Lawyers

Experience

Construction Law

• Represents owners, general contractors and specialty contractors in all aspects of construction law, including contract drafting and negotiation, risk management counseling, contract performance advice, claims analysis, and dispute resolution

Green Building and Sustainability

• Co-chair of Green Building and Sustainability Practice group
• Represents owners, contractors and subcontractors in matters related to green building and sustainability

Surety Law

• Represents sureties in all bond-related matters
• Investigation and defense of performance and payment bond claims
• Investigation and pursuit of discharge, overpayment and indemnity claims for sureties

Fidelity Bond and Commercial Crime Policy Law

• Investigation and defense of claims against various types of commercial crime policies and fidelity bonds
• Investigation and pursuit of recoveries for commercial crime policies and fidelity bonds

Alternative Dispute Resolution in Construction Disputes

• Represents parties in construction mediation and arbitration
• Member of the American Arbitration Association's Panel of Construction Industry Arbitrators

General Information

• American Arbitration Association Construction Industry Panelist
• Member: AGC of America Contract Documents Committee, Surety Bonding and Risk Management Committee, and Green Building Working Group
• Member: Program & Education Committee of Washington Building Congress
• Vice Chair: Fidelity & Surety Law Committee (FSLC), Tort Trial & Insurance Practice Section, American Bar Association (ABA)
• Member: ABA Forum on The Construction Industry
• Member: Surety & Fidelity Claims Institute
• Member: National Bond Claims Association
• Advisor: Fidelity Law Association
• Co-Editor-in-Chief: Fidelity Law Journal
• Presenter: "Behind the Green Label" (AGC of America Contractor Environmental Conference, June 7-8, 2012)
• Presenter: "Shades of Green: How to Manage Owners' Expectations of their Green Construction Projects" (AGC of America Construction Risk Management Conference, January 31, 2012)
• Presenter & Author: "Novel Surety Issues Presented by Green Construction" (Surety & Fidelity Claims Institute, Williamsburg, VA, June 24, 2010)
• Presenter: "Green Expectations: Identifying and Managing the Risks Unique to Green Building" (National Association of Independent Sureties, Phoenix, AZ, April 15, 2010)
• Author: "Green Building Risks for Contractors" (AGC Constructor, Nov./Dec. 2009)
• Presenter: "Identifying and Managing the Risks Unique to 'Green' Construction: What Sureties Should Know" (NASBP virtual seminar, October 20, 2009)
• Presenter: "How to Identify and Manage the Risks Unique to 'Green' Construction" (AGC of America Meeting on Risk Management, February 11, 2009)
• Co-Author and Presenter:  "Effectively Managing Large Construction Projects: Can They Be Performed On Time and On Budget?" (Washington Metropolitan Chapter of the Community Association Institute Annual Program, March 31, 2007)
• Author: Chapter on "District of Columbia," in Payment Bond Manual, 3^rd Ed. (ABA 2006)
• Co-Author: "Cancellation," in Annotated Commercial Crime Policy (ABA 2006)
• Co-Author and Presenter: "Paperwork," in The Construction Project (ABA 2006)
• Author and Presenter: "Managing the Risk of Mold, Silica, and Welding Fumes Liability," Associated General Contractors of America Risk Management Committee Meeting (2005)
• Author: "Change of Control" and "Deductible Amount," in Annotated Financial Institution Bond (ABA 2004)
• Co-Author and Presenter: "Termination and Cancellation," in Commercial Crime Policy (ABA 2004)
• Author and Presenter: "The Rights and Obligations of the Surety Under Dual Obligee Bonds" (Surety Claims Institute 2004)
• Co-Author: "Contractual Risk Allocations for Mold Conditions," in AGC Constructor (Feb. 2003)
• Co-Author and Presenter: "Mold Claims and Litigation on Construction Projects: Risk Management Strategies for Sureties" (Surety Claims Institute 2003)
• Author: "Talking to Owners About Mold: 'We're All In This Together,'" in Construction Risk Management (August 2003 Supp.)
• Co-Author and Presenter: "Mold's Growing Impact on the Construction Industry," in Mold: The Challenge Ahead (American Insurance Association 2002)
• Co-Author: "Financial Guaranty Insurance and Surety Bonds," in The Law of Commercial and Miscellaneous Bonds (ABA 2001)
• Author and Presenter: "Financial Guaranty," in Law of Suretyship (ABA 2000)
• Co-Author: "Recent Developments in Fidelity and Surety Law," in Tort & Insurance Law Journal (1997-2003)
• Editor-in-Chief: Mississippi College Law Review (1989-1990)

Education

• Mississippi College School of Law (J.D. 1990) with distinction
• University of North Carolina (M.A.Ed. 1975)
• University of North Carolina (B.A. 1974)