Janesa Urbano

Janesa advises businesses, contractors, developers and property owners in commercial litigation, construction disputes and transactional matters. With more than 20 years of experience in both private practice and in-house leadership roles, she brings a practical, business-minded approach to litigation strategy, commercial agreements, development-related transactions and risk management issues. Clients value her ability to navigate complex legal and operational matters while maintaining focus on practical solutions and long-term objectives.

Throughout her career, Janesa has advised clients across a broad range of industries on business disputes, commercial transactions, contract negotiation, real estate and development matters, and operational risk management. Her experience includes representing clients in litigation, arbitration and mediation proceedings, as well as counseling businesses on strategies to efficiently resolve disputes and avoid unnecessary disruption and expense whenever possible.

Janesa has significant firsthand experience within the construction industry, giving her unique insight into the operational realities clients face throughout the life of a project. Before returning to private practice, she served as in-house counsel for a construction management/general contracting firm and as Vice President and Chief Counsel for the New Jersey Schools Development Authority, where she advised on large-scale public construction and development matters. That experience gives her a practical understanding of project risk, contract administration, scheduling pressures, dispute avoidance and how negotiated contract terms ultimately impact project execution. From project inception through completion, Janesa advises contractors, developers, owners and construction industry clients on contract drafting and negotiation, risk management strategies and day-to-day project issues. She represents clients in disputes involving delays, extra work claims, bid protests, change order disputes, construction defects and other complex construction-related claims.

In addition to her legal practice, Janesa is an adjunct professor at Temple University Beasley School of Law, where she teaches Trial Advocacy, and a visiting professor with Emory University School of Law’s Kessler-Eidson Program for Trial Techniques.

Representative Matters

• Secured a defense verdict for a property management company in a Philadelphia matter involving claims seeking more than $4 million in damages.
• Obtained summary judgment on behalf of a contractor in a dispute involving alleged self-performance violations on a public project.
• Successfully defended multiple bid protests involving public construction projects in New Jersey.
• Assisted in the acquisition and financing of a Philadelphia student housing development project valued at more than $100 million.
• Represented a multi-unit Planet Fitness franchisee in the sale of its ownership interests to the largest Planet Fitness franchisee in the system.

Results may vary depending on your particular facts and legal circumstances.