Alexandra Smith

Alexandra C. “Allie” Smith advises nationally and world-prominent construction, energy and development clients in matters involving contract drafting and interpretation, utility and infrastructure construction, and other complex issues. She also represents clients in acquisition, leasing, construction financing and loan acquisitions.

With experience in construction and real estate law, Allie focuses her practice on the representation of owners, contractors, suppliers and other stakeholders in all aspects of complex construction transactions, including issues related to contract interpretation, project delay, breach of contract, payment failure, surety bond claims and lien claims.

Her construction practice also involves the negotiation and drafting of construction contracts and associated documents, as well as advising clients on best practices to avoid or mitigate project disputes.

Representing clients on different sides of transactions allows Allie to ensure her clients and their interests are protected throughout every step of the contract drafting process.

Allie also advises clients on various matters, including acquisition, leasing and development of commercial land and buildings involving a wide variety of uses, including retail, restaurant, apartment, and energy and utility projects. She has represented national project development owners in negotiating multimillion-dollar construction projects.

In addition, Allie has experience representing clients in complex civil litigation and in many facets of pretrial litigation, including working with expert witnesses, writing briefs in support of dispositive motions, dealing with discovery issues, and drafting and responding to pleadings and discovery.

In her pro bono work, Allie assists low-income cancer patients, veterans and others with the preparation of wills, financial powers of attorney and nominations of guardians for minor children.

She also represents low-income individuals being wrongly evicted from their homes. Further, through Georgia Lawyers for the Arts, Allie provides legal assistance and education to artists and art organizations of Georgia.

Representative Matters :

• Advising a national electric utility company in the drafting, negotiation and enforcement of various real estate and fiber network development-related transactions.
• Counseled residential property owners both in defending a lien claim asserted by a general contractor and in bringing a claim for damages against the general contractor.
• Defended a utility company against a lien claim asserted by a general contractor in regard to the construction of improvements to a coal-fired power plant.
• Assisted in defending a utility in connection with numerous lien claims by contractors, subcontractors and suppliers on coal-fired power plant improvement projects.
• Counseled an international defense company in a suit for millions of dollars in damages arising from the breach of a contract to construct multiple structures.
• Advised a Georgia county in the drafting of an EPC contract for a $190 million expansion of an advanced water treatment facility.
• Assisted in representing a major U.S. producer of sodium bicarbonate products in an arbitration involving over $15 million in claims related to a multimillion-dollar expansion of a processing facility.
• Represented a national rent-to-own retailer in defending against a class action arising out of the Georgia Lease-Purchase Agreement Act.
• Assisted in representing a corporate client in parallel government investigations of an alleged price-fixing conspiracy in the client’s industry.

Professional and Community Involvement :

• Construction Forum, American Bar Association
• Atlanta Bar Association
• Young Lawyers Division, State Bar of Georgia
• Alumni Association, University of Georgia

EDUCATION :

• University of Georgia School of Law, J.D., cum laude, 2015,
• Georgia Institute of Technology, B.S., with high honors, 2010

BAR ADMISSIONS : Georgia

COURT ADMISSIONS :

• U.S. District Court for the Middle District of Georgia
• U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Georgia
• Georgia Superior Courts
• Georgia Court of Appeals
• Supreme Court of Georgia