Three words that best describe Mary Jane Augustine are experience, expertise and sustainability—both in her career and her specialized practice. Ms. Augustine is a veteran construction law practitioner who has worked for more than 35 years in the sector. She has been recognized by Chambers USA every year since 2008 as a construction “Leader in the Field.” A full-service construction transactional lawyer, Ms. Augustine provides strategic advice and assists clients in structuring the design and construction portions of complex building projects. Her clients include project owners, developers, contractors, construction managers, design professionals and end-users.
As the former Managing Partner of McCarter’s New York Office and previous Practice Group Leader for the firm’s Construction Group, Ms. Augustine has acquired a great deal of business and practice knowledge over the years to be recognized as a leading and influential voice among her peers. She brings that breadth of experience to her clients at every step of the process. Ms. Augustine explains alternative project delivery methods and contractual configurations, and how they might be used on a particular project. She also guides her clients through the decision-making process as they determine which contracting strategies will be most advantageous for their projects. Ms. Augustine then drafts and negotiates design, construction and related contracts reflecting those strategic decisions that both protect the client’s rights and provide a clear roadmap for management of the project.
Ms. Augustine’s in-depth knowledge of construction law is supplemented by a thorough understanding of the design and construction process which she has developed over the course of her career through involvement with different sectors of the construction industry. She has been a contracts consultant with an international project management firm, and in-house counsel for a “signature” architectural firm, in addition to an attorney in private practice.
As construction technology and the needs of her clients have evolved, so has Ms. Augustine’s practice. Observing the movement of the construction industry toward Green Building, Ms. Augustine began to study sustainability as it intersects with design and construction in 2005. She is a now a Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design Accredited Professional (LEED AP), knowledgeable in both the legal and technical aspects of Green Building. Putting that knowledge into practice, she was actively involved with the 132,000 sf renovation in 2009 of McCarter’s main office in Newark, New Jersey, which achieved Silver and Gold LEED Certifications. Ms. Augustine speaks and writes frequently on Green Building topics, and has done graduate work in sustainability at Harvard.
Since 2006, Ms. Augustine has represented the owner of New Jersey’s MetLife Stadium, which is home to the New York Football Giants and the New York Jets, in the design and construction aspects of their project. She was the drafter and lead negotiator for both original Stadium Design/Build Contract and all contracts for owner-furnished systems, as well as numerous post-completion projects.
Ms. Augustine has provided contracting guidance on a wide variety of other notable projects, both domestic and international. Projects in which she played a significant role from a contracts perspective include:
Renovation of New York's Grand Central Station
Design of more than 25 museums, including New York's Museum of Modern Art and the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art
Gazprom Tower in St. Petersburg, Russia
Sports facilities, including the MetLife Stadium
High rise office buildings in mid-town Manhattan including The New York Times Headquarters Building and 300 Madison Avenue
Environmental, infrastructure and industrial projects,including site remediation, port improvements, and electric transmission lines and substations
Hospitals, hotels and restaurants
Tenant buildouts of office space
Theaters, large scale condominium projects, and numerous institutional, mixed-use, commercial and entertainment projects
In addition to the Chambers USA recognition, Ms. Augustine has been a New York Super Lawyer since 2007, and was also listed in Practical Law Company, Construction and Projects 2010/2011.