SUZANNE MCSORLEY

Sue concentrates her practice in complex commercial litigation and dispute resolution, counseling clients in the pharmaceutical, manufacturing, construction, insurance and health care industries, with a particular emphasis on construction matters. In addition, she has extensive experience drafting and negotiating construction contracts and has served as a mediation neutral since 1997 and is an arbitrator on the American Arbitration Association’s roster of commercial and construction arbitrators.  Sue also has represented and counseled lawyers on ethics-related issues for more than 30 years.

She has represented owners (hospitals and other health care providers, pharmaceutical manufacturers, research universities, real estate developers and homeowners), contractors and suppliers in litigation and other dispute resolution proceedings and processes in every type of construction-related claim including construction defect claims, lien claims and delay and interference claims.

Sue also devotes a substantial part of her practice to representing parties, especially owners, in negotiating and drafting agreements of all types relating to construction projects. She is familiar with the Consensus DOCS and the form agreements published by the AIA and the EJCDC and has provided many clients (primarily owners and contractors) with advice concerning modification of form agreements to satisfy the client’s particular needs.

In addition, Sue has significant experience preparing project-specific agreements. She has assisted multiple owner clients (including pharmaceutical companies, health care providers and regional banks) in developing master agreements with preferred construction and design professionals for design, construction and design build services.  She also has substantial experience negotiating and drafting project-specific manuscript agreements for the design and construction of many types of projects including pharmaceutical manufacturing facilities, hospitals, research laboratories, educational facilities and warehousing and distribution facilities, and for the procurement of equipment and manufactured modules of such facilities.

Sue has received certificates from the National Institute for Trial Advocacy and the Center for Mediation in Law and, since 1997, has served as a mediator on the roster of mediators for court-annexed mediation in New Jersey. She is also a charter member of the National Academy of Distinguished Neutrals, an invitation-only professional association for mediators and arbitrators who are well established as trusted neutrals in the legal community. In 2021, the Marie L. Garibaldi American Inn of Court for Alternate Dispute Resolution conferred its Richard K Jeydel Award on Sue; in 2005, the New Jersey State Bar Association named 2005 “ADR Practitioner of the Year” for her contributions to advance the cause of mediation and other forms of alternative dispute resolution in New Jersey. She served on the New Jersey Supreme Court’s Committee for Complementary Dispute Resolution from 2001-2012, and served in the Supreme Court’s Advisory Committee for Mediator Standards from 2006 to 2012.  

Finally, Sue has represented and counseled attorneys in connection with legal ethics questions and proceedings. She has served on both the New Jersey Supreme Court Ethics Committee (District VII) and on the New Jersey Supreme Court Fee Arbitration Committee (District VII).

Sue started her career as a law clerk to the Honorable Warren W. Eginton of the U.S. District Court for the District of Connecticut.