Wendy K. Venoit

Member

Boston

(617) 849-5002

(857) 488-4871

New York

(212) 509-9400

Recent News

Wendy Venoit Inducted into The Moles

Cozen O’Connor is proud to announce that Wendy Venoit, a member of the firm’s Construction Law Practice, has been inducted into The Moles, a highly prestigious nationwide fraternal organization of heavy construction professionals.

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Wendy has more than 25 years of experience as a construction lawyer and arbitration advocate whose practice focuses on representing contractors and owners in litigation and arbitration of construction disputes. Wendy has extensive first chair experience in domestic and international construction disputes, including litigation in state and federal forums and mediation and arbitration before the AAA, JAMS, LCIA, ICDR and ICC. She is also regularly asked to counsel clients with respect to ongoing construction projects (serving as project counsel) to draft and negotiate contracts, interpret contract terms, assert and defend claims, and resolve disputes so as to avoid litigation.  

Wendy has counseled clients and served as lead trial/arbitration counsel in a number of domestic and international arbitrations and lawsuits involving construction projects. These have included renewable energy (offshore wind, hydroelectric, and solar power), oil and gas facilities (refineries, upgraders, and terminals), infrastructure and transportation projects, traditional power plants, and vertical construction projects. As an advocate, Wendy has litigated before state and federal forums throughout the United States and arbitrated cases administered by the AAA, JAMS, ICC, ICDR and the LCIA, as well as ad hoc arbitrations. Several of these disputes have involved mega projects with amounts in controversy of more than $1 billion. Most recently Wendy achieved an arbitration award of more than $237 million (including all attorney's fees and costs) on behalf of her client in an international arbitration administered by the ICDR involving the wrongful termination for cause of a combined cycle power plant project.

Wendy also regularly sits as an arbitrator in domestic and international construction arbitrations and is part of the AAA panel of construction arbitrators, the AAA Mega Projects Panel, the ICDR panel of international arbitrators, the CPR Distinguished panel of neutrals, the LCIA panel of arbitrators and is a member, Chartered Institute of Arbitrators.

Prior to joining the firm, she was a partner in the Construction & Public Contracts group of Hinckley Allen. She was also the vice president, general counsel, and secretary for Suffolk Construction Company, Inc. In that role, she provided legal advice to the executive committee, corporate departments, and regional management; oversaw the negotiation of the company’s largest construction management agreements; proactively worked with management to identify risk on construction projects and implement risk mitigation plans; managed and worked with outside counsel on litigation matters; and generally handled all legal matters for the corporation.

Wendy is recognized for Construction Law and Litigation – Construction in the International Who’s Who of Construction Law, Hartford Business Journal Who’s Who of Construction Law. She was recently named a 2021 Massachusetts Lawyer of the Year for her achievement of one of the largest arbitration awards in Massachusetts history.

Wendy earned her bachelor’s degree from the College of the Holy Cross and her law degree, magna cum laude and graduated valedictorian, from Pace University School of Law.

Experience

News

Wendy Venoit Named a 2023 Massachusetts Go To Construction Lawyer by Massachusetts Lawyer Weekly

May 31, 2023

Cozen O’Connor is proud to announce that Wendy Venoit, a member of the firm’s Construction Law Group, has been named a 2023 Massachusetts Go To Construction Lawyer by Massachusetts Lawyer Weekly.

Wendy Venoit Inducted into The Moles

May 01, 2023

Cozen O’Connor is proud to announce that Wendy Venoit, a member of the firm’s Construction Law Practice, has been inducted into The Moles, a highly prestigious nationwide fraternal organization of heavy construction professionals.

Wendy Venoit Elected to American College of Construction Lawyers Board of Governors

March 07, 2023

Wendy Venoit, member of the firm’s Construction Law Group, has been elected to the American College of Construction Lawyers (ACCL) Board of Governors.

More Than 200 Cozen O’Connor Attorneys Named Best Lawyers and Ones to Watch

August 22, 2022

210 Cozen O’Connor lawyers from 24 of the firm’s nationwide offices for inclusion in the 2023 edition of The Best Lawyers in America.

Chambers Ranks 86 Cozen O’Connor Lawyers, 22 Practice Areas in Chambers USA 2022 Guide

June 02, 2022

Chambers USA, the leading annual guide to the top lawyers and law firms in the United States, has ranked 86 Cozen O’Connor lawyers as leaders in their respective fields in the guide’s 2022 edition.

Wendy Venoit Named a 2021 Lawyer of the Year by Massachusetts Lawyer Weekly

March 18, 2022

Cozen O’Connor is pleased to announce that Wendy Venoit, member of the firm’s Construction Law Group, has been named a 2021 Lawyer of the Year by Massachusetts Lawyer Weekly.

Hub Hires: Ropes & Gray, Fisher Phillips, Nutter

March 01, 2022

Wendy Venoit was quoted in a Law360 article that featured a long list of attorney moves in Boston during the month of February.

Cozen O'Connor Expands Into Boston With Construction Pro

February 02, 2022

Wendy Venoit was featured in a Law360 article that discusses her move to Cozen O'Connor.

Cozen O’Connor Expands its Geographic Reach to Boston with Addition of Well-Known Construction Lawyer and Arbitrator, Wendy K. Venoit, to the Construction Practice Group

January 31, 2022

Venoit brings a distinguished history of litigation and arbitration of infrastructure, power, renewable energy, oil and gas, and vertical construction projects throughout the United States and internationally.

Publications

The International Compendium of Construction Contracts

May 10, 2021

Wendy Venoit co-authored the United States chapter of The International Compendium of Construction Contracts.

Follow the Money: Interpretation and Evaluation in a Forensic Schedule Analysis [The Construction Lawyer]

December 01, 2019

Wendy Venoit co-authored an article for The Construction Lawyer that discusses the third phase of Forensic Schedule Analysis in the context Rule 702.

Events & Seminars

Upcoming Events

Out of the Box ADR Approaches to Avoiding and Resolving Construction Disputes

July 18, 2023 - Boston, MA

Wendy Venoit will speak on the panel “Out of the Box ADR Approaches to Avoiding and Resolving Construction Disputes” at the SCL-NA 2023 Annual Conference.

Incorporating International Arbitration Techniques into Domestic Arbitration Proceedings

June 08, 2023 - Santa Monica, CA

Wendy Venoit will speak on the “Incorporating International Arbitration Techniques into Domestic Arbitration Proceedings” panel at the 2023 American Arbitration Association Construction Conference.

Past Events

Offshore Wind: Managing Legal Risk

May 09, 2023 - Boston, Massachusetts

What Doesn’t Beat Us Makes Us Stronger

April 27, 2023 - Amherst, Massachusetts

Discovery Best Practices for Construction Arbitration

April 20, 2023 - New York, New York

Discovery Best Practices in Construction Arbitration

March 24, 2023 - Rancho Mirage, California

2022 Construction Super Conference

December 06, 2022 - Las Vegas, Nevada

Arbitration v. Litigation

October 26, 2022 - Boston, MA

What is Really Out There?

July 28, 2022 - New York, NY

Where Are We Headed?

April 14, 2022 - Amherst, Massachusetts

Massachusetts Construction Law

February 20, 2022 - Webinar

2021 Construction SuperConference

December 06, 2021 - Orlando, FL

ABA Forum on Construction Law 2021 Regional Meeting

September 30, 2021 - Nashville, TN

International Perspectives on COVID-19

June 30, 2020 - Webinar

Let them Hear you Roar

October 18, 2018 - Washington, D.C.

Education

  • Pace University School of Law, J.D., magna cum laude, 1996
  • College of the Holy Cross, B.A., 1993

Awards & Honors

International Who’s Who of Construction Law, 2013-2014, 2016-2021

Chambers USA for Construction Law 2022, 2023. This award is conferred by Chambers & Partners. A description of the selection methodology can be found here. No aspect of this advertisement has been approved by the Supreme Court of New Jersey.

MS Society, Connecticut Chapter, “Corporate Achiever” Award, 2008

Hartford Business Journal Who’s Who of Construction Law, “40 under Forty,” 2007

Connecticut Law Tribune New Leaders of the Law Award for “Development of the Law,” 2005

Massachusetts Lawyer of the Year, 2021

Massachusetts Super Lawyer. This award is conferred by Super Lawyers. A description of the selection methodology can be found here. No aspect of this advertisement has been approved by the Supreme Court of New Jersey.

Massachusetts Lawyers Weekly, Go To Construction Lawyer, 2023

  • New Hampshire
  • New Jersey
  • New York
  • Massachusetts
  • Connecticut
  • U.S. Supreme Court
  • U.S. District Court -- New Hampshire
  • U.S. District Court -- New Jersey
  • U.S. District Court -- Eastern District of New York
  • U.S. District Court -- Northern District of New York
  • U.S. District Court -- Southern District of New York
  • U.S. District Court -- Massachusetts
  • U.S. District Court -- Connecticut
  • U.S. District Court -- Central District of Illinois
  • U.S. Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit
  • U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit
  • U.S. Court of Appeals for the First Circuit
  • U.S. Court of Federal Claims

ABA Forum on Construction Law; former Chair of the Forum; former Membership Committee and International Construction Committee Chair; and former Governing Committee Member

American College of Construction Lawyers (ACCL), Fellow; 2023-2026 Board of Governors; former International Law Committee Chair; ACCL 2023 Annual Meeting Chair

American Arbitration Association (AAA), AAA Board Council; Construction Panel Member; ICDR Panel Member; Mega Projects Panel Member; former National Dispute Resolution Committee Co-Chair

Chartered Institute of Arbitrators, Board Member North American Branch; Boston Chapter Co-Chair

International Bar Association (IBA), International Construction Projects Group Member

International Centre for Dispute Resolution, Neutral and International Advisory Committee Member

Professional Women in Construction, Connecticut Chapter, Founder; former President, Treasurer, and Secretary

Women in Construction, Board Member

Girl Scouts of America, National Board Development Committee Member