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Gretchen M. Ostroff
Gretchen M. Ostroff
Gretchen is an associate in the firm’s Construction and Public Contracts department. She concentrates her practice in construction law and design professional liability.
A primary focus of Gretchen’s practice is defending design professionals against claims for malpractice. As a civil engineer herself, Gretchen not only is able to understand the technical intricacies of construction-related malpractice claims, but also appreciates the non-technical concerns of design professionals faced with such claims. She has both prosecuted and defended multi-million dollar claims against architects and engineers for errors, omissions, professional negligence, and personal injury.
Gretchen’s practice also involves construction-related claims and litigation on both publicly- and privately-funded construction projects. She can provide assistance at all stages of a construction project. She has experience reviewing and negotiating contracts with an eye for minimizing liability for clients, and is able to devise solutions to issues that arise during construction. In the event disputes cannot be avoided, Gretchen can provide assistance preparing claims on both public and private contracts; when necessary, litigating, arbitrating, or mediating those claims; and collecting any resulting judgments.
In addition to her experience with the core issues affecting construction projects, Gretchen is familiar with important secondary concerns faced by construction clients. For example, she has experience defending against workers’ compensation claims brought before the Virginia Workers Compensation Commission and the United States Department of Labor. She also is knowledgeable about the development of the federally-mandated E-Verify program, regarding which she has authored several articles and given presentations.
In addition to her construction practice, Gretchen has experience in both filing and responding to bid protests before the federal Boards of Contract Appeals and General Accountability Office.
