Richard Conner grew up in Greensboro, where he now lives. He has been practicing law since 1973. His professional practice is concentrated in the areas of resolving design and construction related disputes in arbitration and litigation for local government and private industry clients. As a part of his private practice, he served for sixteen years as general counsel to the Construction Management Association of America (CMAA). He is a member of the American Arbitration Association Construction Mega Project Panel and its Large, Complex Case Panel (LCCP) of Arbitrators and Neutrals. He is certified as a mediator in North Carolina. His dispute resolution experience as a neutral includes extended service as a member of dispute review boards for multi-billion dollar toll roads.

Court Admissions

  • State of North Carolina, 1973
  • U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit, 1984
  • U.S. District Court for the Middle District of North Carolina, 1974
  • U.S. District Court for the Western District of North Carolina, 1978
  • U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of North Carolina, 1994

Education

  • B.A., Guilford College, 1970
  • J.D., University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill School of Law, 1973

Employment

  • Conner Gwyn Schenck PLLC, 1999-Present
  • Patton Boggs LLP, 1988-1998
  • Foster Conner Robson & Gumbiner, PA, 1983-1988
  • Turner Enochs & Sparrow, 1977-1983
  • Block Meyland & Lloyd, 1973-1977

Professional Activities & Affiliations

  • Fellow, American College of Construction Lawyers, Board of Governors, 1995-1997
  • Fellow, Construction Management Association of America, 1999-Present
  • Member, American Arbitration Association Large, Complex Case Panel (LCCP) of Arbitrators and Neutrals, 1990-Present
  • Member, American Arbitration Association Construction Mega Project Panel, 2015-Present
  • Member, American Arbitration Association Panel of Construction Mediators, 1996-Present
  • Founding Member, North Carolina Bar Association Construction Law Section
  • Council Member, North Carolina Dispute Resolution Section, 2015-Present
  • Chair, American Bar Association Forum on the Construction Industry, CM, Design/Build, and Related Concepts Division, 1993-1995
  • Co-founder, Construction Specifications Institute, Triad Chapter
  • Co-founder, Construction Professionals Network of North Carolina, Board Member 1998-2000; President 1999-2001
  • Member, North Carolina Academy of Superior Court Mediators, 2008-Present (View Profile)
  • Member, National Academy of Distinguished Neutrals, 2008-Present (View Profile)

Honors

  • Corporate Counsel Top Lawyer, Guide to Construction Law, 2011-Present
  • Best Lawyers – Lawyer of the Year, Construction Law, 2011-Present
  • Best Lawyers in America for Construction Law, 2000-Present
  • North Carolina Super Lawyer, Construction Litigation, 2004-Present
  • Business North Carolina’s Legal Elite, Construction Law, 2001-2013; Permanent Honor Roll, 2013 (View PDF)
  • Who’s Who Legal of International Business Lawyers, 2007-Present
  • Strathmore’s Who’s Who, 2005-Present
  • Martindale-Hubbell (“AV”) Peer Review Rated
  • Top 100 North Carolina Lawyers, Charlotte Magazine, 2007-Present

Certifications & Credentials

  • Member, American Arbitration Association Panel of Construction Arbitrators, 1979-Present
  • Member, American Arbitration Association Panel of Construction Mediators, 1994-Present
  • Mediator, U.S. District Court, M.D. of NC, 1990-Present
  • Mediator certified by the NC Dispute Resolution Commission for North Carolina Superior Courts, 1990-Present
  • Member, American Arbitration Association Large, Complex Case Panel (LCCP) of Arbitrators and Neutrals, 1990-Present
  • Member, panel of private judges for the Private Adjudication Center of the Duke University School of Law, 1990-2002

Publications

  • Co-author, NORTH CAROLINA CONSTRUCTION LAW TREATISE, Thomson Reuters, 2023-2024 ed. (View PDF) (Purchase)
  • Co-author (North Carolina Chapter), FIFTY STATE CONSTRUCTION LIEN AND BOND LAW, Aspen Law and Business, 2nd ed. 2000; Supp. 2009
  • Co-author (Construction Management Overview Chapter), DESIGN PROFESSIONAL AND CONSTRUCTION MANAGER LAW, ABA Book Publishing, 2007 (View PDF) 
  • Author, Legal Aspects of Construction Management, manuscript prepared for “Successful Construction Management Techniques and Procedures” for The College of Engineering, University of Wisconsin-Madison, 1998
  • Author, CONSTRUCTION SAFETY, THE STANDARD HANDBOOK OF HEAVY CONSTRUCTION, McGraw-Hill, 1996
  • Co-author, CONSTRUCTION AND DESIGN LAW (5 volume treatise), The Michie Co., 1991
  • Author, “Unfair and Deceptive Trade Practices in Construction Litigation and Arbitration,” South Carolina Law Review, Vol. 40, No. 4, 1989
  • Co-author, THE LAW AND PRACTICE OF COMMERCIAL ARBITRATION IN NORTH CAROLINA, Duke University Law School Press, 1986
  • Author, “Contracting For CM Services, Construction Management and Design/Build/Fast Track Construction,” Duke University Journal of Law and Contemporary Problems, Vol. 46, No. 1, 1983

Speeches, Panel Discussions & Seminars

  • “View From the Arbitrator’s Chair,” North Carolina Bar Association Construction Law Section Annual Meeting, Greensboro, NC, September 2008
  • “The Effective Use of Experts in Construction Cases,” North Carolina Bar Association Seminar, Raleigh, NC, 2006
  • “Liability of Consulting Engineers,” presented for International Concrete Repair Institute, Myrtle Beach, SC, 1999
  • “Protecting the Construction Manager and Owner from Construction Management Contracting Exposures,” Seventh Annual Construction Litigation Superconference, San Francisco, CA, 1992
  • “Local Government Contracting for Design and Construction in N.C.,” North Carolina Bar Association Seminar, New Bern, NC, 1991
  • “Resolving Disputes and Getting Paid on Public Construction Projects in N.C.,” Seminar, Greensboro, NC, 1991
  • “A System of Construction Management for the 1990s,” 29th Annual Meeting of Invited Attorneys, Seattle, WA, May 1990
  • “Superintendant’s Risk Management Handbook,” School Facilities Conference of the N.C. Department of Public Instruction, Raleigh, NC, 1990
  • “School Construction for Finance Officers and Related Staff – Beyond the Statutes and Regulations,” Raleigh, NC, 1976

Community Activities & Public Service

  • Board Member, North Carolina Museum of Natural Sciences, 2010-2015
  • Board Member, City of Greensboro, N.C. Transit Authority, 1990-1995
  • Chairman, Guilford County Board of Elections, 1985-1989
  • Board Member, North Carolina Wildlife Federation, 1977-1978