Admitted to bar, 1987; New Jersey and U.S. District Court, District of New Jersey, Third Circuit Court of Appeals 1997; U.S. District Court, New York Eastern District (2003); U.S. District Court, New York Southern District (2003), U.S. Court of Federal Claims (December 2004).  Lee is currently the Co-Chair for the New Jersey State Bar Association Construction Law Section and General Counsel for the Bergen County Electrical Contractors Association.

• Mr. Tesser is a construction arbitrator for the American Arbitration Association;

• Mr. Tesser is AV rated by Martindale-Hubbell for ethical standards and legal ability;

• Mr. Tesser has been selected as a Super Lawyer in the field of Construction Surety Law for 2006, 2007, 2008, and 2009; only 5% of attorneys are selected as top attorneys.

Education: University of Delaware (B.A. with honors;1983;  University of Bridgeport (J.D.,1986). Pi Sigma Alpha; Omicron Delta Epsilon.  Law Clerk for the Hon L. Scott Melville, J.S.C. Superior Court, Bridgeport, Connecticut.  

Member: Morris County, Bergen County, American (Member: Sections on Public Contract Law; Litigation; Forum Committee on the Construction Industry) Bar associations and the New Jersey State Bar, Construction Industry Law Section, Newsletter Editor

Practice Areas: Construction; Surety Law; Construction Litigation; Construction Arbitration; Contractor Performance Bonds; Construction Defects; Commercial Litigation (Bid Protests, Delay Claims, Construction Contracts); Real Estate; Construction Liens; Professional Liability for architects and engineers.

Construction Industry Speaking Engagements

• Bid Protests and Appeals under Federal State and Local law; November 2000 New Jersey State Bar Association Construction and Public Law Section

• Federal Contracting Regulations and Procedure; June 2000 New Jersey State Bar Association Construction and Public Law Section

• Ethical Questions in Construction and Public Contract Law; Spring 1999 New Jersey State Bar Association Construction and Public Law Section

• Construction Management/Design/Build; January 2003 Lorman Education Seminars

• Construction Litigation in New Jersey; February 2003 Lorman Education Seminars

• Construction Law; February 2003 New Jersey Electrical Contractors Association Annual Conference

• Construction Contracts; October 2003 Morris County Plumbers Association

• Construction Claims Avoidance;  October 2003 New Jersey Glass and Metal Contractors Association

• Construction Management/Design Build in New Jersey; January 2004 Lorman Education Seminars

• Construction Law Basics; 2004 New Jersey State Bar Assn. Construction Industry Section

• Techniques Used in Construction Scheduling in New Jersey; October 2004 Lorman Education Seminar.

• Fundamentals of Construction Contracts in New Jersey; February 2005 Lorman Education Seminar

• Public Works Construction: New & Dramatic Legal Changes in New Jersey; April & June 2005 Lorman Seminars.

• New Jersey League of Master Plumbers –Residential and Commercial Developments in Construction Law; March 2005.

• Analyzing & Proving Construction Project Damages; June 2003 Lorman Seminar.

• AIA Contract Documents; April & September 2005 Lorman Seminars.

• The Construction Process from Start to Finish; June 2005 Lorman Seminar.

• Advanced Construction Law in New Jersey; June 2005 National Business Institute Seminar.

• Residential Construction: Legal & Practical Perspectives; June 2005 Lorman Seminar.

• Tricks, Traps and Ploys Used In Construction Scheduling; August 2005 Delaware-Lorman Seminar

• Construction Law Basics; January 2005 New Jersey Institute for Continuing Legal Education

• Construction Management/Design-Build In New Jersey; March 2005 Lorman Education Seminar

• AIA Contracts: Avoiding Legal Problems; April 2005 Lorman Education Seminar

• Residential Construction Issues in New Jersey; July 2005 Lorman Education Seminar

• Construction Claims: New Law in New Jersey; October 2005 Lorman Education Seminar

• Hot Topics In Construction in New Jersey; December 2005 Lorman Education Seminar

• AIA Documents-From An Owner’s Perspective; August 2005 Lorman Education Seminar

• Advanced Construction Management/Design-Build In New Jersey; January 2006 Lorman Education Seminar

• The Fundamentals of Construction Contracts in New Jersey: Understanding The Issues; February 2006 Lorman Education Seminar

• Comprehensive Construction Law In New Jersey; March 2006 Lorman Education Seminar

• Construction Management/Design-Build In New Jersey; March 2006 Lorman Education Seminar

• Construction Lien Law; March 2006 Lorman Education Seminar

• AIA Contracts; April 2006 Lorman Education Seminar

• How to Bolster Your Construction Contract; April 2006 Lorman Education Seminar

• The Construction Process from Start to Finish In New Jersey; June 2006 Lorman Education Seminar

• Advanced Construction Management/Design-Build in New Jersey; July 2006 Lorman Education Seminar

• Practical Considerations and Concerns In Construction Law In New Jersey; November 2006 Lorman Education Seminar

• Managing Complex Construction Law Issues; January 2007 National Business Institute Seminar

• Public Contracts and Procurement Regulations in New Jersey; January 2007 Lorman Education Seminar

• AIA Contracts; April 2007 Lorman Education Seminar

• Government Contracting in New Jersey: Bids, Licensing, Contracts and Bonds, May 2007 Lorman Education Seminar

• New Jersey’s Prompt Payment Act; May 2007 New Jersey Institute for Continuing Legal Education

• Construction Law: Overview and Update; June 2007 New Jersey Institute for Continuing Legal Education

• Public Contracts and Procurement Regulations in New Jersey; January 2008 Lorman Education Seminar

• Understanding the New Generation of AIA Standard Contract Forms; March 2008 Lorman Education Seminar

• Construction Litigation In New Jersey; May 2008 Lorman Education Seminar

• Legal Issues for New Jersey Professional Engineers; September 2008 Half-Moon, LLC

Reported Construction Litigation Case Law:
Sparwick Contracting Inc. v. Tomasco Corp and Carl Walker Construction Group, Inc., 335 N.J Super. 73 (App Div 2000).

Publications:
1.  Federal Contracting Payment Issues An Overview; Construction and Public Contract Law Section Newsletter (May 2001);
2.  Home Inspection Professional Licensing Act; Construction and Public Contract Law Section Newsletter (November 1998);
3.  Residential Construction + Renovation, A Legal Guide For New Jersey Homeowners, New Jersey State Bar Foundation (Spring 2003).
4.  State-by-State Analyses of Legal Issues Affecting Architects, Engineers, Contractors, and Owners - contributing author for the state of New Jersey; Aspen Publishers, Inc.
5.  Municipal Construction Contracts; New Jersey Lawyer (November 2003)

Click Here to Email Lee Tesser

See Also:
  Steven Cohen
  Robert E. Bennett
  Stephen Paul Winkles
  Gina A. Makoujy
  Gary Strong
  Jonathan Bernstein
  Louis M. Flora