Laura C. Fraher
Laura C. Fraher
Tel 202.689.1900, ext. 3044
Cell 516.398.7941
fraher@slslaw.com
Experience. Passion. Solutions.
Practice Areas:
- Litigation and Trial Practice (including arbitration, mediation and alternative dispute resolution)
- Construction Law
- Complex Commercial Litigation
Bar Admissions:
- District of Columbia, 2008
- United States Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit, 2008
- United States District Court for the Northern District of New York, 2008
- United States District Court for the Southern District of New York, 2006
- United States District Court for the Eastern District of New York, 2004
- New York, 2002
Education:
- J.D., St. John’s University School of Law, 2001
- B.A., Political Science, SUNY College at Geneseo, 1998
Experience.
Laura C. Fraher is an associate in the trial and construction group at Shapiro, Lifschitz & Schram, focusing on complex commercial and construction litigation. Laura has extensive experience in civil litigation at both the trial court and appellate level. She is a creative and effective advocate and has significant experience with all types of motions, briefs, pleadings and other essential documents. Her experience includes managing extensive discovery and electronic discovery in cases of varying size.
Laura brings nearly a decade of big-firm experience to Shapiro, Lifschitz & Schram. Before joining the firm, she worked as a litigation associate for two large New York firms and served as a law clerk for The Honorable Joanna Seybert of the Eastern District of New York. Laura graduated magna cum laude from St. John’s University School of Law where she was on the law review.
Passion.
Laura efficiently explores all possible solutions to achieve a client’s goals. She prides herself on leaving no stone unturned in the search for creative arguments and solutions, and does so with a keen appreciation for the importance of maximizing productivity and servicing the urgent needs of her clients in a timely fashion.
A big-picture person – she doesn’t get “lost in the weeds,” always keeping her eye on her clients’ ultimate goals. Competitive by nature, Laura played flanker on her college rugby team and has a few scars to prove it. She puts this competitive spirit to work for her clients on a daily basis.
Solutions.
Known for her superior advocacy and writing skills, her ability to work with all types of people, and her intense work ethic, Laura has been a key team member in the successful defense of clients facing multi-billion dollar class-action lawsuits. She has served as the lead associate in complex disputes across a range of industries, achieving favorable results in many high-stakes matters.
Laura was a senior member of the SLS trial team, which represented a utility owner in a multi-session mediation and arbitration of a significant dispute with an international engine manufacturer/EPC contractor relating to the construction of a new power plant in Northern California. The plant, which uses 10 reciprocating engines, with 163 MW total output, suffered delays and other problems in construction – issues that became the subject first of mediation and then arbitration. Laura worked with the project team and outside experts to develop mediation presentations and later to manage the discovery and factual and legal issue development in the arbitration. As a result of the tenacious efforts of the SLS team, the disputes were ultimately settled on very favorable terms during the arbitration process.
Laura was a senior member of the SLS trial team that represented the owner of an historic hotel in Washington, DC, in litigation with the architect in charge of a $50 million renovation. The claims involved negligence and overbilling. Laura developed effective mediation presentations, working with various experts, and later managed the discovery, including all aspects of electronic discovery. As a result of her dedicated and highly experienced efforts, the SLS trial team was able to achieve a favorable settlement during discovery.
