Stephen A. Venzie

As an experienced construction litigator, Stephen counsels public and private owners, engineers, general contractors, construction managers, subcontractors, suppliers, and sureties through all stages of public, private, and federal projects. He represents clients on projects such as commercial and retail buildings, casinos, libraries, schools and universities, student housing, restaurants, condominiums, courthouses, airports, rail lines, hospitals, roads, sewers, wastewater treatment plants, fire stations, process piping plants, and military-owned facilities.

Clients rely on Stephen to assist them through the various disputes that can occur on a construction project. He considers both the client’s short-term and long-term goals during a project related dispute and helps the client develop strategies that puts them in a position to overcome the immediate problem but also be prepared to prosecute or defend any post-completion dispute. Stephen also helps clients minimize or avoid project disputes by drafting, negotiating, and reviewing a wide variety of contracts, purchase orders, and service agreements. He has experience counseling clients on many types of project-related disputes including, bidding, design errors and omissions, specification and construction discrepancies and defects, non-conforming materials, schedule delay, inefficiency and acceleration claims, unforeseen and differing site conditions, scope changes, defaults and terminations, and payment claims.

When a dispute is not resolved during the course of the project, Stephen represents clients in the prosecution and defense of claims in all phases of post-completion litigation in both federal and state court. He also represents clients in alternative dispute resolution proceedings including pre-litigation case assessment and counseling, the filing and prosecution of payment and performance bond claims, Miller Act claims and mechanics’ lien claims, mediations, arbitrations, trials, and appeals.

In addition to his construction litigation practice, Stephen counsels clients through ancillary commercial disputes and issues such as shareholder redemption and operating agreement disputes, non-compete clauses, employee wage disputes, Internal Revenue Service (IRS) levies, and corporate formation and dissolution.

Before joining Cohen Seglias, Stephen served as a Vice President of a well-respected, boutique law firm specializing in construction law and litigation in the tri-state area. Stephen led the opening of the firm’s Delaware office and served as the managing attorney for the firm’s Delaware office and New Jersey practice.