Michael S. Zicherman

Michael S. Zicherman is a construction litigation attorney with more than 30 years of experience representing clients in complex commercial and construction disputes. His practice emphasizes clear analysis, strategic planning, and effective advocacy, with a focus on helping clients address challenging factual and legal issues in litigation, arbitration, and mediation. He is a member of the American Arbitration Association’s national roster of construction arbitrators.

Michael is a senior Partner in the New Jersey office of Peckar & Abramson PC and practices in River Edge, New Jersey. His work centers on Litigation - Construction, including the litigation, arbitration, and appeal of complex commercial and construction matters. He has handled disputes in both domestic and international forums and has appeared before trial and appellate courts in New York and New Jersey. His experience includes matters resulting in published and unpublished decisions in state and federal courts, including Panasia Estates, Inc. v. Hudson Ins. Co, which addressed consequential damages claims arising from an insurer’s breach of an insurance policy.

As part of Peckar & Abramson’s Construction Law Practice, Michael represents owners and developers, engineers, general contractors, construction managers, and subcontractors on a wide range of public and private construction projects. These matters involve infrastructure and transportation projects, including highways, bridges, tunnels, airports, wastewater and power facilities, pipelines, and public-private partnerships, as well as hospitals, retail, office, mixed-use, and school construction. He has prosecuted and defended construction claims involving significant financial exposure, including delay and impact claims, payment and performance bond matters, construction and mechanics’ liens, design-related disputes, and change order claims. Michael also advises clients on pre-bid contract review, risk assessment, contractual rights and obligations, and post-award contract negotiation and drafting. In 2021, he completed FIDIC Certified Course Module 2: Claims and Disputes Resolution.

Michael’s commercial litigation practice includes representing clients in insurance coverage disputes, real estate matters, consumer fraud claims, professional negligence cases, breach of contract actions, and other business-related disputes. He also has substantial experience in bankruptcy proceedings and has represented clients in bankruptcy court, including pursuing claims against debtors and seeking related court relief.

Michael is a frequent author on domestic and international construction law topics. He is the co-editor of Getting the Deal Through’s Construction, an international survey addressing construction law issues, and has co-authored the United States chapter since 2008. From 2006 through 2016, he served as a contributing editor of The Construction Lawyer, the quarterly publication of the American Bar Association’s Forum on the Construction Industry, and for six years co-authored the publication’s “Hard Hat Case Notes” section. His work and professional achievements have been acknowledged by a range of legal publications and peer-review organizations focused on construction law, construction litigation, commercial litigation, and appellate practice.