OUR TEAM

Jack Rephan

Pender & Coward, P.C.

Jack Rephan has served as HRUHCA’s General Counsel since 1995 when Stephen St. John, HRUHCA was appointed a judge of the United States Bankruptcy Court for the Eastern District of Virginia in Norfolk.

In addition to advising HRUHCA’s Board of Directors on legal matters and regularly attending board and dinner meetings and other HRUHCA events, things that Jack has done for HRUHCA and its members include the drafting revisions to HRUHCA’s by-laws, incorporation of the HRUHCA Memorial Scholarship Fund and securing a ruling from the Internal Revenue Service to confirm its status as a tax exempt educational organization, work on the front-end documents for the Hampton Roads Regional Standards and amendments to the Regional Standards to bring them into compliance with changes in Virginia law, helping to obtain legislative changes to the Virginia Overhead Power Line Damage Prevention Act, helping to defeat a bill which would dramatically make it more difficult and expensive for contractors and subcontractors to file mechanic’s liens, and working closely with HRUCHA’s board and its Executive Director to seek a resolution with the City of Norfolk of the matter of the issuance of criminal citations for gas line breaks.

Jack is a Shareholder in the Virginia Beach law firm of Pender & Coward, P.C. He has a Bachelor of Science Degree from the McIntire School of Commerce at the University of Virginia and a Juris Doctorate Degree from the University of Virginia School of Law.

After serving as a law clerk for the U.S. Court of Claims, he was in the private practice of law in Washington D.C. from 1962 through 1993 where a major portion of his practice involved construction and government contract law matters. Since 1993, he has continued to practice law in the Hampton Roads, Virginia area where his practice has continued to be substantially devoted to construction and public contract law matters. His clients include owners, contractors, subcontractors and suppliers involved in federal, state, and local public construction projects as well as private projects. Among his clients are a number of HRUHCA members.

In addition to the litigation, arbitration and mediation of construction disputes, the legal services that Jack and his firm provide to their construction industry clients include, among many other things, reviewing and drafting contracts, advice on contract interpretation issues, review of bids and proposals for compliance with requirements of an IFB or RFP, drafting bid protests, advice and assistance in resolving disputes during construction, advice regarding preservation of claim rights, helping the drafting and presentation of claims and working with scheduling or other consultants in the drafting and presentation of claims, drafting and filing of mechanics’ liens and payment bond claims.

Jack’s trial experience includes cases in the federal and state courts in Virginia, the District of Columbia and elsewhere and has handled many contract appeals cases before the Civilian Board of Contract Appeals, and the Armed Services Board of Contract Appeals. He has also successfully argued construction related cases before the United States Supreme Court, the Virginia Supreme Court, and other appellate courts.

Jack also regularly acts an arbitrator or mediator of construction disputes and is member of the American Arbitration Association’s National Panel of Neutrals.

He is a member, and has served two terms as the chair and member of the Board of Governors of the Virginia Bar’s Construction and Public Contract Law Section and is a member of the American Bar Association’s Forum on Construction Law.

Jack has lectured for many years on construction law subjects at seminars or events sponsored by Virginia CLE, Associated General Contractors of Virginia, Associated Builders & Contractors, in addition to HRUHCA. He has also served as a guest lecturer at the Regent University School of Law on construction law subjects. He has also is the author of numerous articles on construction law subjects and has written chapters on construction law subjects for the Virginia Construction Law Deskbook published by Virginia CLE, and Construction Subcontracting, published by the American Bar Association’s Forum on Construction Law.

Jack is a recipient of HRUHCA’s President’s Award, Associate of the Year Award, and Commendation Award. He has an AV rating from Martindale-Hubbell, that organization’s highest rating, has been listed as one of the best lawyers in Virginia in the fields of construction and alternate dispute resolution as a member of Virginia Business Magazine’s “Legal Elite,” and also has been listed in Super Lawyers.