Adrian L Bastianelli III

Practice Areas

Construction & Infrastructure

Construction Dispute Resolution

Government Contracts

Power & Industrial Facilities/EPC

Career

Adrian L. Bastianelli, III is of counsel at Peckar & Abramson. After a long career representing all sectors of the construction industry in claims and litigation concurrently with performing work as an ADR neutral, he has transitioned his practice so that he now works solely in this capacity. He regularly serves as an arbitrator, mediator, DRB member, and in other neutral roles.

Adrian is a past Chair of the ABA Forum on Construction Law (ABA Forum) and received the Cornerstone Award from the ABA Forum. He is a fellow of the American College of Construction Lawyers and has served on its Board of Governors and as the chair of its ADR and Public Contracts Committees. Adrian is also a past President of the Washington Building Congress.

Adrian has written and spoken extensively on construction and ADR topics. He was the co-editor of the ABA Forum’s book entitled Construction ADR. He was also a co-editor of the ABA Forum’s book entitled Federal Government Construction Contracts. He served as editor of The Construction Lawyer. He was also the first editor of The Journal of the American College of Construction Lawyers.

Adrian was named the 2015 and the 2016 construction lawyer of the year globally by Who’s Who Legal. Chambers USA referred to him as “the dean of the Washington, DC construction bar” and Who’s Who Legal referred to him as “truly exceptional.”

Adrian received his Bachelor of Science in Civil Engineering from Purdue University. He worked as a civil engineer for the Corps of Engineers. He received his law degree from the University of Louisville and served as a law clerk for the U.S. Court of Federal Claims before entering private practice.

Adrian is admitted to practice in the District of Columbia, the United States Supreme Court, the United States Court of Federal Claims, the United States District Court for the District of Columbia, the United States Courts of Appeals for the Federal and Fourth Circuits and the District of Columbia Court of Appeals.

Professional Memberships

American College of Construction Lawyers

American Bar Association (Forum on the Construction Industry, Disputes Resolution and Public Contracts Committees)

DRB Foundation

Publications

• “How to Dance with the Feds: ADR in Government Contracts,” ABA’s Forum on Construction Law 2023 Fall Meeting, September 2023 (Presenter)

• “The New AAA DARB Rules – Changes and New Opportunities,” 2023 American Arbitration Association Construction Conference, June 2023 (Presenter)

• “Whose Design is it Anyway? Marriage Counseling for the Design-Build Team,” DBIA 2022 Design-Build Conference & Expo, November 2022 (Co-Presenter)

• “Arbitrators Impartiality –The Canons Are Only the Starting Point for Ethical Requirements,” American Arbitration Association (AAA)’s Construction Conference, June 2022 (Panelist)

• “Tariffs, a Pandemic and War: Construction Contracts Must Withstand the Unforeseeable,” Construction Executive, May 2022 (Co-Author)

• “Killer Contract Clauses,” Associated Builders and Contractors (ABC) of Metro Washington presentation, April 2022 (Co-Presenter)

• “Federal Government Contracting: Year in Review,” P&A Webinar, January 2022 (Co-Presenter)

• “Alternative Alternative Procedures to Resolve Construction Disputes,” Journal of the American College of Construction Lawyers, Volume 15, Number 2, Summer 2021 (Co-Author)

• “Maximizing the Arbitration Process – Old Habits and New Tools,” American Arbitration Association (AAA)’s Virtual Construction Conference, June 2021 (Panelist)

• “Federal Government Contracting: Year in Review,” P&A Webinar, January 2021 (Moderator)

• “Construction Disputes: What Can We Do to Make the DRB Work for Us?,” P&A Three-Part Webinar Series, December 2020 (Speaker)

• “Is It Live…Or Is It Virtual?,” P&A Client Alert, September 2020 (Co-Author)

• "What's New Pussycat in International ADR?," American College of Construction Lawyers 31st Annual Meeting, February 2020

• "Consequential Damage Waivers and Limitations of Liability: When Should I Include Them in My Contract and How Do I Overcome Them When They Gouge Me? Proving Bad Faith and Fraud," Presenter, Construction SuperConference, Rancho Palos Verdes, California, December 2019

Education

Awards