Poyner Spruill LLP is pleased to announce that partners Ben Buskirk and Nick Ellis have been included in North Carolina Lawyers Weekly’s 2026 North Carolina Legal 250 list.
This publication recognizes the top attorneys in the state who have made meaningful contributions to the legal profession.
Buskirk is recognized among North Carolina’s leading construction attorneys for his deep understanding of the construction industry and his ability to guide clients through complex project-related disputes and transactions. Drawing on more than a decade of experience as a construction superintendent and project manager before entering the legal profession, Buskirk represents owners, contractors, and subcontractors in matters involving contract negotiation, project administration, and construction claims. A licensed North Carolina Professional Engineer and LEED Accredited Professional, he is known for bringing both technical and legal insight to issues involving construction defects, delays, payment disputes, bonds, and liens. Buskirk serves on the Steering Committee for Division 2 of the American Bar Association Forum on Construction Law and on the Technology Committee.
Ellis is honored in the Consumer/Commercial category for his longstanding record of success in North Carolina courtrooms and his leadership within the legal profession. Since 1987, he has represented businesses, governmental agencies, and individuals in complex civil litigation, including contract and real estate disputes, negligence claims, use-of-force litigation, and wills and trusts matters. Clients rely on Ellis’s nearly four decades of trial experience to navigate high-stakes disputes in both state and federal courts. Ellis has served as president of the North Carolina Association of Defense Attorneys, chair of the North Carolina Bar Association’s Litigation Section, president of the Eastern North Carolina Inn of Court and president of the Eastern North Carolina chapter of the American Board of Trial Advocates.
See the full Legal 250 list here.
