DHW congratulates Partner Ashley Coghill for her selection to the 2024 Construction Power List by North Carolina Lawyers Weekly. This annual list recognizes North Carolina’s leading lawyers in construction.

In her construction law practice, Ashley often represents subcontractors on both sides of the dispute. She is proficient at asserting and perfecting liens against property and funds for job payments owed. She is also well experienced in defending contractors from negligent construction allegations and construction defect claims. “I strive to provide quality and zealous legal representation to those who are limited in resources or located in legal deserts where there are not enough attorneys available to provide affordable services”, she told North Carolina Lawyers Weekly.

When asked what led her to the practice of construction law, Ashley responded: “In my youth I spent my summers either in surveyors offices or at construction sites practicing how to drive on a backhoe and helping my father with take offs for infrastructure bids. In my high school and college years I was helping my mothers renovate a 1910 farm house and crawling in the crawlspace to unfreeze pipes. I’ve found the most fun can be found in the dirt and that translated directly into my legal career by providing me the working knowledge of a construction claim that most attorneys aren’t well versed in. It can be enough to understand and apply the law but the capability to understand how things fit together at a construction site and the process it takes to get there give me an edge that serves my clients well. I tend to focus on construction defect claims and mechanic liens because those get into the weeds the most and that is where the fun is.”

When it comes to her construction law practice, Ashley would like people to know: “Even from the beginning, I’ve been dedicated to advancing and supporting women in the construction field. As a woman, it’s one thing to work in a male dominated field and excel but another entirely to advocate for, and lift up, the women around you to make sure they come along with you for the ride. I’m proud to have been able to gain recognition among my peers and clients as someone who is knowledgeable and capable in a field that has historically been dominated by men. My clients know that when a problem arises, they can talk to me like they can one of their employees because I’ve got the knowledge and background to understand their trade or licensing requirements and I’m not afraid to go into a crawlspace with one of their technicians to understand a key issue in the case. Getting past people’s expectations as a woman in a male dominated field is no longer a concern because I am one of the people setting the standards for attorneys in the construction field, and that is the greatest honor.”

Ashley is also passionate about working with clients in insurance coverage and professional liability matters. She is a multi-faceted lawyer with many talents, including experience litigating in state and federal courts across North Carolina. Ashley has a strong business acumen from her years of experience coupled with her advanced certificate in international business law.