Mr. Halstrom's practice currently concentrates in the defense of architects and engineers professional liability claims.
Mr. Halstrom has been with the Firm since his admission to the Bar in 1991. His practice currently concentrates in the defense of architects and engineers professional liability claims.
Mr. Halstrom has past experience with lawyers and accountants malpractice claims as well. He has also handled various commercial matters and contractual disputes on behalf of owners, general contractors, construction managers and design professionals on both the plaintiff’s and the defendant’s side.
Mr. Halstrom’s background includes extensive litigation experience in the Courts of New York and New Jersey on both the trial and appellate levels. He received his Juris Doctorate from St. Louis University School of Law in 1990.
Mr. Halstrom holds the Martindale-Hubbell® Peer Rating AV® Preeminent, its highest rating for ethics and legal ability. He has also been selected as a Super Lawyer in the area of Construction Litigation in the Metro Edition of New York Super Lawyers® annually since 2019.
Mr. Halstrom is admitted to practice before the Courts of the States of New York and New Jersey, the United States District Courts for the Southern and Eastern Districts of New York and the District of New Jersey, and the United States Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit.
Education
St. Louis University School of Law, J.D., 1990 University of Iowa, B.B.A., 1987
Court Admissions
U.S. District Courts for the Southern and Eastern Districts of New York U.S. District Court, District of New Jersey U.S. Court of Appeals, Third Circuit
News & Publications
Partner Douglas R. Halstrom presents “Ethical Considerations for New York Engineers” webinar to ACEC New York
Partner Douglas R. Halstrom presents webinar for AIA Peconic, "Study Presentation on AIA Document B101: Standard Form of Agreement Between Owner and Architect”, on November 19, 2025
Congratulations to L'Abbate Balkan's 2025 Super Lawyers® and Rising Stars
Partner Paula M. Gart honored with prestigious Special Recognition Award at AIA Long Island 60th Annual ARCHI Awards Gala
Partner Douglas R. Halstrom to co-present New York County Lawyers Association CLE entitled, “How to Conduct a Deposition – An Interactive Program”, on February 27, 2025
Partner Douglas R. Halstrom presents “Engineering Ethics in New York” seminar at 2025 ACEC New York Winter Conference
Partners Douglas R. Halstrom and Lee J. Sacket attend 2025 ACEC NY Winter Conference, "Securing New York’s Future: Engineering Solutions for Tomorrow’s Challenges"
Congratulations to L'Abbate Balkan's 2024 Super Lawyers® and Rising Star
Partner Douglas R. Halstrom co-presents “How to Carefully Select Your Project/Client” at AIA Tri-State Legal Series on November 8, 2023
Partner Douglas R. Halstrom presents webinar for AIA Peconic "Study Presentation on AIA Document A201: General Conditions of the Contract for Construction" on October 25, 2023
L'Abbate Balkan Attorneys Named 2023 NY Metro Area Super Lawyers
The Architect's Decision to Perform Construction Administration Services and How to Manage the Risk
Partners Douglas R. Halstrom and Lee J. Sacket attend 2023 ACEC NY Winter Conference - "Partnership & Progress: Transforming New York Together"
L'Abbate, Balkan, Colavita & Contini, L.L.P. Wins 2022 Softball Championship!
Partner Douglas R. Halstrom to co-present AIA Tri-State Legal Series, a five-part program covering issues affecting the architectural and design professions, October 14th to October 28, 2022
Partners Douglas R. Halstrom and Lee J. Sacket co-present “Engineering Ethics in New York and New Jersey" webinar to ACEC New Jersey on Tuesday, March 15, 2022
Partner Douglas R. Halstrom to co-present NYCLA CLE webinar "How to Conduct a Deposition in a Pandemic: An Interactive Program" on February 22, 2022
The Four Things I Wish My Clients Would Do
L'Abbate, Balkan, Colavita & Contini L.L.P. is pleased to announce that 9 attorneys of the firm were selected for distinction in the 2021 Metro Edition of New York Super Lawyers® and Rising Stars
Design Professional Fee Sharing Explained – Avoiding Misconduct
Partner Douglas R. Halstrom presents seminar “Ethics for Engineers” as part of annual New Jersey Transportation Conference and Expo - TransAction 2020, "America’s Premier Transportation Conference"
Partner Douglas R. Halstrom to present “Ethics for Engineers" seminar to The American Council of Engineering Companies of New Jersey on Monday, May 18, 2020
The MTA Debarment Statute Can Lead to Dire Consequences to Contractors and Design Professionals
Partners Paula M. Gart and Douglas R. Halstrom Invited to Present at American Institute of Architects LI Chapter Annual Meeting
Super Lawyers® Honors Eleven L’Abbate Balkan Attorneys in 2019 New York Metro Edition
Key Factors that Design Professionals Should Consider in Client Selection
Douglas R. Halstrom to present CEU Program at AIA Peconic Lunch and Learn event on Wednesday, February 13, 2019
Douglas R. Halstrom to present on New York County Lawyers Association Panel, "How to Conduct a Deposition: An Interactive Program"
Douglas R. Halstrom to present “Risk Management and Design-Build” at ACEC Conference
Using Betterment as an Effective Defense for the Design Professional
Paula M. Gart, Douglas R. Halstrom, Daniel A. McFaul, Jr., and Keith J. Stevens to speak at the Institute for Design Professionals Seminar on October 4, 2018
What Should Design Professionals Do When a Client Refuses to Pay?
All Attorneys