Ragsdale Liggett PLLC : Our Lawyers. Your Advantage.
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MELISSA DEWEY BRUMBACK

Melissa Dewey Brumback, Attorney at Law
 
Contact Information
 
P (919) 881-2214
F (919) 783-8991
 
 
 

   Visit Melissa's Blog






Published Articles


Understanding the Construction Contract Before You Sign It

Managing Contract Changes

Handling Threats of Contract Termination

Key Practice Tips for Small Contractors

Avoiding the Holiday Blues in Construction Projects [delay claims]

Making Changes and Resolving Disputes During The Construction Process

Melissa Dewey Brumback, Partner, Litigation

Areas of Practice

Melissa Dewey Brumback is a litigation partner at Ragsdale Liggett PLLC, where she focuses her practice on construction law and business disputes.  The bulk of Melissa's practice consists of representing architects and engineers in construction-related claims, including construction administration and management, plan defects, testing failure claims and delay claims.  Melissa has represented design professionals in State and Federal courts as well as in binding arbitration when the parties wish to avoid the formality, time and expense of a trial.  Her practice includes the defense of all sizes of claims, from residential homeowner cases to private commercial construction to multi-prime public construction projects.  Melissa is admitted to practice in all State and Federal Courts in North Carolina, as well as the 4th Circuit and the United States Supreme Court.          

In addition to construction cases, Melissa handles commercial litigation, business torts, contract negotiation, medical negligence claims, product defect liability, premise liability, title insurance litigation, and director and officer liability. Melissa also heads the creditor's rights/collections practice group at Ragsdale Liggett.  Melissa began her law career by practicing insurance defense, general corporate law, workers compensation defense and creditor's rights at Stuart Law Firm, PLLC in Raleigh, North Carolina. She joined Ragsdale Liggett in March 2001 as an associate attorney and became a partner in January 2006.  She blogs on construction matters at www.constructionlawNC.com.

Education

Melissa obtained her Bachelor of Arts degree, with honors and highest distinction in 1994 from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.  In 1998, she received her Juris Doctor degree from  the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill where she was awarded a Gressman-Pollitt Appellate Advocacy Award.  She has also studied as a Visiting Scholar at the University of Manchester, England School of Law.

Professional Recognition

Melissa was named one of the Triangle Business Journal's 40 Under 40 in 2006, and in 2008 she was named a Triangle Impact Law Leader by Business Leader Magazine.  In 2010, Melissa received an AV Preeminent Peer Review rating, the highest rating of Lexis-Nexis Martindale-Hubbell.  In 2011, Melissa was named one of Super  Lawyer magazine's Rising Stars in the area of Construction Litigation.  She is also listed in the 2011 Bar Register of Preeminent Women Lawyers.

Bar Involvement

Melissa is a member of the American, North Carolina, and Wake County Bar Associations, as well as the 10th Judicial District where she serves as Vice Chair of the Grievance Committee.

She also maintains memberships in Wake Women Attorneys, the North Carolina Association of Women Attorneys, the North Carolina Association of Defense Attorneys and the Defense Research Institute.

Melissa's previous bar involvement has included serving as an Assistant/Associate Editor of the Affiliate newsletter (a national American Bar Association YLD Publication) as well as two years as Co-Chair of the North Carolina Bar Association YLD Newsletter Committee.  She helped to spearhead Pro Bono 101, the first legal seminar of the NCBA YLD which trains attorneys to be able to handle pro bono cases.  Melissa has also been a member of the Public Service and the Lawyers in the Schools subcommittees of the Wake County Bar and the North Carolina Bar Association's Law Day Committee.

Community Involvement

Melissa is also active in the Design Professionals Liaison Committee, a committee that aims to bring architects, engineers, and lawyers together to discuss issues of mutual concern.  She also serves as Vice President and Board member of the RL Mace Universal Design Institute, a nonprofit group seeking more inclusive design in the built environment.  

Previously, Melissa re-chartered the Chapel Hill chapter of the Jaycees in the fall of 2002 and subsequently served in several Jaycees leadership positions. Through her involvement in the Jaycees, she has raised funds for the North Carolina Jaycee Burn Center at UNC, the Duke Cancer Center, Lake Waccamaw Boys and Girls Home, the victims of Hurricane Katrina and other worthy causes.  For these outstanding efforts, the Jaycees awarded Melissa with their North Central Region Membership award in 2003 and their ?All Star Team? award in 2004.  In 2007 and 2008, she was appointed to serve as General Counsel for the North Carolina Jaycees, a position in which she advised the state umbrella organization on legal issues affecting the states Jaycees chapters.

Melissa founded a book club for women attorneys which is currently in its tenth year.  In 2007, Melissa obtained her Competent Communicator/Certified Toastmaster designation from the High Noon Toastmasters in Raleigh. 

Melissa resides in Chapel Hill with her husband and daughter.