Melissa Salsano is Counsel in the Construction Law Practice of Smith, Gambrell & Russell, LLP.
Ms. Salsano is an experienced construction lawyer, litigator and engineer who represents public and private owners and developers, international and domestic general contractors, and construction managers on a wide array of private and public construction and infrastructure projects. She has represented clients in connection with high-profile projects that include bridges, railroads, power plants, utilities, airports, roadways, hospitals and commercial facilities.
Ms. Salsano represents clients in the resolution of complex litigation matters and disputes at the state, federal and appellate levels, as well as during contract negotiation and project administration. She has experience in all project delivery methods, including alternative delivery projects.
Ms. Salsano routinely provides project counseling where her work includes everything from contract negotiation to execution and final completion. This includes development, negotiation and resolution of claims, as well as dispute resolution with stakeholders at all levels of various projects.
With a background in civil engineering, coupled with extensive dispute resolution, project counseling and negotiation experience, Ms. Salsano effectively delivers solutions to project stakeholders, who often have varying business and legal objectives. She provides a sophisticated level of insight to disputes and her strategic and practical style helps clients resolve legal and business matters efficiently and effectively.
Ms. Salsano’s experience includes serving as acting general counsel for an infrastructure contractor for 18 months through a secondment while working for a prior law firm.
Ms. Salsano earned her J.D. from Rutgers Law School, and holds a B.S. in Civil Engineering, magna cum laude, from the New Jersey Institute of Technology
Transactional:
Drafting and negotiation of various construction, design, and service agreements utilizing various project delivery methods, such as design-bid-build (DBB), design-build (DB), construction manager at risk (CMAR) and Public-Private Partnerships (P3), subcontract agreements, vendor and supply contracts, and labor agreements.
Claims, litigation and alternative dispute resolution:
Ms. Salsano assists clients with construction claims, litigation and alternative dispute resolution (ADR) for range of construction industry clients involving complex commercial, construction and designer liability disputes. Experience includes disputes involving bridges, hospitals, railroads, airports, utilities, and commercial and multi-family residential projects. Some examples of Ms. Salsano’s work prior to joining SGR includes the following:
Panelist, “New World: How 2020 + 2021 Changed the Delivery of Legal Services and the Business of the Construction Industry,” Groundbreaking Women in Construction (GWIC), May 2021.
Speaker, “Forensic Case Study and Arbitration for Hoover Dam Bridge,” Structural Engineering Institute of ASCE SJ Branch and Forensics Group for ASCE SJ Branch joint seminar, October 2018.
