Steven Nudelman, Chair of the firm’s Construction Contracting & Risk Management practice, will serve as moderator for the plenary session “Delegated Design: When a Contractor is More Than Just a Contractor” at the American Bar Association (ABA) Forum on Construction Law 2025 Annual Meeting, which will be held April 23-26, 2025 in Austin, Texas. The session is scheduled for Thursday, April 24 from 2:00pm – 3:15pm.

With more projects incorporating delegated design and design assist by key subcontractors, understanding the standards of care for these processes is crucial. This panel will explore the standards that apply to design work inherent in shop drawings and submittals, as well as more complete delegated design for essential systems like fire protection, elevators, trusses, and HVAC. The program will address the need to spot issues involving delegated design and design assist services and will examine gaps in industry standard forms, including the AIA documents, in addressing these issues.

The ABA Forum on Construction Law Annual Meeting is attended by hundreds of construction industry attorneys and other professionals. The event programming covers a broad spectrum of topics relevant to both litigation and transactional practices, and to outside and in-house counsel.  

A partner in the firm’s Litigation and Real Estate Departments, Mr. Nudelman concentrates his practice in construction law. For over 25 years he has represented members of the construction industry across a broad spectrum of matters. On the transactional side, Mr. Nudelman works with owners and developers, construction managers, general contractors, subcontractors and design professionals to prepare and negotiate contract documents for construction in the New Jersey and New York metropolitan area. His construction contracting work helps his clients manage the risk inherent in construction projects so they may adequately protect their interests now to avoid claims in the future. When disputes are unavoidable, Mr. Nudelman draws upon his wide-ranging experience in construction litigation, representing clients in state and federal courts throughout the New Jersey/New York metropolitan area, as well as in local and international mediations and arbitrations.  

Additional details on the ABA Forum on Construction Law 2025 Annual Meeting are available on the ABA website.