Michael S Zetlin

Practice Areas

Construction Law

Career

Michael S. Zetlin, a founding partner of Zetlin & De Chiara LLP, is one of the country’s leading construction litigators and contract specialists who also serves as a strategic advisor to clients.

A graduate civil engineer and attorney, Mr. Zetlin has successfully litigated and arbitrated many multi-million dollar construction claims throughout the United States on projects ranging across all markets including institutional, commercial, residential, energy and infrastructure. He has also drafted and negotiated contracts on projects with construction values in the hundreds of millions of dollars within these sectors.

Mr. Zetlin’s knowledge of the built environment and the issues involved in design, construction, and project management make him a formidable advocate representing national and multi-national firms and a number of the premier owners, developers, financial institutions, design professionals and contractors for their construction-related ventures.

He is an arbitrator for the Large Complex Construction Case Panel as well as the Construction Mega Project Panel of the American Arbitration Association.

Mr. Zetlin is a fellow of the American College of Construction Lawyers and is a member of the National Academy of Construction. He holds the notable AV rating from Martindale-Hubbell and is consistently recognized by Chambers USA, The Legal 500 USA Guide, Super Lawyers Magazine, and Best Lawyers of America as a leading litigator in construction law. He was twice named "Lawyer of the Year” by Best Lawyers in America ​for Construction Law, New York City and Litigation - Construction, New York City. He has been appointed to the International Who's Who of Construction Lawyers by Who's Who Legal.

Mr. Zetlin was honored for his depth of knowledge and experience within the construction industry at the New York Building Congress 2018 Industry Recognition Gala. He also received a Lifetime Achievement Award at City & State's 50 Over 50 award ceremony. City & State also included him in their Law Power 100 list twice and in their Construction Power 50 list.

He serves as the General Counsel to the New York Building Congress and to the New York Chapter of the American Institute of Architects. An author and lecturer, he is an Adjunct Professor at Columbia University, teaching the graduate program Legal Issues in Building Construction, and is the co-editor of New York Construction Law, the definitive treatise on construction law in New York.

Professional Memberships

New York Building Congress - General Counsel; Member, Council of Presidents, Higher Education, Transportation & Infrastructure, Planning, Growth & Sustainability Committees

American Institute of Architects, New York City - General Counsel

American Bar Association - Past Governing Committee Member, Construction Industry Forum

Pratt Institute - Member, Board of Trustees

Columbia University Industry Advisory Committee of Civil Engineering and Engineering Mechanics - Advisory Board Member

Lincoln Center’s Real Estate & Construction Council, Member

ORT America, Inc. - Member, Board of Directors

Columbia University, Adjunct Professor

Education