David Humphreys

David Humphreys

601-519-4352
dhumphreys@thecarsonlawgroup.com

With over 25 years’ experience in construction law and business transactions, David Humphreys efficiently and effectively assists owners, commercial and residential contractors, subcontractors, and design professionals in resolving construction disputes and related insurance claims. Before joining Carson Law Group as a Partner in 2016, David was a partner at another commercial litigation firm and served briefly as C.O.O. and General Counsel for a regional energy and transportation company. Prior to that, David spent his first 14 years of law practice at a firm specializing in complex commercial transactions and contracts. David graduated from the University of Mississippi School of Law in 2000 and, before law school, was a Certified Public Accountant with KPMG.

With commercial transaction experience and an early career as a CPA, David is uniquely qualified to represent owners and contractors in construction disputes. His accounting background enables him to efficiently evaluate claims and maximize litigation outcomes. His experience in complex transactions and contracts benefits his clients in their own contract negotiations and in obtaining insurance coverage from reluctant insurers. David has developed a national reputation for innovative insurance coverage arguments, with his insights featured in several recent national industry publications. David is also a frequent speaker on insurance coverage and construction liability issues, including as a featured speaker at the American Bar Association’s Forum on Construction Law 2025 Annual Meeting in Austin, and at the National Association of Home Builders’ 2025 Annual Meeting during the International Builders’ Show in Las Vegas.

In addition to his active construction and insurance litigation practice, David has also recently tried cases in election contests, personal injury matters, and commercial debt collection.

Based in Jackson, Mississippi, and admitted to practice in the courts of both Mississippi and Alabama, David works with clients across multiple states. When he’s not in the office, David enjoys life in Madison, Mississippi, with his wife of 29 years, Kim, and their two daughters, Megan, a 4th-year medical student, and Claire, a soon-to-be CPA with KPMG in Nashville. On weekends, David enjoys golf, hunting, and spending time in the “Grove” in Oxford at Ole Miss sporting events.

 

Recognitions and Achievements

AV Preeminent – Peer Rating for Highest Level of Professional Excellence by Martindale-Hubbell, with recognition for construction law, commercial litigation, and insurance coverage

Court Admissions and Bar Memberships:

  • All federal and state courts in Mississippi
  • All federal and state courts in Alabama
  • United States Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit
  • United States Court of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit
  • Supreme Court of the United States of America
  • American Bar Association
  • ABA Forum on Construction Law
  • Alabama State Bar
  • The Mississippi Bar
  • Local Bar Associations for Hinds, Madison, and Rankin Counties in Mississippi

Legal Experience and Case Highlights

  • Represented group of seven homeowners in shoreline slope collapse case and successfully recovered cost of 275-foot long retaining wall repair.
  • Recovered several hundred thousand dollars against solar panel installation company.
  • Recovered in excess of home value in several residential foundation cases.
  • Recovered full claim value in defective restaurant construction case against several insurers after original coverage denial and refusal to provide defense to insured contractor.
  • Developed innovative insurance coverage arguments that set significant legal precedents in construction and insurance coverage law.
  • Persuaded insurers to provide coverage in construction defect cases, overturning previous claim denials in numerous recent matters.
  • Successfully litigated complex construction disputes involving multiple parties, resulting in the recovery of millions in damages.
  • Successful results in over a dozen large arbitrations and mediations, avoiding expensive jury trials.

Industry Leadership and Involvement

  • American Subcontractors Association:
    • National Attorneys’ Council Member
  • National Association of Home Builders:
    • National Legal Action Committee Member
    • Agenda Speaker at 2023, 2024, and 2025 Annual Meeting of Construction Liability and Risk Committee
    • NAHB Approved Instructor for NAHB education courses
  • American Bar Association Forum on Construction Law:
    • Featured Speaker, 2025 Annual Meeting, Austin, TX
  • Mississippi Housing Institute:
    • Approved Program Instructor for Certified Professional Builder/Remodeler Program

Memberships & Affiliations

  • National Association of Home Builders
    • Local HBA: Home Builders Association of Jackson, Mississippi
  • Mississippi Road Builders Association
  • American Subcontractors Association
  • Mississippi Associated Builders and Contractors
  • Associated General Contractors of Mississippi

Carson Law Group PLLC – Based in Jackson, Mississippi, with attorneys licensed in MS, TX, AL, AR, TN, and GA

Education

  • Juris Doctor – University of Mississippi School of Law, 2000, cum laude
  • Master of Science in Accounting – Rhodes College, 1996
  • Bachelor of Arts in Accounting – Rhodes College, 1995

Speaking Engagements and Publications

  • Recent Speaking Engagements:
    • American Bar Association’s Forum on Construction Law 2025 Annual Meeting; “Now that you’ve been awarded the Project, what about insurance for it?” April 25, 2025
    • National Association of Home Builders’ Construction Liability, Risk Management and Building Materials Committee; International Builders’ Show, Las Vegas, NV; Agenda speaker at Annual Meetings in 2023, 2024, and 2025 on Trends in Contractor Liability Insurance
    • Mississippi Housing Institute’s Certified Professional Builder/Remodeler Program; taught 2-hour courses throughout Mississippi on “Risk Management for Home Builders”
  • Author of numerous articles on insurance coverage, construction law, alternative dispute resolution, and contracts, including:
    • “Legally Speaking: A Game-Changing New Argument for Coverage in Construction Defect Cases;” April 25, 2023; The Contractor’s Compass, the monthly educational journal published by the American Subcontractors Association
    • “What if the “Your Work” Exclusion is Inapplicable? ISO Classification and Construction Defect Claims;” February 14, 2023; Construction Defect Journal
    • “Answering CGL Coverage Denials in Construction Defect Lawsuits;” January 27, 2023; NAHBNow, official news blog of National Association of Home Builders
    • Regular contributor on construction liability topics in Metro Home Builders Magazine, monthly publication of Home Builders Association of Jackson, Mississippi