Jennifer Mahar
Jennifer Mahar’s practice focuses on commercial disputes in the government contracting and construction industries. She represents contractors, subcontractors, owners and sureties in all phases of project development and construction including contract formation, project management and dispute resolution. Her experience includes the prosecution and defense of claims in litigation, as well as the successful resolution of claims through various forms of ADR.
Jennifer served on the Board of Governors of the Virginia State Bar Construction Law and Public Contracts Section from 2009 to 2018 and is a former Chair of the Section. She is a past president of the Greater Washington, D.C. Chapter of the National Association of Women in Construction. She is a frequent speaker and contributor to various construction publications.
Chambers USA describes Ms. Mahar as an experienced construction lawyer with a particular focus on high-value disputes. She regularly acts for clients in trials, as well as in arbitrations, and “is well seasoned, very service-oriented and great at providing strategic guidance and legal counsel.”
- Virginia State Bar, Construction Law and Public Contracts Section, Past-Chair of Board of Governors
- National Association of Women In Construction, Past Chapter President, The Greater Washington, DC Chapter
- Maryland State Bar Association, Construction Section
- American Bar Association
- Associated Builders and Contractors
- Chambers USA: America’s Leading Lawyers for Business, Chambers and Partners, Construction – Virginia, Band 4, 2022-2023
- The Best Lawyers in America, Woodward/White, Inc., Construction Law and Litigation – Construction, 2020-2024
- Virginia Super Lawyers, Thomson Reuters, Construction Litigation, 2019-2023
- Washington D.C. Super Lawyers, Thomson Reuters, Construction Litigation, 2019-2022
- Catholic University of America, Columbus School of Law, Recipient, American Jurisprudence Award for Excellence in Civil Procedure; Lead Articles Editor, Journal of Contemporary Health Law and Policy; Member, Moot Court, National Environmental Law Appellate Team
- "Best Practices For Managing Cost And Schedule While Ensuring Performance," co-presenter, National Contract Management Association (NCMA) San Fernando Valley Chapter, July 13, 2021.
- “Licensing of Contractors, Architects and Engineers, Chapter 2,” co-author, Virginia Construction Law Deskbook, Virginia CLE© Virginia Law Foundation Publications, Smith, ed., 2019.
- “Supplement to Chapter 49, Virginia,” co-author, in State-by-State Guide to Architect Engineer and Contractor Licensing, Walker, et al., ed., 2019.
- “P3 Projects: Strategies for Creating the Concessionaire Team,” speaker, American Road and Transportation Builders Association, 11th Annual Law & Regulatory Forum, June 2019.
- “Best Practices for Managing Cost and Schedule While Ensuring Performance,” speaker, National Contract Management Association, Word Congress, July 2018.
- “P3 Projects: Creating the Concessionaire Team,” speaker, 38th Annual Construction and Public Contracts Law Seminar, Virginia State Bar, November 2017.
- “Takeover Agreements—Issues Between the Obligee and the Surety,” speaker, ABA Fidelity and Surety Law Committee Spring Meeting, May 2016.
- “Introduction to Electronic Discovery, Chapter 5,” co-author, Discovery Deskbook for Construction Disputes, American Bar Association, Cook, et al., 2d ed., 2015.
Education
J.D., Catholic University of America Columbus School of Law, 1995, cum laude
B.S., Biology, College of William Mary, 1991
Admissions
Virginia
Maryland
District of Columbia
Court Admissions
U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia
U.S. District Court for the Western District of Virginia
U.S. District Court for the District of Maryland
U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia
U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the District of Maryland
U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit
U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit