Martin A. Onorato represents owners, design professionals, construction managers, general contractors, trade contractors, and other construction industry clients. He counsels clients on construction contracts and disputes in a wide array of public and private settings, including hospitals, research facilities, energy generation, universities, schools, high-rise construction, casinos, luxury resorts, bridges, and industrial facilities. With education and experience in both architecture and law, he brings a unique perspective and practical understanding to construction industry clients he advises, and he frequently delivers seminars and presentations about construction law. Professional Associations - Connecticut Bar Association, Construction Law Section, Executive Committee - American Bar Association, Forum on the Construction Industry - American Institute of Architects, Connecticut Chapter, Board of Directors - American Institute of Architects, Connecticut Chapter, Chair of Professional Practice Committee - Connecticut Building Congress, President - Connecticut Building Congress, Industry Practices Committee - Connecticut Building Congress, Ways and Means Committee - Higher Education Real Estate Lawyers (HEREL) - Design-Build Institute of America, New England Region, Legislative Committee Honors and Awards - Listed in Hartford Magazine's April 2010 issue as one of the Top Lawyers in Greater Hartford in the area of Construction/Development - Listed in Connecticut Super Lawyers® in the area of Construction Litigation since 2010 (Super Lawyers is a registered trademark of Key Professional Media, Inc.) Experience - Representation of a prestigious northeastern Ivy League university regarding its interests in drafting and negotiating hundreds of millions of dollars in design, construction, and consulting contracts on the university's most prominent projects. Served as special counsel in developing and maintaining a new family of construction and design contract documents, reflecting an integrated project delivery system. Document forms include various standard forms of construction and design agreements, such as general contractor agreements, construction management agreements, design and consulting contracts, bond forms, purchase orders, bid documents, RFP forms, bundling agreements, and design-build contracts. Representation also includes advice on policies governing owner-controlled insurance program, safety, project labor agreements, procurement deliverables, claims readiness, and dispute resolution. - Successfully recovered professional fees on behalf of architectural firm for design services rendered to a developer. * - Obtained owner's judgment against defaulting contractor for contractual breaches, fraud, bad faith, unfair trade practices, and fraudulent transfer of assets. * - Obtained arbitration award, successfully invalidating a liquidating agreement between a subcontractor and general contractor. * - Representation of a public-private partnership with the State of Connecticut to redevelop, operate, and maintain Connecticut's 23 highway service plazas. The 35-year agreement was the result of extended negotiations with the state Department of Transportation. The service plaza overhauls will also include "green" initiatives to bring the facilities up to Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design standards, improve water runoff patterns, and install idle-reduction technology for use by trucks on the Connecticut Turnpike, also known as Interstate 95. Including projected revenues, initial construction, and reinvestments, the benefit to the State of Connecticut is estimated to be almost $500 million over the term of the agreement. * Atty. Onorato was counsel in these representative matters before joining Robinson and Cole. Publications & Presentations Articles - "Academic Solutions" (8/2009), published in Solutions, coeditor - "Copyright Ownership Clauses: The Project Must Go On" (2006), published in Solutions - "Home Improvement or Home Disaster? What Homeowners Should Know Before Hiring a Contractor," coauthored with Lori Amann Chetcuti (2005), published in Danbury News-Times - "To Settle or Not to Settle? Classic Dilemma" (2004), published in Surety Claims Institute Newsletter - "Toward Greener Buildings" (2004), published in OCCAM'S RAZOR - "Arbitrating Construction Claims Against the State" (2003), published in KEYSTONE, Connecticut Building Congress - "Improper Bond Form Exposes Construction Manager's Surety to Project Materialmen" (2003), published in OCCAM'S RAZOR - "Proposed Legislation Would Make Public Owners Liable to Subs If the Contractor Fails to Post a Payment Bond" (2003), published in OCCAM'S RAZOR - "Team Building: A Look at Project Delivery Systems" (2003), published in OCCAM'S RAZOR - "Default Judgement Against Bond Principal Has No Preclusive Effect on Surety" (2002), published in OCCAM'S RAZOR - "Perfection of the General Indemnity Agreement: The Result May Not Be Perfect with the Surety" (2002), published in Surety Claims Institute - "Public Works Bond Surety Not Liable to Third-Tier Supplier That Was a Party to a Joint Payment Agreement with the Second-Tier Subcontractor" (2002), published in OCCAM'S RAZOR - "Raise Your Right Hand and Swear" (2002), published in OCCAM'S RAZOR - "Direct Sureties Are Now Prohibited on State Public Works Projects" (2001), published in OCCAM'S RAZOR - "Construction Case Law Summary" (1998), published in Connecticut Bar Association Construction Law Section - "Troubleshooting a Troubled Project: Navigating Your Way Through Design and Construction Contracts," published in National Association of College and University Attorneys - "28 Million Permit Application," published in Solutions Presentations - "Meet the Architects" (5/10/2011), moderator of panel discussion at Connecticut Building Congress program. The panel focused on the status of economic recovery, major market drivers for projects, and regional trends in design. - "Avoiding the Six Common Mistakes of Construction Management Practice," copresented with Elizabeth K. Cunha and Frank C. White Jr. (4/21/2011) - "Important Fundamentals of Construction Law in Connecticut" (3/14/2011) presented at Hartford Chapter of The Construction Specifications Institute, Rocky Hill, Connecticut - "Managing Liability Issues in Green Buildings and Sustainable Construction," copresented with Gregory R. Faulkner (10/15/2010) at Higher Education Real Estate Lawyers - "Opportunities & Challenges in Green Building Projects" (4/2009) presented at Sustainability and Climate Change Series - "The 2007 Contract Documents from AIA and Consensus DOCS" (March/April 2009) presented at Robinson & Cole LLP, Boston, Massachusetts, and Stamford, Connecticut - "The New Contract Documents and Integrated Project Delivery Documents from AIA and ConsensusDOCS" (10/20 to 10/21/2008) presented at Higher Education Real Estate Lawyers Conference, Austin, Texas - "Building Information Modeling (BIM): Legal Liability and Risk Issues" (6/5/2008) presented at CONSTRUCT, 2008, Construction Specification Institute (CSI) Annual Convention, Las Vegas, Nevada - "The New AIA Documents: Selected Issues on Finance, Insurance, Dispute Resolution, BIM, and Collaborative Agreement" (5/2/2008) presented at ABA Real Property Trusts and Estates Spring Symposium, Washington DC - "New Developments in Construction Agreements: the AIA and ConsensusDOCS" (2/14/2008) presented at Construction Contacts CLE Workshop, New York, New York - "2007 AIA Documents and ConsensusDOCS" (11/17/2007) presented at CBA Construction Section Meeting, Berlin, Connecticut - "Construction Law - Negotiating with Architects" (9/27 to 9/28/2007) presented at Higher Education Real Estate Lawyers Conference, Seattle, Washington - "Design and Engineering Contract Issues" (3/15/2007) presented at Construction Contacts CLE Workshop, New York, New York - "BIM and Your Practice" (3/8/2007) presented at Connecticut Chapter of American Institute of Architects - "Pros and Cons of Cost-Plus vs. Fixed-Price Contracts" (3/2/2007) presented at Lorman Web conference - "Recapturing the Competitive Advantage: Bringing Value to the Project Through Effective Management" (6/8 to 6/10/2006) presented at American Institute of Architects, National Convention, Los Angeles, California - "Successful Project Development Workshop" (6/2/2006) presented at the Construction Institute - "What to Do When Construction Projects Go Bad" (4/28/2006) presented at Lorman Education Services - "Change Orders in Connecticut" (11/30/2005) presented at Lorman Education Services - "Change Orders in Massachusetts" (11/30/2005) presented at Lorman Education Services - "Tightening Your Contracts: Clauses You Wish the Standard Agreements Included" (6/11/2004) presented at American Institute of Architects, National Convention, Chicago, Illinois - "What to Do If You Are Sued?" (1/21/2003) presented at Connecticut Chapter of American Institute of Architects - "Connecticut Construction Law: Can This Job Be Saved? Creative Strategies for Project Completion and Litigation Avoidance" (2/1/2001 and 2/24/2000) presented at Lorman Education Services News 6.17.11, Martin Onorato Elected President of Connecticut Building Congress 5.25.11, Construction Partner Moderates Connecticut Building Congress Panel Discussion 4.29.11, Construction Attorneys Onorato and Cunha Present Webinar on Construction Management 11.02.10, Construction Attorneys Speak on Green Buildings and Sustainable Construction 2.08.10, Robinson & Cole Attorneys Present on Architectural Copyright Law 1.07.10, Robinson & Cole Construction Partner Appointed to Board of Directors for Connecticut Chapter of American Institute of Architects 12.15.09, Robinson & Cole Attorney Elected to Board of Directors for the Connecticut Chapter of the American Institute of Architects 11.12.09, Robinson & Cole Attorneys Present on Employment Program to Connecticut Chapter of American Institute of Architects 11.14.08, Robinson & Cole, a leading commercial law firm with more than 225 lawyers and eight offices in the Northeast and Florida, announced today that 9 partners and over 20 additional attorneys from Thelen LLP will be joining the firm. |