Due to its extreme climate and broad interpretation of construction-related statutes and insurance coverage issues, South Carolina has become one of the most active regions for construction defect litigation in the country.
Sonaly Hendricks heads the construction litigation department at Pierce, Sloan, Kennedy & Early LLC where she has represented builders, developers, general contractors, subcontractors, suppliers, design professionals, and building component manufacturers in complex suits ranging from multi-million dollar water-front condominium complexes to high rise commercial structures, multi-million dollar custom homes, historic renovations, single family residences, and multi-residential developments consisting of hundreds of homes in every type and size of case for over 15 years.
Working with some of the best experts in the region, Sonaly specializes in design and construction defects involving all construction trades, both vertical and horizontal, and building components, as well as professional design liability, design and manufacture of building materials, developer and homeowner association issues, construction administration and management, delay disputes, and insurance matters. Practicing exclusively in this area for more than a decade and having litigated over 150 cases against most plaintiff construction attorneys in the state on multiple occasions, Sonaly has a thorough understanding of the technical design and construction concepts involved, applicable codes and local construction standards required, and the ongoing evolution of law in the field to know how these cases should be litigated and defended. Pierce Sloan Kennedy & Early further maintains the resources to efficiently represent its clients through its staff of associates and paralegals knowledgeable and skilled in the litigation of construction defect actions, along with an administrative team extensively experienced in maintaining and executing carrier billing requirements and practice guidelines.
Sonaly graduated from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill School of Law in 1998. She was admitted to the Colorado Bar and joined a regional firm in Denver practicing commercial litigation, products liability, and appellate law. She was admitted to the Washington Bar in 2003 where she continued practicing commercial litigation in Seattle. She joined Pierce Sloan Kennedy & Early in Charleston in 2006 and now serves as the senior partner for the construction litigation department. Sonaly is a member of the Colorado, Washington, and South Carolina Bar Associations and was recognized as a Rising Star in the field of Construction Litigation by South Carolina Super Lawyers in 2012 and 2013.
