Representative Experience

Construction, Civil Litigation, and Dispute Resolution

• Secured a unanimous opinion from the North Carolina Supreme Court after oral arguments in favor of one of the largest developers in southeastern North Carolina. The case involved a woman who fell through the ceiling of a new construction home while walking in the attic. The decision was obtained after a petition for discretionary review, and it overruled a unanimous panel of the Court of Appeals. The opinion is available Cullen v. Logan Developers, Inc., 904 S.E. 2d 730 (2024).
• Successfully represented a major southeastern North Carolina developer in a flooding claim brought by almost two dozen homeowners. After oral arguments, the North Carolina Court of Appeals ultimately affirmed the dismissal of all claims in a published opinion. The opinion is available at Autry v. Bill Clark Homes, LLC, 287 N.C. App. 11, 882 S.E.2d 698 (2022).
• Represented a plumbing subcontractor in a 20-party, $16 million commercial construction defect case, achieving a favorable settlement for less than the cost of litigation.
• Represented a roofing contractor in a 10-party, $2 million condo building water intrusion case, obtaining early dismissal for the roofer before the case was litigated for multiple years.
• Represented a framing contractor and successfully avoided punitive damages in a case involving a custom beachfront home.
• Represented a roofing contractor arising out of the collapse of a mall roof during Hurricane Florence. More than $10 million in damages were claimed and successfully shifted responsibility for the tenants’ damages to the building owner and design professionals.
• Represented a roofing contractor in a 15-party, $5 million construction defect case involving a 100-acre mixed-use development involving a corresponding declaratory judgment action, successfully obtaining settlement for less than the cost of defense.
• Obtained summary judgment with no payments made on behalf of a general contractor in a claim brought by over 40 townhome owners as a result of work performed following Hurricane Florence.
• Tried to successful verdict a case alleging the sale of defective recreational vehicle.
• Tried to successful verdict a case involving the recovery of damages after an eviction in a high-end rental.

Policyholder Insurance Recovery and Counseling

• Represented homeowners in successfully reversing an insurance carrier’s denial of coverage over a $100,000 water damage claim.
• Obtained a reversal of an insurance carrier’s refusal to provide a defense to general contractor for a claim brought by a large commercial property owner.
• Represented a commercial landlord through the appraisal process with an insurance carrier in a freeze and water damage claim.