Focus Areas
Examples of Sarah’s experience include:
Domestic Transactions
- Project counsel to New York-based utility company on multiple complex capital improvement projects, including new facilities, and existing facility upgrades and maintenance. Services include project delivery advising, drafting and negotiation of design-build, engineering, procurement, and construction and construction manager-at-risk agreements, RFP/RFQ drafting and advisory services, and insurance and bonding advice.
- Representing international mining company in the development and construction of a new $1 billion lithium hydroxide mining facility project, including by providing project delivery advice and drafting and negotiating all major project agreements, including engineering, procurement, and construction agreement, and design professional agreements.
- Construction counsel to fiber optic cable company in its development, design, and construction of a national fiber optic cable network, including by drafting template engineering, procurement, and construction master service agreement and structuring project delivery to enable rapid deployment of new network segments. Negotiated more than 20 individual engineering, procurement, and construction agreements utilizing template, with a total new network segment spend of more than $200 million in private equity funding to date (and counting).
- Real estate development and construction counsel to data center owner/operator in its development, construction, and leasing of data center development project, including advising on deal structure and drafting joint venture and colocation master service agreements.
- Construction counsel to aerospace manufacturing company for its ground-up development of a new $200 million aerospace manufacturing and distribution facility in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, including drafting and negotiating predevelopment and development agreements and coordinating with real estate counsel on build-to-suit lease.
- Construction counsel to aerospace manufacturing company for its development of a new $300 million research and development facility in East Hartford, Connecticut, including drafting and negotiating predevelopment and development agreements and coordinating with real estate counsel on build-to-suit lease.
- Represent Atlanta Zoo on construction of capital improvements, including negotiation of construction manager-at-risk agreement between the Zoo and construction manager for new $12 million veterinary hospital.
- Drafted and negotiated a $110 million design-build agreement for a Canadian fiber optic cable design-builder in its development of new fiber optic cable network in Northumberland, Ontario.
- Construction counsel for Belgian furniture company’s development, design, and construction of a new headquarters, warehouse, and distribution facility in North Carolina. Services included negotiation of design-build agreement, coordination with real estate and financing teams, and advising on construction-specific issues during the negotiation of the purchase and sale agreement, development agreement, and construction loan financing documents.
- Drafted and negotiated a construction manager-at-risk agreement for a $100 million food processing plant for national cheesemaker and distributor.
- Drafted and negotiated a build-to-suit lease work letter for the design and construction of an international auto manufacturer client’s new $110 million office headquarters.
- Drafted and negotiated a design-build agreement, escrow agreement, owner’s representative agreement, and lease amendment, and provided insurance advisory services in connection with the reconstruction of a factory destroyed by a fire casualty.
- Drafted a template designed equipment procurement agreement for a global specialty chemicals manufacturer.
- Negotiated and drafted design professional agreements on behalf of an architect and structural engineer designing a 1.1-million-square-foot, mixed-use hotel, condominium, and commercial tower at New York City’s Hudson Yards redevelopment site.
- Risk management advising to a structural engineer and architect during the construction administration phase of Hudson Yards development in New York City.
- Risk management advising to an architect and structural engineer during the construction administration phase at Moynihan Station redevelopment project in New York City.
- Represented a design team member in the bidding and design phase on a P3 transportation infrastructure project in Kansas City, Kansas.
- Represented a design professional in connection with master planning and master architect services for site development of a new university satellite campus.
- Represented a design professional in connection with design of a 450,000-square-foot private university hospital in Atlanta, Georgia.
- Negotiated and drafted an integrated project delivery agreement on behalf of architect for a state-of-the-art university laboratory building.
- Negotiated and drafted numerous construction access license agreements on behalf of developers and owners of property in New York City, as required per New York City Building Code. Litigated claims relating to code-required access agreements.
International Transactions
- Negotiated and drafted architect agreement on behalf of international architect for a 63,000-square-foot mixed-use residential and commercial complex in the United Kingdom.
- Negotiated and drafted bidding documents, teaming agreement, and design professional agreements and provided risk mitigation and licensure counseling on behalf of an international architect designing a 35-story mixed-use office tower in Sydney, Australia.
- Negotiated and drafted architect agreement and subconsultant agreements and provided licensure, bidding, and insurance advice to international architect in its design of mixed-use 42-story, 24,400-square-meter office, hotel, and retail tower in Melbourne, Australia.
- On behalf of a master planner and site developer, provided front-end risk management advice on licensure, insurance structuring, and scope for large-scale site development of a new city in Kuwait.
- Negotiated and drafted a structural engineer agreement on behalf of structural engineer for the design of a private beach villa complex in Doha, Qatar.
- Negotiated and drafted an architect agreement on behalf of an international architect designing a 31-story commercial office tower in Manila, Philippines.
- On behalf of an international master planner, provided front-end risk management advice on licensure, insurance, and scope risk, and drafted and negotiated master planning agreement for numerous master planning projects for developments in Vietnam.
Claims
- Defended a structural engineer in successful mediation of a $125 million errors and omissions claim in connection with the design of a $175 million public works project.
- Defended an architect of record in connection with successful mediation of a construction delay claim on a large mixed-use hotel project.
- Defended an architect in a mediation of errors and omissions claim in connection with the design of a laboratory science building.
- Pre-claim risk management advising on variety of project typologies.
Corporate Advising
- Corporate structuring, insurance, and corporate compliance advising to an international architect in connection with the opening of new international branches.
- Advised engineering and architecture firm using innovative AI and machine-learning-based design solutions on the incorporation of a technology startup, including corporate structuring, intellectual property protection, liability, and insurance issues.
- Counsel owners, contractors, and design professionals on insurance structuring.
- Counsel contractors and design professionals on licensure.
- Draft corporate policies and procedures on records retention, privacy, and website terms of use.
- “New York Passes Law to Reduce Retainage on Private Construction Projects,” Thompson Hine Construction Update, December 2023
- “Sustaining Curiosity: Sarah Sparer on Working Your Skills and Being Open-Minded,” Madame Architect, February 2019
- “Construction Contracts 101: Demystifying Design and Construction Contracts for Project Success,” Teach Construction Law CLE, Spring 2018-2022
- “Construction Contracts 201: Contracting for the Complex Construction Project,” Teach Construction Law CLE, Fall 2018-2022
Professional Associations
- New York City Bar Association, former Chair, Construction Law Committee
Community Activities
- Member, Advisory Board, Madame Architect Digital Publication
- Listed in The Legal 500, Construction, 2022
- Selected to Professional Women in Construction, New York’s “20 Under 40 Outstanding Women in Construction,” 2022
Education
- Brooklyn Law School, J.D., 2012, cum laude
- University of Michigan, B.A., 2008, with honors
Bar Admissions
- New York
- Thompson Hine Elects Eight New Partners in 2024,
Thompson Hine LLP
, January 3, 2024 - New York Passes Law to Reduce Retainage on Private Construction Projects,
Construction Update
, December 7, 2023