SANDRA W. MITTERLING

Sandra W. Mitterling, Associate, Litigation

Sandra W. Mitterling is a senior associate attorney at Ragsdale Liggett PLLC, where she practices in the firm’s litigation department in the primary areas of insurance defense and general commercial litigation. Admitted in North Carolina state courts as well as United States District Court for the Eastern, Middle and Western Districts of North Carolina, the Fourth Circuit Federal Court of Appeals and the U.S. Supreme Court, Sandy is well equipped to represent a wide variety of clients.

In her insurance defense practice, Sandy frequently defends construction design professionals such as architects and engineers.  She has worked with mechanical, geotechnical, structural and civil engineers in her many years of litigation.  In addition to representing the interests of these design professions in court, Sandy also handles complaints before state licensing boards.  Sandy also provides litigation defense for corporate clients in a variety of matters including employment, construction, mold contamination, lead exposure, minor personal injuries, contract disputes and medical malpractice. She has worked on hundreds of construction litigation cases, including commercial and residential disputes, and has handled cases involving multi-party litigation.  In her employment practice, she works with corporate and nonprofit clients to ensure understanding of and compliance with state and federal regulations.  Her employment practice also involves significant work establishing good company policies and preparation of employee handbooks which help avoid misunderstandings with employees and possible costly litigation.

Prior to joining Ragsdale Liggett, Sandy practiced with both the Kilpatrick Stockton and Lewis & Roberts firms in Raleigh, North Carolina. Sandy’s past experience as a plaintiff’s attorney gives her valuable insight into how her opposition is planning for and pursuing their claims, as well as the “tricks” of the trade for plaintiffs’ attorneys.

As a member of the Women in the Profession Committee at the North Carolina Bar Association, Sandy was active in the plans and preparation for a visit from Justice Ginsberg to North Carolina in the Fall of 2007. She is also working on a subcommittee to ensure women are recognized for their work and contributions to the practice of law throughout the state. Sandy has also served as a judge to the Mock Trial Competition, hosted by the UNC and Duke Law Schools, which invited teams from all over the country to compete.

Sandy is also active in her community, where she serves on the A.E. Finley YMCA Branch Advisory Board. On that Board, she works with other members from the community to help establish programs and support the Finley YMCA, one of the largest in the country, in its efforts to serve its constituency in issues of health, wellness and fitness. She also donates time and service to various other nonprofit and charitable organizations, including Hudson Memorial Presbyterian Church, girl scouts and St. Timothy’s Episcopal School.  Sandy has served on a committee at Hudson Memorial Presbyterian Church whose mission is to prepare a Youth Safety policy to protect the interests of the children at the church from those in the nursery though the senior high school participants.  In her continuing efforts to be involved in the community and address issues facing children, Sandy participates the Lunch with a Lawyer program, where local lawyers are paired up with high school students as an outreach effort of the Public Service Committee of the Wake County Bar Association. Cosponsored by the City of Raleigh, the lunch program aims to instill positive values and work ethics into the students who took part in a city sponsored summer work program.

Born in Morehead City, Sandy grew up in nearby New Bern, North Carolina. Her high school fascination with politics and government first drew Sandy’s attention to the idea of law school, and she continued her studies of government and the legal system well into college.  In 1986, Sandy received an Associate of Arts degree from Peace College in Raleigh, North Carolina, and then went on to attend the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, where she earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in 1988. Sandy enrolled in law school at UNC and graduated with her Juris Doctor in 1991.  She is a member of the American, North Carolina and Wake County Bar Associations.

Sandy lives in north Raleigh with her two daughters and husband John Mitterling, Development Consultant for the North Carolina Medical Society Foundation.