Partner
Jon Straw focuses on construction law and government contracts with experience in claim preparation, litigation, arbitration, mediation arising from changes, delays, and payment disputes. Jon has successfully represented and assisted prime contractors, subcontractors and public and private owners in both state and federal courts and before arbitration panels.
Recent types of projects and locations:
- Enhanced Perimeter Security Project, Washington, D.C.
- Veterans Administration National Cemetery, Omaha, Nebraska
- Flood Control Project, New Orleans, Louisiana
- New State Court Complex, Norfolk, Virginia
- Several Highway Transportation Improvement Projects through the Commonwealth of Virginia
- U.S. Department of Commerce, Office and Research Facility, Hawaii
- U.S. Department of Transportation, Air Traffic Control Tower and
Office Building, Nevada - U.S. Department of Defense Projects, OCONUS
- U.S. General Services Administration, Building Security
Improvements, D.C. and Maryland - Several Underground Cabling and Pipeline Projects, Virginia
- Electric Substation and Switchyard, Manitoba
- Hydro-Electric Power Generation Plant, Pennsylvania
- 12-mile Highway Connector, North Carolina
- Hydro-Electric Pumped-Storage Plant, California
- Wastewater Treatment Plant, Virginia
- U.S. Air Force Base Housing Development, Missouri
- Transcontinental Oil Pipeline, Midwestern United States
- U.S. Army Base Housing Development, Georgia
- IDIQ U.S. Department of Defense Contract, South Carolina
Jon has a concrete foundation in advocacy with a thorough understanding and proven ability to use all available means of persuasion to solve problems for clients. Before practicing law, he worked on several political fundraising and grassroots issue campaigns for corporate and association clients by crafting and delivering targeted persuasive
messages. His training and experience are well-suited to analyzing and simplifying complex construction matters while understanding the interests of all parties involved to effectively and efficiently advocate for clients.
Jon is a graduate of Western State University College of Law (J.D., 2010) and Missouri State University (M.A., 2003; B.A., 2001). He is admitted to practice in the Commonwealth of Virginia, District of Columbia, State of Maryland, State of Arizona and related Federal Courts.
Roads & Bridges | Award Upheld in W. Va. Caisson Dispute
AWARD UPHELD IN W.VA. CAISSON DISPUTE Federal court reinforces high bar for overturning arbitration In 2018, the West Virginia Department of Highways (DOH) awarded a contract for construction of a section of King Coal Highway [...]
Roads & Bridges | Let the Contract Lead
LET THE CONTRACT LEAD Documents offer guidance needed to manage risk without derailing projects Construction is an industry of managed risk. Whether the prices of raw materials are fluctuating, the unpredictability of the weather or [...]
Roads & Bridges | When is an Invoice Really an Invoice?
WHEN IS AN INVOICE REALLY AN INVOICE? All court decisions are opinions. Appellate court decisions are typically made by a panel of three judges. Here, after a dispute arose 19 years earlier, two judges formed [...]
Roads & Bridges | Clarifying Punitive Damages
CLARIFYING PUNITIVE DAMAGES In June 2021, the South Dakota Department of Transportation contracted for the demolition and construction of a bridge on State Highway 38 outside of Salem, S.D. The prime contract included the DOT’s [...]
Roads & Bridges | When Approximate Means Assumed Risk
WHEN APPROXIMATE MEANS ASSUMED RISK A New York Court Shows How Performance Specifications Can Leave Contractors Holding the Bag Sometimes when we are told what to do, the directions include when, where, by whom and [...]