M. Caroline Trautman

In her nineteenth year of practice, Caroline is a trusted adviser to clients ranging from individuals to small business owners to larger companies, making individual attention and responsiveness top priorities. Caroline is from Reidsville, North Carolina, where her father owned and operated a beloved small business for many years and her mother worked for the community college. Learning from her family, Caroline values customer service, community involvement, and education as a lifelong pursuit, and she understands the hard work and challenges that come with running a business.

Caroline handles civil business and commercial matters in North Carolina and South Carolina, with a strong focus on construction law. Caroline has represented owners, contractors, subcontractors, sureties, and design professionals in construction matters including mechanics’ lien and bond claims, contract disputes, large defect claims, and licensing issues. While equipped to take cases to trial or arbitration, Caroline emphasizes practical and cost-effective methods for both preventing and resolving problems and disputes, including providing contract drafting, review, and negotiation services.

Caroline is also an arbitrator and a mediator. She completed mediation training with the Duke Law Program on Negotiation & Dispute Resolution and is North Carolina DRC Certified Superior Court Mediator. She is on the American Arbitration Association’s Panel of Arbitrators for construction matters and has completed North Carolina Civil Collaborative Practice Training.

Caroline is the Immediate Past Chair of the North Carolina Bar Association Construction Section and served as managing editor of the North Carolina Construction Deskbook 8th Edition. She highly values her continued involvement with the NCBA Construction Section’s network of construction lawyers and the professional development it provides. Caroline also enjoys cooking, good books, and spending time with family, even though many of them are Duke fans and she is a Tar Heel.