Asmar, Schor & McKenna PLLC

Managing Partners: Charles M. Asmar, Esq.
Number of partners: 5
Number of lawyers: 11
Languages: English

Firm Overview: 

Asmar, Schor & McKenna, PLLC ("ASM") packs decades of experience into a nimble, mid-size firm focused on construction, government contracts, litigation, homebuilding, real estate and corporate law. ASM’s lawyers work collaboratively firm-wide, harnessing the firm’s collective strengths and efficiently managing clients’ legal needs at all stages, from pre-dispute advice and counseling through dispute resolution and litigation.

Decades of construction industry experience – representing owners, contractors, and subcontractors – means that ASM speaks the language of construction, and its attorneys effectively counsel clients from project inception through final completion. ASM represents multi-billion dollar companies in large-scale disputes, but is also well aware of the everyday challenges faced by small, family-owned businesses. At the contracting phase, ASM is intimately familiar with multiple project delivery methods and can negotiate and draft a family of agreements that avoid gaps and minimize risk well before shovels are in the ground. When issues arise during construction, ASM’s Construction Practice Group provides immediate advice on best approaches to overcome complex challenges and to avoid needless delays and impacts. When disputes arise, ASM helps its clients draft or respond to claims, and resolve disputes through negotiation, alternative dispute resolution, and litigation. Synergy with the firms’ government contracts practice area makes ASM just as comfortable with the unique challenges of public or hybrid projects as it is with purely private development. The goal of ASM’s construction law team is to effectively and efficiently take care of clients’ legal needs and let clients do what they do best—deliver projects on time and on budget.

Contact: Charles Asmar
Email: [email protected]

Contact: Thomas Lynch
Email: [email protected]

Government Contracts: ASM boasts more than 80 years of collective government contracts experience and it gets results – it achieved a $200 million settlement (more than 80% of the total demand) on behalf of a construction contractor against the Veterans’ Administration and it has successfully pursued hundreds of millions of dollars in construction-related claims involving multiple other government agencies and projects across the Country. The firm assists its government contracts clients at all phases: size/status management and certification; teaming agreements and joint ventures; solicitation review; proposal preparation; bid protests; subcontract drafting; REAs and claims; and Government audits and investigations. When necessary, ASM’s experienced litigators represent their clients in court and before GAO and Boards of Contract Appeals. ASM knows well both federal procurement and state/local procurement in Maryland, Virginia, and the District of Columbia. Its clients come from a variety of industries, including construction, architecture/engineering, support services, supplies, and IT. The firm prides itself on putting the right team on its government contracting matters to solve its clients’ issues in the most efficient and appropriate way.

Contact: Laurence Schor
Email: [email protected]

Contact: Charles Asmar
Email: [email protected]

Contact: Thomas Lynch
Email: [email protected]

Dispute Resolution/Litigation: With its deep industry experience, ASM knows the pressure points and the strategies that will solve many disputes quickly, early and inexpensively – often before litigation. Others must be fought and won, and ASM goes toe-to-toe with some of the biggest and best firms in the country. All of ASM’s lawyers – from the most senior to the most junior – have real-world courtroom experience. ASM is known and respected in state and federal courts in the Washington, DC metropolitan region and across the country, and its lawyers frequently appear before government bodies and private tribunals like the American Arbitration Association. No matter the court, ASM provides experienced, effective representation.

Contact: Charles Asmar
Email: [email protected]

Contact: Thomas Lynch
Email: [email protected]

Homebuilding: Whether it’s the emotional attachment people feel for their homes, or the maze of laws protecting consumers, strategies that solve business disputes don’t always work against an unhappy customer. Nobody understands this better than ASM. It has lived through the homebuilding industry’s ups and downs, and fought its battles from synthetic stucco to mold. ASM advises its homebuilding clients – which include some of the nation’s best and best-known companies – about their entire business, from contract review to construction to warranty, single family to large scale residential apartments and condominiums. ASM drafts sales agreements and subcontracts that reduce and redirect risk, working behind the scenes to avoid disputes before they affect the bottom line. If there is a fight, ASM can resolve disputes efficiently and effectively through ADR and/or litigation.

Contact: Charles Asmar
Email: [email protected]

Contact: Douglas Callabresi
Email: [email protected]

Real Estate Transactions: ASM assists owners, investors, developers, lenders, and other clients in all aspects of real estate transactions, from initial acquisition/financing through final disposition. The firm advises clients in single asset and multi-asset transactions (including multi-jurisdictional transactions) involving office buildings, condominiums, apartment buildings, hotels, retail, and other assets. ASM’s lawyers consult with the client to determine its goals and use their legal experience and business acumen to work toward a successful result. Real estate clients also benefit from the firm’s other practice areas when, for example, transacting with the government or resolving disputes with construction contractors.

Contact: Charles Asmar
Email: [email protected]

Contact: Thomas Lynch
Email: [email protected]

General Corporate: The firm provides full ‘life cycle’ legal support to its corporate clients. ASM knows that the purpose of corporate legal support should be to further the success of a business, and its lawyers assist clients in making and implementing the right decisions to succeed. This includes entity selection, structure, and formation; CBE/DBE/MBE applications and formation; corporate governance; employee benefits; and intellectual property protection. It also includes compliance (employment, taxes, and regulatory) to avoid legal pitfalls. When it’s time to grow, ASM can assist with mergers and acquisitions, organic growth strategies, and management buy-outs. It can also help with dispute resolution (including internal and external disputes), workouts, dissolutions, and bankruptcy.

Contact: Brett Antonides
Email: [email protected]

Contact: Charles Asmar
Email: [email protected]