James S. Schenck, IV

Jim Schenck is a native of North Carolina, raised in Greensboro and now living in Raleigh. He has been in private law practice continuously since 1982, when he graduated with degrees in law and government. The focus of his practice is state and local government construction projects. He has wide and varied experience as an advocate in the prosecution and defense of construction claims. The majority of his work involves dispute resolution, including negotiation, mediation, arbitration and litigation.
Throughout his career he has also studied and counseled clients on project delivery systems and procurement. He routinely reviews contracts and insurance plans for contractors and owners. At the corporate level, he has assisted corporate and local government clients with business planning, budgeting, licensing and other types of state regulatory compliance. Mr. Schenck frequently serves as a mediator and arbitrator in construction disputes. He is a member of the American Arbitration Association Panel of Construction Arbitrators, the American Arbitration Association Panel of Construction Mediators, and is certified as a mediator by the NC Dispute Resolution Commission for North Carolina Superior Courts.

• State of North Carolina, 1982
• U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit, 1984
• U.S. District Court for the Middle District of North Carolina, 1983
• U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of North Carolina, 1984
• U.S. District Court for the Western District of North Carolina, 1991

• B.A., University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, 1976
• J.D., University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill School of Law, 1982
• M.A., Public Policy, Duke University, 1982

• Conner Gwyn Schenck PLLC, 1999-Present
• President of the National Institute of Construction Law, Inc., 1980-1999
• Patton Boggs LLP, 1988-1998
• Foster Conner Robson & Gumbiner, PA, 1982-1988

• Chair, American Bar Association Forum on the Construction Industry, 2011-2012; Governing Committee, 2006-2009
• Fellow, American College of Construction Lawyers
• Chair, American Bar Association Forum on the Construction Industry, Project Delivery Systems Division, 2001-2003
• Member, American Bar Association Dispute Resolution Section
• Member, American Bar Association Law Practice Division
• Member, North Carolina Academy of Superior Court Mediators, 2008-Present (View Profile)
• Member, North Carolina Bar Association Board of Governors, 2002-2005
• Chair, North Carolina Bar Association Construction Law Section, 1991-1992
• Editor, North Carolina Bar Association Construction Law Section Newsletter, 1987-1990
• Chair, North Carolina Bar Association Communications Committee, 1996-1998; 2000-2002
• Member, North Carolina Bar Association Strategic Planning and Emerging Trends Committee, 2005-2010
• Member, North Carolina Bar Association Technology Advisory Committee, 2007-2008
• Director, Greensboro Bar Association, 1993
• Member, Wake County Bar Association
• President, Construction Professionals Network of North Carolina, 2010; Secretary, 2009; Eastern Leadership Chair, 2004
• Member, Various Industry Associations and Trade Groups

• Martindale-Hubbell (“AV”) Peer Review Rated
• Best Lawyers Lawyer of the Year, Construction Law, 2012
• Top 100 North Carolina Lawyers, Charlotte Magazine, 2008-Present
• Business North Carolina’s Legal Elite, Construction Law, 2006-2008; Permanent Honor Roll, 2008-Present (View PDF)
• North Carolina Super Lawyer, Construction/Surety Law, 2006-Present
• Best Lawyers in America for Construction Law, 2005-Present

• Mediator certified by the NC Dispute Resolution Commission for North Carolina Superior Courts, 1992-Present
• Member, American Arbitration Association Panel of Construction Arbitrators, 1998-Present
• Member, American Arbitration Association Panel of Construction Mediators, 1999-Present
• Mediator, U.S. District Court, M.D. of NC, 1995-Present
• Mediator, U.S. District Court, E.D. of NC, 2013-Present

• Co-author, “Liability for Construction Defects That Result From Multiple Causes,” 9 Journal of American College of Construction Lawyers 1, Winter, 2015 (View PDF)
• Co-author, NORTH CAROLINA CONSTRUCTION LAW TREATISE, Thomson Reuters, 2024 ed. (View PDF) (Purchase)
• Contributing Author (1997, 2000, 2004, and 2010 editions, Introduction and North Carolina section), and Editor (2004 and 2010 editions), THE DESIGN/BUILD DESKBOOK: A BLUEPRINT FOR DESIGN-BUILD PROCUREMENT ACROSS THE UNITED STATES AND CANADA, ABA Book Publishing, 1997; 2000; 2004; 2010 (View PDF) (Purchase)
• Co-author (Model Procurement Code Section), Final Report On Design/Build As An Alternative Construction Delivery Method For Public Owners, Building Futures Council, 1995
• Co-author, CONSTRUCTION AND DESIGN LAW (5 volume treatise), The Michie Co., 1991
• Contributing Author (Construction Management Section), CONSTRUCTION INDUSTRY FORMS, Wiley, 1988
• Co-author, “North Carolina Construction Law Survey II,” 22 Wake Forest Law Review 481,1987
• Co-author, “North Carolina Construction Law Survey,” 21 Wake Forest Law Review 633, 1986
• Author, “Termination for Convenience,” Construction Law Adviser, September 1986
• Author, “Impossibility, Impracticability and Frustration of Purpose,” Construction Law Adviser, August 1985
• Author, “Contracts that Violate Law or Public Policy,” Construction Law Adviser, July 1985

• Program Chair, Virtual Conference, 32nd Annual Meeting of the American College of Construction Lawyers, 2021.
• Moderator, “The Relationship Between In-house and Outside Counsel:  A Match Made in Heaven?” Forum on Construction Law Annual Meeting, A Capital View: Best Practices in Inside and Outside Construction Counseling, 2017.
• Presenter, “Unveiling the Mysteries: Building a Better Construction Lawyer Through Best Practices and Experience, The Advanced Ideal: Best Practices in Arbitration,” American Bar Association Forum on the Construction Industry Midwinter Meeting, 2014
• Panelist, “Construction Contracting Primer,” County Attorneys’ Winter Conference, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill School of Government, 2012
• Presenter, ABA –CLE Teleconference “Construction Management at Risk (CMAR)” American Bar Association Forum on the Construction Industry, 2009
• Presenter, “Project Delivery Systems: Construction Management” Mealey Construction Litigation Conference, 2008
• Presenter, North Carolina Bar Association, Construction Law Section Annual Meetings, Case Law Update, 1991-2007
• Panelist, “Best Practices in Public Bidding of CM At Risk Contracts,” North Carolina State Construction Conference, North Carolina State Construction Office, 2006
• Presenter, “Fundamentals of Construction Law,” American Bar Association Forum on the Construction Industry, Charlotte, NC, November 2004
• Panelist, “Risky Business: Reducing Your Exposure,” Construction Superconference, 2004
• Opening Address, “Best Value Contracting Today: What Is It and Where Is It Going?,” American Bar Association Forum on the Construction Industry Fall Meeting, 2003
• Program Co-Chair, “Defective Work, Effective Litigation: Claims, Coverage and Trends,” American Bar Association Forum on the Construction Industry Fall Meeting, 2002
• “Contractor Default: Making the Tough Decisions,” Attorney’s Workshop on Construction Contracting, University of North Carolina Institute of Government, 1999
• Panelist, “The Law Firm in the Millennium, Construction Lawyering in the 21st Century,” American Bar Association Forum on the Construction Industry, 1998
• “The Design/Build Cookbook,” Presenter, Construction Roundup, American Bar Association Forum on the Construction Industry, 1996
• “State Laws Inhibiting the Use of Innovative Project Delivery, The New Model Design/Build Procurement Code From the Building Futures Council, Changing Trends in Project Delivery: The Move to Design/Build,” Presenter, American Bar Association Forum on the Construction Industry, 1995
• “Hurdling Design Build’s Legislative and Regulatory Obstacles,” Speaker, Stanford/DBIA Professional Design Build, 1995
• Panelist, “Structuring the Design Build Project,” The Construction Superconference, 1994
• “Design Build, Making It Work,” Speaker, CM Strategies For America, CMAA, 1993
• Panelist, “Indoor Air Quality,” North Carolina Association of Plumbing, Heating & Cooling Contractors, 1993

• Member, Wake County Citizens Energy Advisory Commission, 1996-2007
• Chair, Construction Professional Network, Inc, 2015-2016