Paul Whitt is a shareholder in the firm’s Knoxville office whose practice focuses on construction law and complex litigation. He represents contractors, subcontractors, suppliers, design professionals, and owners in matters spanning industrial, commercial, and residential projects.

Paul advises clients across every phase of the construction process—from contract formation through project closeout and, when necessary, dispute resolution. He regularly handles high-stakes matters involving payment and performance disputes, lien claims, delay and disruption, construction defects, and catastrophic project failures. He represents clients in litigation, arbitration, and other dispute resolution proceedings, bringing a practical, business-focused approach to resolving complex construction conflicts.

In addition to his dispute resolution practice, Paul regularly serves as outside counsel to construction industry clients, acting as a strategic legal partner on day-to-day business and project issues. He works closely with contractors, subcontractors, suppliers, and design professionals to identify and manage risk in real time, providing guidance on contract strategy, project administration, and claims avoidance. He routinely drafts, reviews, and negotiates construction contracts and project agreements, helping clients allocate risk effectively and avoid disputes before they arise.

Paul’s experience across the full spectrum of construction disputes, including matters involving design errors, professional liability, and construction defects, gives him a comprehensive understanding of how issues develop and how best to position clients to prevent or successfully resolve them.

In addition to his construction practice, Paul represents accountants and accounting firms in professional liability matters and has significant experience representing insurance carriers in first-party coverage disputes and litigation involving allegations of bad faith, fraud, and other extra-contractual claims.

AFFILIATIONS

• American Bar Association
• Associated Builders and Contractors
• Construction Specifications Institute
• Knoxville Bar Association
• Tennessee Bar Association
• Tennessee Association of Construction Counsel

 PROFESSIONAL HONORS AND ACTIVITIES

• Top Attorney, Cityview Magazine, Construction Law and Professional Malpractice-Defense
• Listed in Super Lawyers
• Listed in Best Lawyers, Construction Law, Insurance Law, Litigation – Construction, Real Estate Law
• Recipient, 2008 Tennessee Bar Association-Young Lawyers Division President’s Award
• Former Chair, Tennessee Bar Association-Young Lawyers Division President’s Award Wills for Heroes Committee
• Former adjunct instructor, Business Law, Union University
• Graduate, 2010, FBI-TBI Citizens Academy
• Graduate, 2013, National Trial Academy, Reno, NV
• Graduate, 2014, Tennessee Bar Association Leadership Law (TBALL)

REPRESENTATIVE CASES

• Brooks v. Whaley Construction, LLC, 2024 Tenn. App. LEXIS (Tenn. Ct. App. Sept. 23, 2024)
• Lapinsky v. Cook, 2016 Tenn. App. LEXIS 711 (Tenn. Ct. App. Sept. 26, 2016)
• Mitchell v. Morris, 2016 Tenn. App. LEXIS 178 (Tenn. Ct. App. Mar. 9, 2016)
• Swafford v. Forestry Mut. Ins. Co., 610 Fed. Appx. 565 (6th Cir. July 23, 2015)
• Ridenour v. Covenant Health, 2015 Tenn. App. LEXIS 447 (Tenn. Ct. App. June 9, 2015)
• Hamilton-Ryker Group, LLC v. Keymon, 2010 Tenn. App. LEXIS 55 (Tenn. Ct. App. Jan. 28, 2010)

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