Richard Elbert

About Richard Elbert

Director and General Counsel for internationally acclaimed architectural firm\'s Americas office, Rich is a construction law attorney and registered architect with expertise in the A/E/C industry. Rich built and manages the office\'s legal team and provides counsel to the firm for contracts, negotiations, business operations, IP, copyright and trademark rights, and legal compliance requirements. Rich oversees the office\'s risk management and insurance needs for emerging claims, liens, leases, dispute resolution, and litigation. Rich is a highly-experienced legal and construction industry professional, having worked for NY and NJ law firms as well as in a construction law practice, serving as outside-counsel for national and international architects and engineers, including structural and MEP consultants, construction companies, contractors and developers. Experience includes zoning and land use, construction contracts, insurance coverage disputes, and litigation of claims for errors and omissions, construction defects, delay, and contract disputes. As a licensed architect, Rich served as the Site Architect and a Facilities Architect for an international business company and a Project Architect for a regional A/E firm. His extensive A/E/C industry experience includes planning, programming and design phases through construction administration, of school, commercial, office, residential and industrial structures. Rich is actively involved in family and community, coaching soccer teams and seeking out travel adventures from scuba diving to skiing. He is currently a board member on the NJ Schools Development Authority which oversees billions of dollars of school construction, and the Westfield Foundation, a philanthropic organization. He is a member of legal and architectural professional associations, and has served on numerous civic and social organizations as a board member and trustee, including planning and architectural review boards, historical societies, philanthropic organizations, and as an elected Town Council representative.

Experience

1. Director & General Counsel

   BIG - Bjarke Ingels Group

   Mar 2017 — Present · New York, NY, US

   In-house counsel with A/E/C expertise for internationally-acclaimed architectural firm with offices in New York, Copenhagen, London, Barcelona and Thailand. General Counsel Americas, leads the US legal team and collaborates with the firm’s global offices, providing counsel on contracts, negotiations, business operations, IP rights (including copyright and trademark), and oversees compliance and privacy requirements, licensing and business registrations throughout the world. Provides risk management and insurance oversight for emerging claims and dispute resolution, and litigation matters.• Works with CEO, COO, CFO and Business Development, PR and HR teams on company initiatives and oversees legal contracts team with contract reviews, preparation and negotiations; establishes expansion offices, including required corporate documents and leases.• Manages litigation and pre-claim matters internally and with outside counsel and conducts education seminars on contracts and construction risks, and interacts with design teams and stake holders on design and construction issues to manage risk.• Oversees all professional services agreements, including owner-architect, subconsultant, NDAs, lender’s certificates and lien waivers, and prepares procedures for compliance requirements.

Education

• Virginia Tech

  Master of Architecture (M.Arch.)

• University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee

  Bachelor of Science of Architecture

• Seton Hall University School of Law

  Juris Doctor (J.D.)