Laura J. Stipanowich has two decades of experience advising owners, contractors, engineers, developers, and industrial companies on the drafting, negotiation, and administration of sophisticated commercial agreements, both as outside and in-house counsel. Her experience spans a broad range of industries, including power generation, renewable energy, hydropower, pulp and paper, environmental services, manufacturing, metals processing, feed and biofuels, and large-scale infrastructure development, involving jurisdictions throughout the United States, Canada, Asia, Europe, Australia, and the Middle East. Her transactional experience includes engineering, procurement and construction (EPC) contracts, joint venture and consortium agreements, supply agreements, technical services agreements, and alternative project delivery contracts.
Laura's practice combines deep transactional experience with a strong foundation in construction and commercial dispute resolution. She regularly advises clients on risk allocation, contract strategy, project execution, change order management, scheduling and payment issues, claims avoidance, and dispute resolution matters arising from major capital projects.
Prior to joining King & Spalding, Laura served as Regional General Counsel for North America for an international manufacturing company, where she led a legal department supporting operations across the United States and Canada, advising on contract drafting and negotiation, construction matters, claims support, supply chain issues, and global project execution. She also previously held in-house legal leadership roles with a publicly traded U.S. based wind and solar contractor and an international contractor in the oil, gas and chemicals industries. As an in-house counsel, she negotiated and supported major EPC, FEED, operations and maintenance, and power-sector projects in North America and internationally.
Before moving in-house, Laura practiced construction and litigation law with an AmLaw 100 law firm in Atlanta, GA, and a boutique firm in Washington, D.C. In private practice, she advised clients on contract negotiation, project delivery, risk management, arbitration, mediation, and construction-related disputes. She represented clients in matters involving contract performance, delay and productivity claims, insurance issues, environmental matters, labor and employment issues, and defective work allegations.
Laura is an active thought leader within the construction and dispute resolution communities and has spoken extensively on construction contracting, risk management, project delivery, and dispute resolution topics. She has authored and co-authored numerous publications addressing construction law and dispute resolution issues and has held leadership positions with the American Bar Association and the International Institute for Conflict Prevention & Resolution (CPR).
Laura earned her J.D. from the University of Virginia School of Law, where she served on the Sports & Entertainment Journal and received a merit scholarship. She received her B.A. in Classics and History, summa cum laude, from the University of Kentucky and is a member of Phi Beta Kappa.
