Joseph Barra is a member of the firm’s Construction Group. With skills gained in his first career as a civil engineer, he has represented clients in the construction industry for over 25 years. He advises his clients on issues such as design and construction flaws and delays, funding disputes, certification hearings, and violations involving the U.S. Department of Labor's Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA).
Joe’s practice includes clients from all areas of the design and construction industry:
- public and private owners, and developers
- design professionals
- general contractors; construction managers; subcontractors; material suppliers; engineering, procurement, and construction (EPC) contractors; design-builders; and MBE/WBE/DBE contractors
- sureties and construction lenders
Contract Procurement and Project Delivery
Joe has a thorough understanding of transactional matters involving the design and construction of the following:
- hospitals
- shopping malls and retail
- highways and airports
- condominiums and residential
- utilities (water, gas, electric, fiber optic, and sewer)
- primary and secondary schools, and universities
- wastewater facilities, water and scavenger waste treatment facilities, and waste-to-energy facilities
- landfill gas-to-energy facilities, gas-fired electrical power plants, hydroelectric dams, onshore and offshore natural gas pipelines, and electric substations
He is well versed in negotiating complex design, construction, and project management-related agreements. He also understands the complexities of public-private partnerships (P3), and assists clients from financing through operation on P3 projects.
Dispute Resolution
When disputes do arise, Joe works jointly with his clients to pinpoint problems and issues, determine the best route forward, and offer solutions to strengthen the client’s business position. He is also a long-standing member of American Arbitration Association’s (AAA) National Panel of Construction Neutrals, so he approaches disputes with his experience as a seasoned arbitrator. He has served as an advocate in many arbitrations, mediations, and trials.
Joe has presented and written articles on wide-ranging topics involving construction law, in particular in the areas of Building Information Modeling (BIM), public-private partnerships, risk management, and alternative dispute resolution. He is active in many construction industry groups, including the Construction Industries of Massachusetts (CIM); the Construction Management Association of America, New England Chapter; the Massachusetts Building Congress; and the Boston Society of Civil Engineers Section.
