Melissa Billig

Practice Areas

Construction & Design Law

Career

Melissa T. Billig is Co-Chair of Tannenbaum Helpern's Construction & Design Practice. Melissa is a broadly experienced transactional attorney, results-driven construction litigator and strategic counselor. She is adept at drafting and negotiating contracts and navigating the full range of issues that can arise during the development and construction of projects in New York City and across the country. Acting as a business partner, she advises real estate owners, developers, design professionals and construction professionals throughout the project lifecycle. She has extensive experience in risk management, claim avoidance and dispute resolution, including high-profile, multi-party contract disputes and defective design and construction claims. Her transactional practice also focuses on drafting and negotiating license agreements required to protect adjacent properties during construction.

Melissa has represented clients in conjunction with large to midsize development projects, including the Jacob K. Javits Convention Center expansion and renovation, the Governors Island Park project and The Culture Shed project at Hudson Yards. She has also represented clients in connection with exclusive residential renovations.

Prior to joining Tannenbaum Helpern, Melissa was a partner with Ingram Yuzek Gainen Carroll Bertolotti LLP. She has been consistently selected to Super Lawyers and has been awarded AV Preeminent Rating from Martindale-Hubbell. Melissa was also selected by New York Magazine as a “Top Women Leaders in the Law”. Most recently, Melissa was named one of Crain’s New York Business Notable Leaders in Real Estate and to City & State NY’s Trailblazers in Building and Real Estate List.

Melissa is an active speaker, published author and CLE instructor. She currently serves on the Board, and is Founding Co-Chair of the Sustainability Committee, of the Women Builders Council. She sits on Tannenbaum Helpern's Diversity Committee and is a mentor to numerous attorneys in the Firm and other construction industry professionals. Through December 2022 and for over ten years, Melissa served as an active Member of the Board of Trustees for the Center for Architecture.

Professional Memberships

• Board of Trustees and Co-Chair of the Sustainability Committee, Women Builders Council

• Former Member, Board of Trustees, Center for Architecture

Work Highlights

Acting as counsel in connection with:

• The Jacob K. Javits Convention Center expansion and renovation project

• The Governors Island Park Project

• The Brooklyn Expansion Museum

• The Tree of Life Congregation in Pittsburgh, PA

• Various redevelopment projects for Sarah Lawrence College including the redevelopment of the college’s Ruth Leff Siegel Center, Performing Arts Center, and Bates Building

Education

Awards