Household name Patricia Ann Harris, Esq., is a long-serving attorney from New York City.
In this article, we discuss the life and career of Ms. Patricia Ann Harris.
A member of the New York State Bar Association, Patricia Ann Harris is an attorney handling lawsuits and cases concerning administrative law and business/corporate law.
Who is attorney Patricia Ann Harris?
Attorney Patricia Ann Harris, alias Patti, is a long-serving member of the New York State Bar.
When not handling legal matters, Ms. Ann Harris works as an entrepreneur. She is the founder and CEO of LicenseSure.
LicenseSure is a company that works with architects, engineers, landscape architects, land surveyors, and geologists to aid them in navigating complex licensing and qualification regulations in every state.
Before opening LicenseSure, Ms. Ann Harris worked as a managing partner of a New York City-based construction law firm.
While at the law firm, she developed an eye for design and mixed it with her business-savvy style to understand the design industry and the challenges that they face.
Educational Background
In 1984, Patti graduated with a Bachelor of Arts in Government from Pomona College located in Claremont, California.
Ms. Patricia Harris then studied at the University of Chicago Law School between 1984 and 1985.
She would then enroll for a Juris Doctor (J.D.) at New York University in 1986. Subsequently, Ms. Patricia Ann Harris was admitted to the New York State Bar in 1990.
In 1996, Attorney Patricia Ann Harris also graduated with a Master of Business Administration (Corporate Finance, with distinction) from New York University Stern School of Business.
Ms. Patricia Ann is also a LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) accredited professional. A fete that she achieved in 2009.
Career progress
After finishing her education Ms. Patricia Ann Harris started her career as a corporate attorney.
Before opening her first start-up company she worked as an associate at the law firm of Giancarlo & Gleiberman from 1987 to 1992
From 1992 to 1996, she worked as an attorney at Richards & O’Neil.
She would then quit her former job and open Harris Management, LLC in 1996.
Harris Management, LLC specializes in consultation in the areas of business startups, operations, management, and strategic planning. Furthermore, the firm also provides consulting, bookkeeping, and billing services to small law firms, other small businesses, and high-net-worth clients.
In 2013, she would open her second startup, LicenseSure (described in the section above.)
Currently, attorney Patricia Ann Harris serves as a special counsel at the law firm of Zetlin & De Chiara LLP (New York). Before becoming a special counsel, she served as the managing partner between 2000 to 2013.
She also regularly participates in workshops and conferences where she gives lectures on construction law. In 2022, she presented at the American Society of Landscape Architects 2022 National Convention
Publications by attorney Patricia Ann Harris
Her most recent work is titled “Ownership Transition Options for Small Firms”. This article was published by the AIA New York State on 7th February 2023. Highlights in the article include various ways in which firm founders can transfer ownership to the next generation.
Apart from publications, Patti has also written a couple of articles that have been published on LinkedIn and other scholarly sources.
For example, she has published the following articles:
- “Look Down Below! Geologists are now Licensed Professionals in New York”. In this article, she highlights that geologists are now required to register and acquire licenses to work as design professionals. In the article published on November 21, 2016, attorney Patricia Ann Harris states that an amendment to New York’s educational law added more context to the term “geologist”. Pursuantly, registration and licensing of geologists practicing in New York is mandatory.
- “State Regulation of the Design Professional.” In this scholarly writing published in 2021 by ABA Construction Forum, she discusses the role of the state in the regulation of design professionals.
Patricia Ann Harris Practice areas
Attorney Patricia Harris is a construction law specialist who practices in the following fields:
- Mergers and Acquisitions
- Business organization and management issues
- licensing issues
- venture capitalism
Ms Patricia Ann works with architects, engineers, minority and women-owned business firms, and private equity investors investing in design professional firms.
Patricia Ann Harris Achievement
For an exemplary career incorporating law and professional designs, attorney Patricia Ann Harris has received several accolades.
In 2021, Patricia Harris was recognized in the Super Lawyers list. A fete she also achieved in 2022 and 2023.
Other notable achievements are:
- Selection to the “Outstanding Woman” (2009) list by the Women Builders Council
- A recipient of the Women Worth Watching Awards (2014) by the Diversity Journal.
- Receiving the Sutherland Award (2019) by the Global Design Alliance. This award is given in memory of Tom Sutherland, a former chair of the Global Design Alliance and Managing Principal of Dialog Design. The award is presented to an individual from a member firm who exemplifies GDA’s core purpose of simply being “Better Together”
- Recipient of the Urban Green Space Service Award (2013) Special Recognition, The Mayor’s NYC Building Task Force
Attorney Patricia Ann Harris is also a member of the following professional bodies:
- New York State Bar (since 1990)
- American Bar Association
- The Association of the Bar of the City of New York’s Construction Law Committee
- The Beverly Willis Architecture Foundation (She is also a member of the foundation’s Board of Directors, Member of the Executive Committee treasurer, and past Board Chair)
- Global Design Alliance (President-Elect, 2020, and a member of the Board of Directors since 2005)
- Company Formation Leadership Committee
Zetlin & De Chiara LLP
Zetlin & De Chiara LLP is a law firm that specializes in construction law.
It is based in New York City and has offices in New Jersey, Connecticut, California, Florida, Illinois, Pennsylvania, Texas, Washington DC, Massachusetts, Maryland, Virginia, Georgia, North Carolina, and South Carolina.
Zetlin & De Chiara LLP represents clients such as owners, developers, contractors, architects, engineers, consultants, insurers, and sureties. It offers litigation, arbitration, mediation, contract negotiation, and risk management services.
As an employee at Zetlin & Chiara LLP, attorney Patricia Ann Harris has achieved the following:
- Acquisition of an Engineering Firm and Subsequent Professional Licensing
- Acquisition of an Architectural Firm and Asset Purchase Agreement
- Engineering Firm Reorganisation, Debt Restructuring, and Professional Licensing
- Licensing Strategy in Connection with the Acquisition of an Engineering Company
Attorney Patricia Ann Harris Contact information
Patricia Ann Harris can be contacted through the following ways:
- LinkedIn: Patti Harris
- Twitter: LicenseSure
- LinkedIn: LicenseSure
- Website: http://www.licensesure.biz
- Email: pharris@zdlaw.com
- Phone number: 212 300 1444
The current Address of LicenseSure is
New York, NY
801 Second Avenue
Conclusion
Attorney Patricia Ann Harris, alias Patti, is an exceptional construction law expert.
She is a member of the New York State Bar and other professional bodies.
Currently, Ms Patricia Ann Harris works at Zetlin & Chiara LLP as a special counsel.
She’s also the CEO and founder of LicenseSure LLC, a firm dealing with design professionals such as engineers, architects, and geologists, etc.
Active in the design industry, attorney Patricia Ann Harris is attuned to the issues and challenges that design professionals face.
Ms Patricia Ann Harris also delivers sound and knowledgeable legal counsel to architects and engineers. Consequently, most of her clients have given her a “Very Good” rating on AVVO.
Therefore, if you are in New York and in need of an attorney who is proficient in construction and corporate law, then you should consider Ms. Patti Ann Harris.