Key Takeaways
- • Melissa Billig, a real estate transactional and construction litigation partner with over 25 years of experience, has joined Jones Day as a partner in its Real Estate Practice, based in the New York office.
- • Billig brings specialized expertise in drafting and negotiating contracts, risk management, claim avoidance, and dispute resolution across major commercial and residential development projects in Manhattan and nationwide.
- • Her appointment expands Jones Day's Real Estate Practice, which comprises 130 global lawyers and provides comprehensive services across funds, joint ventures, M&A, finance, development, tax, regulatory, planning/zoning, and environmental disciplines.
- • Billig previously served as co-chair of a construction and design practice group and represented project owners, developers, design professionals, and construction executives in multi-party contract disputes and defective design/construction claims.
Summary
Melissa Billig has joined Jones Day as a partner in the firm's Real Estate Practice, based in the New York office as of May 2026. The move represents a strategic addition to the firm's capabilities in real estate transactional work and construction litigation. Billig brings more than 25 years of experience advising clients across the full lifecycle of major real estate projects throughout New York and on a national basis.
Billig's practice encompasses a comprehensive range of services critical to institutional real estate investors and developers. She specializes in drafting and negotiating contracts, risk management counsel, claim avoidance, and dispute resolution. Her experience includes work on high-profile, multi-party contract disputes and defective design/construction claims, with particular depth in large commercial and residential development projects in Manhattan. This positions her to serve owners, developers, design professionals, and construction executives navigating complex transactions and disputes.
Brian Sedlak, Co-Leader of Jones Day's Real Estate Practice, characterized Billig as bringing "a valuable combination of transactional sophistication and litigation acumen," emphasizing that her hands-on experience on complex, high-profile projects in New York represents a significant asset to the team. The addition reflects the firm's ongoing effort to enhance capabilities serving institutional clients in real estate and construction sectors.
Jones Day's Real Estate Practice operates as a global team of 130 lawyers providing clients with comprehensive advice across all stages of real estate investment and major real estate sectors. The practice delivers coordinated expertise across multiple disciplines including funds and joint ventures, M&A, finance, development, tax, regulatory, planning/zoning, and environmental matters. This integrated structure enables institutional investors and developers to address multifaceted real estate challenges through a single firm platform.
Billig's practice encompasses a comprehensive range of services critical to institutional real estate investors and developers. She specializes in drafting and negotiating contracts, risk management counsel, claim avoidance, and dispute resolution. Her experience includes work on high-profile, multi-party contract disputes and defective design/construction claims, with particular depth in large commercial and residential development projects in Manhattan. This positions her to serve owners, developers, design professionals, and construction executives navigating complex transactions and disputes.
Brian Sedlak, Co-Leader of Jones Day's Real Estate Practice, characterized Billig as bringing "a valuable combination of transactional sophistication and litigation acumen," emphasizing that her hands-on experience on complex, high-profile projects in New York represents a significant asset to the team. The addition reflects the firm's ongoing effort to enhance capabilities serving institutional clients in real estate and construction sectors.
Jones Day's Real Estate Practice operates as a global team of 130 lawyers providing clients with comprehensive advice across all stages of real estate investment and major real estate sectors. The practice delivers coordinated expertise across multiple disciplines including funds and joint ventures, M&A, finance, development, tax, regulatory, planning/zoning, and environmental matters. This integrated structure enables institutional investors and developers to address multifaceted real estate challenges through a single firm platform.
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