Biography
Brian Bennett is a construction and business litigator who has tried cases before juries, judges, and arbitrators throughout the United States and in Canada. He is a board-certified construction lawyer and over the years has developed expertise in a variety of business related litigation including airports, theme parks, industrial projects, stadiums, performing arts centers, science museums, multi-family projects, bonds, liens, delay claims, malpractice of design professionals, lawyers, and accountants, and many other types of business disputes.
Brian Bennett graduated with a Bachelor of Science in Physics and then worked in the fields of civil engineering and general construction for almost 7 years prior to becoming an attorney.
His civil engineering experience includes the design of sanitary sewer, water distribution, and storm drainage systems for various residential and commercial developments. Over time, Brian was put in charge of managing a civil engineering design team charged with the development of complete civil engineering drawings for residential and commercial developments. His position required direct oversight and coordination of the development of design documents and the presentation of project specific data to various land use, zoning, and planning commissions. His work in the civil engineering field included a 6-month stint in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia where Brian was a member of a “field” civil engineering team and even ran survey crews in the vastness of the Saudi Arabian deserts.
His general construction experience includes project management of commercial projects including a 10-story dormitory for the College of Charleston and a multi-million dollar alumni center for the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. During his tenure in the construction industry, Brian obtained significant practical experience with issues that are unique to construction litigation. He routinely managed the development of Critical Path Method (CPM) schedules, the procurement and management of multiple subcontractors and suppliers, and conducted job-site meetings involving the owner, subcontractors, and design professionals. This experience also involved the preparation, presentation, and resolution of change order claims at all levels of the construction process.
Brian realized that the construction industry needed attorneys with practical experience to assist owners, design professionals, general contractors, and subcontractors alike. So, with the support of his wife and best friend Margaret, he left the construction industry and earned his law degree at the University of South Carolina in 1993. While at USC, Brian graduated near the top of his class where he was inducted into the Order of Wig and Robe and was a member of the Law Review. Brian’s primary purpose for attending law school was to become a construction lawyer and that has been the focus of his entire legal career. Brian is a board-certified specialist in construction law.
Brian and Margaret are the proud parents of five (now adult) children: Drew, Michael, Patrick, Erin, and Robbie. All five reside in Florida and are pursuing careers in law, teaching, nursing, and business. Brian and Margaret are avid golfers and enjoy getting on the links together, with friends, and with their children.
