Education
Carmela Mastrianni is a partner in the firm’s Commercial Construction Litigation Group. She primarily represents subcontractors, general contractors, design professionals and more in lawsuits alleging construction defects, delay claims, accounts collection, and other work or project related issues. In addition to her construction work, Carmela represents landlords in unconventional tenancy concerns, summary ejectment actions, and related litigation matters.
Carmela is licensed in both North Carolina and South Carolina and splits her practice between the two states. She has been recognized for her legal work by Chambers USA as one of the Construction “Up and Coming” in North Carolina (2020 – 2023); was invited to join the 2024 Class of the NC Construction Council, a division of the North Carolina Bar Construction Section; and was selected to Co-Chair the 2025 Annual Meeting of the ABA Forum on Construction.
Carmela is a “double-heel”, having earned both her undergraduate and law degrees at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. During her time as an undergraduate, Carmela was a member of the Women’s Varsity Rowing Team and was team captain her senior year. While in law school, she served as the Symposium Editor of the North Carolina Journal of Law and Technology.
When outside the office, Carmela enjoys hiking and adventuring with Harvey, her Pitbull Mix and digging in her various vegetable and flower gardens.
Experience
- Successfully obtained summary judgment on an issue of first impression in North Carolina for landlord client.
- Obtained summary judgment on all claims based on the South Carolina statute of repose on behalf of developer client.
Honors + Activities
- North Carolina Bar, North Carolina Construction Council, Class of 2024
- Chambers USA, North Carolina Construction, “Associates to Watch,” 2020, 2021
- Chambers USA, North Carolina Construction, “Up and Coming,” 2022, 2023
- ABA Forum on Construction, Diversity Fellow, 2020
- Business North Carolina Legal Elite, 2020, 2024
- Business Today’s Top 10 Powerful Construction Lawyers Shaping North Carolina’s Industry, 2023
- North Carolina Rising Stars, Construction Litigation, 2023, 2024
- North Carolina Bar Construction Section, CLE Committee, 2020 – 2022
- Mecklenburg County Bar Association, Bar Leadership Institute 2020 Class
- ABA Forum on Construction Law, Division 4 Working Committee, April 2019 – present
- ABA Forum on Construction Law, Division 4 Steering Committee, April 2020 – January 2024
- ABA Forum on Construction Law, YLD Steering Committee, September 2023 – present
- ABA Forum on Construction Law, Member, 2018 – present
- American Bar Association, Member, 2018 – present
- Mecklenburg Bar Association, Member, 2016 – present
- National Rental Home Council, North Carolina Chapter, Member, 2022- present
Publications
- Contributing Editor, North Carolina Construction Law Matrix, AGC/ABA Forum on Construction Law, 2021-Present
- Contributing Editor, South Carolina Construction Law Matrix, AGC/ABA Forum on Construction Law, 2024
- Co-Author, The Construction Lawyer, ABA Forum on Construction Law, “Managing Integrated Project Delivery”, August 2022
- Co-Author, Mechanic’s Liens Chapter, South Carolina Construction Law Deskbook, 2nd Ed.
- Contributing Editor, Under Construction, ABA Forum on Construction Law, 2020-2023,
Presentations
- ABA Forum on Construction Law, Workshop A Session Coordinator, Managing Integrated Project Delivery, 2020 Annual Conference
- ABA Forum on Construction Law, Plenary 9 Session Coordinator, Perspective from the Bench: Model Rule 8.4(g) and a return to Professionalism, 2019 Fall Conference
- North Carolina Construction Law Section’s 2020 Fall CLE, Planner, Laying the Foundation, Brick by Brick: A Sticks-And-Bricks Program for Construction Law
- North Carolina Construction Law Section’s 2021 Fall CLE, Planner, The Construction Lawyer’s Swiss Army Knife: Tools for the Modern 21st Century
- North Carolina Construction Law Section’s 2021 Winter CLE, Planner, North Carolina Construction Law Section’s 2022 Winter CLE, Déjà Vu All Over Again — Virtually (A Program Celebrating the Release of the 8th Edition of the North Carolina Construction Law Deskbook)
- North Carolina Construction Law Section’s 2022 Winter CLE, Planner, Damages and Strategic Options for Dispute Resolution: A Practice-Oriented Approach
- North Carolina Construction Law Section’s 2022 Annual CLE, Planner, NC/SC Joint Construction Law Conference
