Melissa D. Brumback

Melissa D. Brumback

also known as Melissa Dewey Brumback

5.0
Rating: 10.0

Licensed for 27 years

Litigation Lawyer at Raleigh, NC
Practice Areas: Litigation, Contracts & Agreements, Construction & Development ... +3 more

2840 Plaza Place, Suite 400, Raleigh, NC

About Melissa

Biography

Practice Areas

6

Practice Areas

Litigation 30%

General civil litigation practice, including business disputes, construction claims, and complex commercial litigation Avvo rating 10.0

28 years

30%
Construction and Development 25%

Construction litigation, primarily representing design professionals; contract review and negotiation; loss prevention Avvo rating 10.0

28 years

25%
Contracts and Agreements 25%

Drafting, revising, and negotiating contracts with favorable terms for clients Avvo rating 10.0

28 years

25%
Insurance 10%

28 years

10%
Arbitration 5%

28 years

5%
Debt Collection 5%

Debt collection and preservation of creditors' rights Avvo rating 10.0

28 years

5%

Fees and Rates

Cost

Hourly Rates

$ 300-350 per hour


Payment Methods

  • Cash
  • Check
  • Credit Card

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Licenses

Licensed in North Carolina for 27 years

State: North Carolina

Acquired: 1998

Active

No misconduct found

Location

Ragsdale Liggett PLLC

2840 Plaza Place, Suite 400, Raleigh, NC, 27612

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Melissa D. Brumback's Reviews

Avvo Review Score

5.0 /5.0

5 Client Reviews

5 star (5)
4 star (0)
3 star (0)
2 star (0)
1 star (0)

Posted by Bill | February 2, 2010

Architect's Professional Liability Defense

Ms. Brumback was the lead attorney on a team that defended a large national Architectural firm in a complicated claim brought by a very aggressive health care institution's legal team. At all times, Ms. Brumback patiently and competently led our firm through the process. Our firm had been very su...ccessful over the many years it had been in operation in avoiding such claims and, as a result, required much guidance from the legal team in assisting in our own defense. I, personally, and the firm, generally, would recommend Ms. Brumback to any design firm in need of an excellent defense.

Posted by Chris | January 26, 2010

Help with an uncooperative business owner

I returned a product to a store owner and he claimed he would issue me a credit on my credit card once his credit card machine was working again. He never did after multiple phone calls and then sent me a bad check. Melissa wrote him a letter to "put the fear of God (or fear of lawyers, perhaps)" i...nto him, which seemed to work, since he finally sent me a check for my refund that cleared.

Posted by James | December 29, 2009

Melissa D Brumback

Ms. Brumbach represented my firm on two separate occasions. The first as a member of a legal team who defended us against a former client. Rather than meet to discuss the concerns in person, this client was persuaded by an aggressive law firm to resolve the matter through the courts. Their incentiv...e being the expectation of a large insurance settlement from a policy we carried at the time. The second was as our attorney in a suit to collect fees from a client who withheld final payment for work we performed. Rather than meet to discuss, this client ceased communication. In both instances she became familiar with the facts very quickly and developed a well conceived plan for both our defense and the merits of our claim. We would not hesitate to engage her if the need arose once again.

Posted by Christina | December 17, 2009

Prompt and professional

Melissa did a fantastic job when I was trying to negotiate with the insurance company after a car accident that left me with several injuries and many hours of missed work. She worked very had to get the best settlement for me as quickly as she possibly could. While I had been working with them for... months, she settled the situation in one phone call. She was always professional when I was corresponding with her, both on the phone and via email. I appreciated how quickly she resolved the situation and how much respect she gave when dealing with me and the insurance company. I would recommend her to anyone who wants to get their problems handled swiftly and efficiently.

Posted by Joe | December 16, 2009

Professsional liability case

Mrs. Brumback was professional, easy to deal with, easy to contact and always returned my e-mails and phone calls in a reasonable time. She was very knowledgeable about our case and was a good negotiator.

See All Client Reviews

Melissa D. Brumback's Lawyer Endorsements

Endorse Melissa
Douglas L. McClanahan headshot
Douglas McClanahan

Litigation lawyer | Oct 08

Relationship: Opposing Counsel on matter

"I've known Melissa for years and happily refer clients to her when I have a conflict or something is in her wheelhouse. She balances being tough and professional."

Curtis A Sluder headshot
Curtis Sluder

Contracts and agreements lawyer | Jan 05

Relationship: Friend

"I endorse this lawyer. Melissa is and always has been a very astute, conscientious, courteous, yet aggressive attorney when the situation calls for it. I highly recommend her."

Christopher Garrett Hill headshot
Christopher Hill

Construction and development lawyer | Aug 28

Relationship: Friend

"Melissa is a very knowledgeable attorney in the field of construction in North Carolina. She is good about sharing this knowledge with others and has helped me out in the past."

Scott G Wolfe JR headshot
Scott Wolfe

Construction and development lawyer | Nov 13

Relationship: Fellow lawyer in community

"I've come to know Melissa as a reader of her blog, Construction Law in North Carolina (http://constructionlawnc.com/). It's an excellent resource for those in the construction industry who are interested in learning about construction law topics they confront each day. It's also a great resource for construction lawyers. Melissa is a thought leader on construction law in North Carolina, and I frequently turn to her publications to help me in my own practice. I highly recommend her as an attorney who has a great grasp of construction law concepts, and the practice area as a whole."

Harrison A. Lord headshot
Harrison Lord

Construction and development lawyer | Dec 18

Relationship: Worked together on matter

"Melissa and I serve together as co-chairs of the Newsletter Committee for the North Carolina Young Lawyers Division. Melissa is the rare lawyer who can always get the details just right without ever losing track of the bigger picture. Her organizational skills are phenomenal, and she brings genuine enthusiasm to every project. As an added bonus, she's also fun to work with."

View All Endorsements
Curtis A Sluder headshot
Curtis Sluder

DUI and DWI lawyer

Christopher Garrett Hill headshot
Christopher Hill

Construction and development lawyer

Scott G Wolfe JR headshot
Scott Wolfe

Construction and development lawyer

Harrison A. Lord headshot
Harrison Lord

Communications and media lawyer

Peter J. Marino headshot
Peter Marino

Mediation lawyer

James S. Schenck headshot
James Schenck

Arbitration lawyer

Experience

Rating:  10.0 (Superb)

Honors

2017

Bar Register of Preeminent Women Lawyers, Martindale-Hubbell

2017

NC Legal Elite (Construction Law), Business North Carolina

2017

Superlawyer in Construction Law, Super Lawyers

2016

Superlawyer in Construction Law, SuperLawyers

2016

Bar Register of Preeminent Women Lawyers, Martindale-Hubbell

2016

NC Legal Elite (Construction Law), Business North Carolina

2015

Superlawyer in Construction Law, SuperLawyers

2015

Bar Register of Preeminent Women Lawyers, Martindale-Hubbell

2014

Bar Register of Preeminent Women Lawyers, Martindale-Hubbell

2013

NC Legal Elite (Construction Law), Business North Carolina

2013

Bar Register of Preeminent Women Lawyers, Martindale-Hubbell

2012

Rising Star-Construction Law, SuperLawyers

2012

Bar Register of Preeminent Women Lawyers, Martindale-Hubbell

2011

Rising Star- Construction Law, SuperLawyers

2011

Best Construction Blog, Design and Construction Report

2011

Bar Register of Preeminent Women Lawyers, Martindale-Hubbell

2010

AV Preeminent Rating, Martindale Hubbell

2009

BV Distinguished Rating, Martindale Hubbell

2008

Triangle Impact Law Leader, Triangle Business Leader Magazine

2007

Certified Toastmaster, Toastmasters

2006

40 Under 40, Triangle Business Journal

2004

"All Star" Team Award, North Carolina Jaycees

2003

North Central Region Membership Award, North Carolina Jaycees

1998

Gressman-Pollitt Appellate Advocacy Award, UNC School of Law

1994

Phi Beta Kappa, University of North Carolina

1993

Golden Key National Honor Society, University of North Carolina

Work Experience

2006 - Present

Partner, Ragsdale Liggett PLLC

2007 - 2008

General Counsel, North Carolina Jaycees

2001 - 2005

Associate, Ragsdale Liggett, PLLC

1998 - 2001

Associate Attorney, Stuart Law Firm PLLC

1998 - 1998

Legal Intern, U.S. Attorneys Office, Civil Division

1997 - 1997

Summer Associate, Wyrick Robbins Yates Ponton

1996 - 1996

Legislative Associate, NC Justice and Community Development Center

Associations

2011 - Present

US Green Building Council (USGBC)

LEED- Green Associate

2009 - Present

10th Judicial District Bar Association

Chair; Vice-Chair; Member--Grievance Committee

2008 - Present

RL Mace Universal Design Institute

President; Vice-President; Board of Directors

2002 - Present

Defense Research Institute

Member

2002 - Present

North Carolina Association of Defense Attorneys (NCADA)

Member

1998 - Present

North Carolina Association of Women Attorneys

Member; Wake County Chapter Member

1998 - Present

North Carolina Bar Association

Member; Litigation Section Member; Construction Section Member

1998 - Present

Wake County Bar Association

Member

1998 - Present

American Bar Association

Member; Litigation Section Member; Construction Section Member

2008 - 2010

North Carolina Bar Association Young Lawyer's Division

Co-Editor, The Advocate newsletter

2006 - 2008

ABA Young Lawyer's Division

Associate/ Assistant Editor, The YLD Affiliate

2002 - 2018

Chapel Hill Jaycees

Founder, various Board of Directors positions, Member

2001 - 2002

North Carolina Association of Women Attorneys (Wake County chapter)

Secretary

2000 - 2001

North Carolina Association of Women Attorneys

Career Support Chairperson

Sample of Legal Cases

Michael Jonathan McCrann, Jr. et al. v. NC Dept. of Health and Human Serv.

Judgment for Client Upheld

Zumkehr v. Hidden Lakes Property Owners Assoc. Inc.

Affirmation of Summary Judgment for Client

See More Legal Cases

Education

1998

University of North Carolina School of Law

J.D.

1997

University of Manchester, England

Visiting Scholar

1994

University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill

B.A., with Honors and Highest Distinction

1992

Corning Community College

A.A., with Honors

Speaking Engagements

2017

NC Bar Association Construction Law Forum

Designing the Project: Insurance for the Design Team

2016

NBI Seminar: Expert Witnesses: Using NC Court Rules to Your Advantage

Ethical Considerations for Working with Experts

2016

American Society of Civil Engineers- Spring Technical Forum-NC

7 Critical Mistakes Engineers Make that Sabotage Their Projects & Invite Litigation

2015

NC Bar Association- Construction Law Forum Video Webinar

Digging Into the Dirt: A Look Inside a Construction Law Practice

2015

Advise & Consult- 1st Annual Construction Defect & Dispute Conference

Third Party Liability of Design Professionals

2014

NC Bar Association- Construction Law Annual Meeting

Joinder of Subcontractors and Design Professionals in Multi-Party Construction Arbitration

2014

Lorman Education Services-- NC Construction Law

Fundamentals of Construction Contracts in North Carolina: Understanding the Issues

2013

Building And Protecting Your Business And Your Future: Contract, Collect, and Protect

Best Business Practices To Ensure You Get Paid

2013

American Institute of Architects- Triangle Chapter-Keeping Your House in Order

Understanding liability/risk involved with BIM and LEED projects

2012

Professional Engineers of North Carolina Brown Bag Seri

7 Critical Mistakes Engineers Make that Sabotage Their Projects & Invite Litigation

2012

Professional Engineers of NC- Annual Conference

Best Business Practices for Engineers to Ensure You Get Paid

2012

Professional Engineers of NC Annual Conference

7 Critical Mistakes Engineers Make that Sabotage Their Projects & Invite Litigation

2012

Half Moon- NC Construction Law Conference

Making Changes to the Contract and Contracted Work

2012

Construction Superconference

Re-Building America’s Infrastructure: An Inside Look at the New Contract Forms Released and Currently Being Developed by EJCDC from Traditional Design-Bid-Build to DBOM and P3

2012

American Council of Engineering Companies- Fall Conference

7 Critical Mistakes Engineers Make that Sabotage Their Projects & Invite Litigation

2011

Strafford Publications-Construction Contract Drafting Strategies

Understanding & Modifying Key Construction Contract Terms (Scope of Services, Duties of the Parties, Changes to the Project, and Termination Issues)

2011

NC Association of Defense Counsel- Annual Meeting

Best Practices for Minimizing Risk in Construction Contracts

2011

Half Moon-- Law of Construction Defects & Failures

Strategies for Reducing Defects & Failures

2010

Half Moon--North Carolina Construction Law

Making Changes and Resolving Disputes During the Construction Process

2007

Managing the Construction Claim

Investigating and Handling Construction Defect Claims

2006

NBI- NC Construction Law

Understanding Contracts, Managing Contract Changes During Construction, and Termination of Construction Contracts

Publications

2010

Construction Law in North Carolina Construction Law Issues in North Carolina-Blog

2010

2010

Half Moon, LLC Managing Changes and Resolving Disputes - CLE manuscript

2007

2006

Resolving Problems and Disputes on Construction Projects Understanding the Construction Contract Before You Sign It

2006

Resolving Problems and Disputes on Construction Projects Managing Contract Changes

2006

Resolving Problems and Disputes on Construction Projects Handling Threats of Contract Termination

Languages

English

Activity

Avvo Rating

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