  • Nicholas A Merrell

  • Andrew Van Ornum

  • Kirk E Niemi

  • Joseph S Guarino

Varela, Lee, Metz & Guarino has rankings in the following guides

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