Eli J. Rogers

Eli J. Rogers is an attorney in Zetlin & De Chiara’s New York office. Mr. Rogers has over 20 years of experience as a construction and commercial litigation attorney. He represents developers, contractors, commercial landlords, and sureties in transactional matters, claims and civil litigation, including delay claims and claims for equitable adjustment, construction defect claims, insurance claims, mechanics liens, and bond claims. He represents commercial sureties and bonded contractors in performance bond claims initiated by project owners, and supervises and administers the completion of bonded projects after default/termination. He has worked closely with civil engineers and expert witnesses in defending owners' claims for liquidated damages and remediation of work-in-place, and has prosecuted contractor claims for job extension costs, differing site conditions, and design defects/design omissions. He has experience reviewing and analyzing payment bond claims, change order requests, and subcontractor payment requisitions. Mr. Rogers also drafts and negotiates construction contracts, design contracts, commercial leases, and claim documents. He has represented clients in all phases of commercial litigation, as well as settlement negotiations, mediations, and arbitrations.

Mr. Rogers has provided general counsel services to contractors, commercial landlords, and insurance/financial services brokerages. His experience with real estate and landlord/tenant matters includes drafting and negotiating commercial leases, residential lease negotiations, commercial lease litigation, resolution of residential tenant disputes, and easement litigation.

Prior to joining Zetlin & De Chiara, Mr. Rogers founded a solo law practice based in Mountain Lakes, NJ, where he represented contractors, small businesses, and individuals in pre-litigation claims and collections, contract disputes, construction defect and insurance defense litigation, drafting of contracts and business forms, and employment law disputes. Prior to founding his solo law practice, he spent 18 years at a boutique commercial litigation firm based in Florham Park, NJ, where he represented contractors, developers, commercial sureties, and small businesses. Prior to that he was an attorney in the complex construction litigation practice at a law firm based in Newark, NJ.

Mr. Rogers received his J.D. from Rutgers School of Law-Newark and his B.A. in Political Science from Rutgers University. He is a member of the American Bar Association and the Essex County Bar Association.

PUBLICATION

• Built on Trust: An Overview of Construction Trust Funds, CURRENT TRENDS AND DECISIONS (Eastern Bond Claims Review 2007)
  Cowritten with JoAnne M. Bonacci