Baker Law Group LLC announced that Senior Associate Jonathan Berjikian has been added in 2026 as a liaison to the American Institute of Architects Contract Documents Committee, joining firm founder Jeremy S. Baker, who has served in the liaison role since 2015. The AIA Contract Documents Committee drafts, revises and maintains the AIA's standard form agreements used across the design and construction industry, including owner-architect, owner-contractor, design-build and consultant agreements. The committee's work draws on a consensus process that involves multiple industry perspectives and is supported by AIA staff counsel and subject-matter contributors.
As liaisons, Baker and Berjikian will provide practitioner feedback on draft language, flag contracting issues that arise in day-to-day project work and contribute to discussions that inform future editions of the AIA documents. "It's a huge honor for Jonathan, and I'm excited to work with him in this new capacity," Baker said. "The liaison role lets us bring real project issues back into the drafting conversations, which is where the documents either stay practical or drift away from practice."
Berjikian, a senior associate at Baker Law, advises project participants on contract negotiation and project risk across delivery methods, including the AIA's commonly used standard forms. "I'm grateful for the opportunity and for the help from Jeremy and the AIA," Berjikian said. "AIA documents shape how teams allocate risk and solve problems, and I'm looking forward to contributing feedback that reflects what we see on active projects."
The committee typically reviews and updates its core documents on a 10-year cycle; widely used editions such as the A201 and B101 forms were released in 2017. Baker Law said the liaison work is timely as the AIA develops its next comprehensive update, targeted for release in 2027. The addition of Berjikian gives Baker Law the notable distinction of having two liaisons to the committee. This representation bolsters the firm's ability to shape AIA agenda and represent client interests in the next comprehensive update.
This development is significant because the AIA contract documents are foundational to the design and construction industry, governing relationships and risk allocation on countless projects. Having two practitioners from the same firm in liaison roles could provide more consistent, amplified feedback from the field, potentially leading to more practical and effective contract language in the upcoming 2027 revisions. For industry participants, the practical experience these liaisons bring from active projects may help ensure the next generation of standard forms addresses real-world challenges in contract negotiation and project execution.
