Benjamin Buskirk is a partner at Poyner Spruill in Raleigh, with 11 years of practice concentrating in construction law. He brings an unusual depth of industry experience to his legal practice — a licensed Professional Engineer and LEED Accredited Professional, he spent six years as a construction project manager after earning a degree in Construction Engineering and Management from North Carolina State University.

Buskirk focuses on contract preparation and negotiation, risk mitigation and dispute resolution for commercial general contractors and project owners. His notable matters include representing a general contractor wrongfully terminated on a failed project and securing a favorable arbitration award for the owner of a large mixed-use development following a two-week arbitration hearing involving significant construction defects.

He serves on the Steering Committee for Division 2 of the American Bar Association Forum on Construction Law and on the Technology Committee. He also leads a construction contracts course on North Carolina State University’s Construction Management Diploma Faculty.

David Carson is a partner at Johnston Allison Hord in Charlotte, with 38 years of practice concentrating in construction litigation.

Carson was drawn into construction law by his mentor at his first firm, who assigned him construction files from day one — a direction that defined his career. He participated in the North Carolina Bar Association’s Construction Litigation Committee in 2005 and 2012, contributing to modifications of the state’s lien statutes that he said remain among the most meaningful contributions of his career.

His bar involvement in construction law spans nearly four decades and includes two terms on the NCBA Construction Section Council, service as an officer and as section chair, and a decade-long tenure as chapter attorney for the North Carolina Subcontractors Alliance from 2015 to 2025.

He said sustained involvement in legal work, industry associations and the bar section for nearly 40 years has built the kind of experience he considers foundational to leadership.

Ashley Coghill is a partner at Davis Hartman Wright in New Bern, with 10 years of practice concentrating in construction defect litigation and contractual disputes.

Coghill grew up on construction sites and interned at a civil engineering office, experiences she said gave her a firsthand understanding of how construction projects work — knowledge she applies directly to expert investigations and testimony in defect cases. She represents both homeowners and contractors and practices in a coastal market that has given her particular experience in marine and pier construction matters.

Beyond her litigation practice, Coghill is actively involved in pro bono representation of families in heir property disputes, particularly those facing forced partition actions brought by real estate developers.

She said she is watching closely how courts continue to test contractual limitations on Unfair and Deceptive Trade Practices Act claims following a recent decision upholding such a limitation — a development she expects to drive significant motion practice in the coming year.

Richard Conner is senior counsel at Conner Gwyn Schenck in Greensboro, with more than 50 years of practice concentrating in construction law, dispute resolution and arbitration. A founding member of the North Carolina Bar Association’s Construction Law Section, he has been a member of the American Arbitration Association’s Panel of Construction Arbitrators since 1979 and its Large, Complex Case Panel since 1990. He also serves on the AAA’s Construction Mega Project Panel and has served on dispute review boards for multi-billion dollar toll road projects.

Conner served for 16 years as general counsel to the Construction Management Association of America and is a Fellow of the American College of Construction Lawyers. He is co-author of the North Carolina Construction Law Treatise, published by Thomson Reuters, and has contributed to multiple other construction law publications.

Adam Gottsegen is a principal at Nicholls & Crampton in Raleigh, with approximately 23 years of practice concentrating in commercial litigation, real estate litigation, construction disputes, bankruptcy, creditors’ rights and partition actions.

Gottsegen clerked for Judge J. Rich Leonard, Chief Judge of the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the Eastern District of North Carolina, after earning his Juris Doctor from Wake Forest University School of Law in 2002. He serves as a court-appointed commissioner in Wake County charged with selling real estate in partition actions and regularly represents banks, credit unions, homeowners’ association management companies and commercial lenders in collection proceedings, foreclosures and bankruptcy matters across all federal districts in North Carolina.

He served as president of the 10th Judicial District Bar Association in 2020, has served on the North Carolina Bar Association’s Bankruptcy Section Council and previously served as president of the Rotary Club of North Raleigh.

He said his goal is simply “to be a counselor for my clients, getting them through any situation.”

Nan Hannah is an attorney at Hannah Sheridan & Cochran in Raleigh, with 33 years of practice concentrating in construction law, creditors’ rights in bankruptcy and alternative dispute resolution.

It’s no surprise she practices construction law—her father was a founder of the NC Bar Association’s Construction Law Section, and years of absorbing conversations and visiting job sites gave her a foundation she didn’t fully recognize until she began practicing.

She chaired the North Carolina Bar Association’s Construction Law Section and recently received its Evelyn M. Coman Award for Distinguished Service in Construction Law. She has served on the NCBA Board of Governors, the North Carolina Bar Foundation’s Board of Directors and as president of both the Wake County Bar and the 10th Judicial District Bar.

Her most significant work involved the Harrelson and CSSI bankruptcy cases — matters that helped spur a statewide revision of North Carolina’s lien law in 2012–13.

Meg Harrington is a principal at Dickie, McCamey & Chilcote in Charlotte, with nearly 33 years of practice concentrating in construction law, insurance coverage and bad faith litigation, medical malpractice, premises liability and workers’ compensation.

Harrington has practiced on both the defense and plaintiff sides of litigation and brings more than 20 years of experience as a neutral arbitrator and five years as a judge pro tempore with the Court of Common Pleas Dispute Resolution Center in Philadelphia. Her experience spans firms in North Carolina, New Jersey and Pennsylvania.

She said construction litigation requires sensitivity to the passions involved — “those representing their life’s work and those dealing with their most significant purchase” — and that keeping those perspectives in mind is essential to resolving cases successfully.

A memorable matter involved representing an Amish family of contractors in an accident case. “Learning about their life and work ethic was fascinating and something I’ll always remember,” she said.

Harper Heckman is an attorney at Maynard Nexsen in Greensboro and has practiced construction law for 35 years, also serving as an arbitrator and mediator in construction disputes. His path to the practice was unconventional: on his first day, the partners asked which new lawyers had construction experience, and his summer job selling hardware in Nantucket, Massachusetts, somehow qualified him.

Heckman has served as chair of both the ABA Construction Section and the North Carolina Bar Association Construction Section and has built a practice focused on advising closely held, intergenerational construction companies throughout North Carolina.

Representative clients include Samet Corp., Kirkland Inc., I.L. Long Construction and Moses Cone Health System.

He said he expects AI and the continued sub-specialization of the legal industry to be the primary drivers of change in his field.

Tracy James is a partner at Michael Best in Charlotte, with 21 years of practice concentrating in commercial construction law, from contract drafting and negotiation through dispute resolution.

James currently chairs the American Bar Association Forum on Construction Law — the largest organization of construction lawyers and professionals in the world — having previously chaired Division 4 and served on the Forum’s Governing Committee. She previously chaired the South Carolina Bar Association’s Construction Law Section and served as an out-of-state representative to its House of Delegates. She is a panel member with the American Arbitration Association and has authored more than 20 articles on construction law.

She said construction law found her, beginning with a site visit to a failed stormwater detention pond that flooded Interstate 77, a moment she said changed the entire direction of her career.

Neale Johnson is a partner and co-chair of the Litigation Department at Fox Rothschild in Charlotte, with 28 years of practice concentrating in construction law, from contract negotiation through dispute resolution and neutral services as a mediator and arbitrator.

Johnson is a Fellow of the American College of Construction Lawyers and serves as Finance Committee Chair and on the Governing Committee of the ABA Forum on Construction Law. He has served twice on the North Carolina Bar Association’s Construction Section Council and participates in drafting state legislation, including recent revisions to General Statutes governing construction liens and indemnity provisions.

His most memorable case was his first — a 1999 trial securing legal rights for a woman caring for her sister’s four children. “Helping my client address that in court validated my decision to become a lawyer,” Johnson said, “and illustrated the positive role lawyers can play in our society.”

Todd Jones is a shareholder at Haynsworth Sinkler Boyd in Raleigh, with nearly 28 years of practice concentrating in construction law, business litigation and government matters.

Jones represents contractors, subcontractors, property owners and local government entities in contract disputes, mechanic’s lien claims, construction defect litigation, OSHA defense and administrative proceedings. He is admitted to practice before the U.S. Supreme Court, the U.S. Court of Federal Claims and the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit, among other courts. He serves as an adjunct professor of construction law at Campbell Law School and is a panel member with the American Arbitration Association.

He is actively involved in the North Carolina Bar Association’s Construction Law Section and regularly presents at regional, state and national conferences on construction law topics. He received the NCBA’s Charles F. Blanchard Outstanding Young Lawyer Award in 2007 and Campbell University’s Distinguished Alumni Award in 2016.

Wesley Scott Jones is an attorney at the Law Office of Wesley Scott Jones in Wilmington, with nearly 32 years of practice concentrating in construction law and business law disputes throughout southeastern North Carolina.

Jones represents general contractors, subcontractors, material suppliers, owners, developers, architects and engineers in both litigation and transactional matters involving commercial, residential and governmental projects. His construction litigation practice covers defective workmanship and design, delay and disruption claims, breach of contract, bond and lien claims, Miller Act and Little Miller Act claims and licensing matters. His non-litigation services include contract drafting and review and client education on lien and bond procedures, licensing and permitting requirements.

He represents clients in District Court, Superior Court and Federal Court throughout southeastern North Carolina.

Daniel Katzenbach is a partner at Cranfill Sumner in Raleigh, with nearly 29 years of practice concentrating in construction law, professional liability, environmental and toxic torts and premises liability. He chairs the firm’s Construction Law Practice Group.

Katzenbach represents general contractors, developers, architects, engineers, sureties and insurance companies in defect, delay and injury claims before state and federal courts. His notable results include a defense verdict limiting a $1.5 million roofing defect claim to a $1 award in a bench trial and a successful dismissal upheld by the North Carolina Court of Appeals in a home inspection case.

He is a member of the Defense Research Institute, the North Carolina Association of Defense Attorneys and the Professional Liability Attorney Network, where he served as Education Chair from 2019 to 2021.

Firm executive committee chair Ryan Bolick said Katzenbach “has guided complex, high-stakes matters with unmatched technical understanding and judgment” since joining the firm in 1997.

Peter Marino is a partner at Smith Anderson in Raleigh, with 36 years of practice concentrating in construction law and public infrastructure matters.

Marino served as managing editor and contributing co-author of four editions of the North Carolina Construction Law Deskbook over 15 years — a publication that has shaped construction law practice statewide. His project experience includes North Carolina’s first toll road project, the state’s first light rail project and the CATS Blue Line Light Rail Project, among the largest public infrastructure matters in the state’s history. His clients include RDU International Airport, Balfour Beatty Infrastructure and S.T. Wooten Corp.

He served as chair of the North Carolina Bar Association’s Construction Section and currently serves as one of 12 elected members of the Governing Committee of the American Bar Association’s Forum on Construction Law, a global organization of more than 6,000 construction lawyers.

When asked what makes him a leader in his field, he said simply: “At this point, my gray hair!”

Walt Rapp is a partner at McAngus Goudelock & Courie in Wilmington, with 23 years of practice concentrating in construction law and construction defect litigation.

Rapp previously led the North Carolina Association of Defense Attorneys’ construction law group and has presented regularly on developments in construction litigation.

He is known among colleagues for candid, transparent communication about case strengths and weaknesses — an approach he said produces a track record of settling cases that should be settled early while litigating those that need to be tried. A memorable matter involved a four-week trial alongside attorney Joel Rhine arising from a plaintiff falling through a rental home’s railing under the state’s vacation rental act — a case he said produced more stories than all his other trials combined and reinforced his belief that fully exploring every opportunity to negotiate a resolution is the hallmark of good advocacy.

Byron Saintsing is a partner at Smith Debnam in Raleigh, with 38 years of practice concentrating in complex business litigation with an emphasis on construction law, commercial finance, equipment leasing and financing and commercial creditor bankruptcy.

Saintsing has edited materials on North Carolina’s adoption of Article 2A of the Uniform Commercial Code and formerly served on the Legal Forum Committee of the Equipment Leasing and Finance Association. He is frequently sought by local media for comment on distressed debt, workouts and commercial bankruptcy matters.

Creditor clients rely on him for workouts, restructurings, receiverships and bankruptcies, while construction and equipment leasing clients turn to him for mechanics liens, bond claims and warranty disputes.

Sandra Mitterling Schilder is a partner at Ragsdale Liggett in Raleigh, with more than 30 years of practice concentrating in construction litigation, professional liability defense and employment law.

Schilder defends design professionals — architects, engineers and geotechnical firms — in construction defect, negligence and contract disputes ranging from single-family residential projects to multi-million dollar commercial and roadway projects. Her trial record includes three complete defense verdicts in separate multi-week jury trials. She served as chair of the North Carolina Bar Association’s Construction Law Section, having previously served as vice chair, secretary and treasurer.

Her community involvement includes the North Raleigh Ministries Journey Program, the RL Mace Universal Design Institute and service as a scoring juror for the NC High School Mock Trial competition.

She said, “My priority is to be an advocate for my clients, combining my experience and skills to provide the best possible outcome for each client’s unique circumstances.”

David Senter is senior counsel at Maynard Nexsen in Raleigh, with 42 years of practice concentrating in construction law. He is one of only five North Carolina members of the American College of Construction Lawyers.

Senter has served in leadership roles with the American Bar Association Forum on Construction Law and currently chairs the Construction Law Section of the North Carolina Bar Association. He is a member of the American Arbitration Association’s panel of arbitrators, a certified mediator and an adjunct professor of construction law at Wake Forest University School of Law.

His notable matters include representing the steel fabricator and erector on the redevelopment of Texas A&M’s Kyle Field football stadium and representing the structural steel fabricator for a portion of the Ravenel cable-stay bridge over the Cooper River in Charleston.

He said the mentors who shaped his early career “exhibited professionalism and integrity at every point making me a better person and a better lawyer.”

Riana Smith is a founding partner at Smith Bowers in Raleigh, with 23 years of practice concentrating in construction law and business law. “I’m the daughter of a retired general contractor, so moving into construction law seemed like a natural extension,” she said.

Smith handles all aspects of construction law including contract drafting, construction litigation, lien and bond claims and land planning. Her business law practice includes serving as general counsel for clients on corporate formation, mergers and acquisitions, non-compete agreements and WMBE and DBE certification matters.

Her bar leadership includes serving as chair of both the North Carolina Bar Association’s Construction Law Section (2016–2017) and Small Firm and Technology Section (2020–2021).

Harold Spears is a shareholder at Caudle & Spears in Charlotte, with nearly 47 years of practice concentrating in construction law, business and commercial litigation, insurance litigation, real estate and title disputes and closely held business representation. He is licensed in both North Carolina and South Carolina.

Spears earned a Bachelor of Arts cum laude and his Juris Doctor with honors from Duke University. His clients include Eastwood Construction, CEMEX, North Carolina Farm Bureau Mutual Insurance Company and United Subcontractors.

He is a member of the North Carolina Association of Defense Attorneys and the Defense Research Institute and has taught a discovery in civil litigation course for the Mecklenburg County Bar Association.

Caroline Trautman is a partner at Mayhew Trautman in Raleigh, with approximately 17 years of practice concentrating in construction law and civil business and commercial matters in North Carolina and South Carolina.

Trautman represents owners, contractors, subcontractors, sureties and design professionals in mechanics’ lien and bond claims, contract disputes, defect litigation and licensing matters. She is a North Carolina DRC Certified Superior Court Mediator, a member of the American Arbitration Association’s Panel of Arbitrators for construction matters and has completed North Carolina Civil Collaborative Practice Training.

She served as chair of the North Carolina Bar Association’s Construction Section and served as managing editor of the North Carolina Construction Law Deskbook, eighth edition.

She said she emphasizes practical and cost-effective methods for both preventing and resolving disputes — reflecting values instilled by her father, who owned and operated a small business in Reidsville for many years.