Paul Alain Sandars III
Summary of Practice
PAUL A. SANDARS, III the Managing Director of the Firm, has over forty years of experience in the areas of construction law and complex commercial litigation, alternative dispute resolution, taxation and zoning matters. He specializes in representing property owners involved in residential, condominium, commercial, industrial, school and public projects. He has appeared before numerous zoning boards and boards of adjustment seeking site plan approvals and variance waivers. His representation of contractors includes those involved in residential, commercial, industrial, school, and public projects. He handles all aspects of construction law, including bid disputes, project management, delay claims, trials, arbitrations, mediations and appeals. He has been involved in projects ranging from $250,000.00 to $50,000,000.00.
He has been an approved American Arbitration Association Construction Arbitrator for over 25 years and has arbitrated over 125 construction cases involving residential, commercial and industrial buildings including art museums, houses of worship, automobile dealerships, veterinary hospitals, lo-and-mid-rise condominium projects, school and college buildings, factories, and a myriad of other building types. He has attended American Arbitration Association and other ADR training courses over the last 25 years and has presented numerous programs involving all aspects of construction arbitration. He is a Fellow of the American College of Civil Trial Mediators, as well as the New Jersey Court Appointed Mediator, specializing in construction related matters.
He has been involved in the Leadership of the American Bar Association, Section of Litigation, for over fifteen (15) years. He was a member of the Council, Co-Division Director of Division I, as well as past Co-Chair of the Construction Litigation, Alternative Dispute Resolution and Pro Bono Committees. He was also a past member of the Council of the American Bar Association, Alternative Dispute Resolution Section and a prior Long Range Planning Officer of that Section. He was also a past Chairman of the New Jersey State Bar Association, Section of Construction and Public Contract Law. He is listed in America’s Best Lawyers under Construction Law and has been named a New Jersey Super Lawyer® under Construction and Surety Law for over twenty years.
Mr. Sandars is an active member of the ABA Forum on Construction, the Associated Construction Contractors of New Jersey, and the American Subcontractors Association. He is a frequent lecturer on construction law and litigation, as well as alternative dispute resolution. He has published numerous articles on construction law and litigation, alternative dispute resolution, and OSHA litigation. He is admitted to practice law in New Jersey, New York, the District of New Jersey, Southern District of New York, United States Court of Appeals-Federal Circuit, U.S. Tax Court, U.S. Claims Court, and the United States Court of Appeals-Third Circuit. He has practiced before the OSHA Review Commission, the New Jersey Department of Labor, as well as the New Jersey Public Utility Commission.
Areas of Practice
Alternative Dispute Resolution, Business & Commercial Law, Construction Law & Litigation, Contracts, Debtor/Creditor, Government Contracts, Insurance Law, Land Use & Zoning, Litigation & Appeals, Real Estate Law, State, Local & Municipal Law, Taxation Law
Professional Associations & Memberships
American Bar Association Section of Litigation, Member, Past Council Member, Past Co-Chair, Construction Litigation, Alternative Dispute Resolution and Pro Bono Committees, Co-Chair Division I
American Bar Association, Dispute Resolution Section, Member, Past Council Member and Long Range Planning Officer
New Jersey State Bar Association, Member, Past Co-Chair, Construction and Public Contract Law Section
New Jersey Chapter of the Building Contractors of America, Member
American College of Civil Trial Mediators, Fellow
ABA Forum on Construction, Member
American Subcontractors Association, Member
Recent Speaking Engagements
NJ State Bar Association. “Construction Law Forum”, July 2021, “The Economic Loss Doctrine”
Construction SuperConference, December 2021, “Litigating Complex Cases involving Condominium Associations”
Alternative Dispute Resolution Training
ACE 22 – Process Essentials for AAA Arbitrators, 2022; ACE21 Impartiality: Do You Know Where Your Biases Are? 2021; ACE20 Cyber Security: A Shared Responsibility, 2020; 2019 Construction SuperConference; AAA ACE19 Case Finances: What Arbitrators Need to Know, 2019; Arbitrator Performance and Demeanor ~ Meeting Participant Expectations, 2018; Getting It Right – Secrets to Writing Better Construction Awards, 2017; AAA eDiscovery -Arbitration in a Digital World ACE12, 2016; AAA Conducting Research & Investigations: The Arbitrator’s Authority ACE09; AAA Avoiding Ten Common Missteps Arbitrators Make ACE10, 2014, AAA Dealing With Delay Tactics in Arbitration ACE04, 2012; AAA Muscular Arbitration: Trimming the Fat Out of Arbitration, 2011; AAA Arbitration Awards: Safeguarding, Deciding & Writing Awards ACE01, 2009; AAA Construction Mediation Conference, 2007; AAA Arbitration Fundamentals and Best Practices for New AAA Arbitrators, 2007; American Bar Association, The Golden State of ADR, 2005; American Bar Association, Resolution and Resilience in New York, 2004; American Bar Association, Insight for Inspired Practice, 2003
Bar Admissions
New Jersey, 1981
New York, 1987
U.S. Court of Appeals Federal Circuit, 1987
U.S. District Court District of New Jersey, 1981
U.S. District Court Southern District of New York, 1990
U.S. Tax Court, 1986
U.S. Court of Federal Claims, 1984
Education
New York University School of Law, New York, New York
LL.M. – 1987
Major: Taxation
Boston University School of Law, Boston, Massachusetts
J.D. – 1981
Wharton School, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
B.S. cum laude – 1978
Major: Finance