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GENERAL OVERVIEW
Barry J. Byrnes is an experienced trial lawyer and business owner with strong management, problem solving and dispute resolution skills. Barry Byrnes is a trained mediator and arbitrator and settlement facilitator who participated in many formal and informal mediations and arbitrations.
Barry Byrnes is admitted to the practice of law in New York and New Mexico’s Federal and State trial and appellate courts. He has over twenty years experience as in house counsel and trial lawyer to Con Edison, a major New York Public Utility, and to a hazardous waste contractor. Barry Byrnes represented these clients in large dollar commercial contract disputes and presented and defended delay claims utilizing CPM and alternate methodology.
Experience taught him that the courthouse is losing its effectiveness as a forum for resolving most construction contract disputes. The litigation process is taking too much time and can be insensitive to project management issues. He learned through experience that the binding mediation/arbitration process is the more effective way to deal with most medium and smaller residential /commercial project disputes.
EDUCATION
Barry Byrnes was educated in New York City. He earned his undergraduate degree in liberal arts from Fordham University’s, Fordham College. He worked his way through college as a Police Cadet for the New York City Police Department.
Barry Byrnes continued his studies at St. John’s University School of Law and was awarded a Bachelor of Laws Degree in 1967 and a Juris Doctor in 1968. He clerked for a New York Attorney who maintained a specialized insurance and cargo transportation claims practice. This clerkship gave Barry his first exposure to the arbitration and mediation process. He organized and helped present evidence in support of the commercial cargo damage claims that counsel was required to mediate and arbitrate.
Barry continued his legal education by taking additional courses at New York University’s Real Estate Institute and by attending annual legal education courses in trial practice, mediation and arbitration, construction contracts, construction claims preparation and presentation and related construction topics. His CLE course work met the criteria established by the New York and New Mexico Bar Associations.
PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE
CONSTRUCTION INDUSTRY AND THE DISPUTE RESOLUTION PROCESS
Barry Byrnes was first employed upon graduation from law school by the New York State Court System as a Lawyer/Assistant to a New York Civil Court Judge and Supreme Court Justice. This position trained him in the litigation process. He was required, among other things, to mediate discovery disputes between counsel and certain monetary disputes filed by pro se litigants.
In 1972, Barry Byrnes left the court system to accept a position as trial attorney for the Consolidated Edison Company of New York. He specialized in the resolution of construction contract disputes arising from upgrades, repairs and changes to New York City’s utility infrastructure. He advised company executives and managers on administrative and regulatory law matters concerning Con Edison’s duties to protect plant and equipment impacted by public and private construction contracts. Barry supervised and worked closely with consulting engineering firms and other consultants engaged to analyze project delay claims using critical path methodology. He litigated and arbitrated many high dollar construction disputes for Con Edison during this phase of his legal career.
In 1993, Barry Byrnes accepted a position as house counsel and trial attorney for a contractor specializing in asbestos abatement. Barry handled the company’s contract negotiations and litigated its extra work and project delay claims in the courthouse and by formal and informal arbitration.
In 1996, Barry Byrnes and his wife relocated to New Mexico, opened a family business, and applied for admission to the New Mexico Bar. He maintains a general practice and specializes in real estate and construction contract litigation. He also represents the elderly and fraud victims and victims of civil rights abuses.
PROFESSIONAL AFFILIATIONS
Barry Byrnes is a member of the American Bar Association, National Association of Elder Law Attorneys, New Mexico Trial Lawyers Association, Mesilla Valley CASA (Court Appointed Special Advocate), Construction Disputes Resolution Services, LLC, Las Cruces Symphony Guild, and the Las Cruces Home Builders Association.
