Biography: Construction

Larry Baker is a senior partner at Watt, Tieder, Hoffar & Fitzgerald. His practice involves the preparation, defence and litigation of major construction, surety and architect/engineer claims. He also has an active government contracts practice, and has litigated bid protests both in the courts and before state and federal administrative forums. Mr Baker has practised before state and federal Boards of Contract Appeals, the US Claims Court (now the Court of Federal Claims) and federal and state courts throughout the country. He has also been retained as a neutral in mini-trials, as a mediator, and has been appointed as a special master to resolve construction disputes before the courts.

Before entering private practice, Mr Baker served as the first chairman of both the Maryland Department of Transportation Board of Contract Appeals and the Maryland State Board of Contract Appeals. In addition, he served as assistant general counsel for the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority, where he litigated many contractor claims before the former Corps of Engineers Board of Contract Appeals and in the federal courts.

His peers and clients repeatedly recognise Mr Baker for his accomplishments as a construction lawyer. Chambers USA – America's Leading Lawyers for Business describes Mr Baker as 'cool, calm and collected' and 'one of the most knowledgeable construction dispute authorities around'. Mr Baker is a Fellow of the American College of Construction Lawyers and has also been honoured by The Legal 500, Best Lawyers of America in the construction law category, and the Washington, DC and Virginia Super Lawyers. Mr Baker attended the University of Maryland, where he received a degree in Civil Engineering and his JD.