Rachel John, Former NYC Department of Design & Construction Assistant General Counsel Joins Zetlin & De Chiara LLP

(New York, July 12, 2021) – Expanding its team of top construction attorneys, Zetlin & De Chiara LLP announced that Rachel John, a former Assistant General Counsel at the New York City Department of Design & Construction, has joined the firm in its New York office.

At the Department of Design & Construction, Ms. John's work spanned the spectrum of construction related matters, including handling procurement, cooperative purchasing, funding source compliance, insurance and surety issues, utility agreements and conflicts of interest.

She was responsible for drafting and reviewing contracts for design, construction and construction related needs, including agreements for design-build, construction management (CM)/build, CM, architectural, engineering and other professional services, as well as agreements for property access, funding and utility coordination.

“With her deep knowledge of design and construction issues, and her years working as a senior staffer in city government, Rachel is a great addition to our firm and should be a significant asset for our clients. ” said Michael Vardaro, Managing Partner at Zetlin & De Chiara.

Among the notable projects Ms. John handled were overseeing, drafting and coordination of design-build programs for the Division of Public Buildings and Infrastructure and the Borough-Based Jails Design-Build Program.

“In the world of construction and design, Zetlin and De Chiara have an exceptional reputation. The firm’s fingerprints are on many of the most important and difficult projects in the city. I am happy to be able to join the team,” said Ms. John.  

Ms. John received her J.D. from Brooklyn Law School and her B.A. from the State University of New York at New Paltz.