Dorsey Carson, Jr.

Founding Partner

 – Present

Dorsey is currently a member of Arkansas, Georgia, Mississippi, Texas, Washington, D.C., and American Bar Associations, including the Forum on the Construction Industry, as well as the Federal Court of Claims, Associated Builders & Contractors, Association of General Contractors, and American Subcontractors Association.

His specialties are Economic Development, Construction Law, Commercial Litigation, and Intellectual Property.

Dorsey handles matters involving construction, government contracts, economic development, banking and consumer finance, corporate freeze out, partnership disputes, international trade, open records, intellectual property, government affairs, and general commercial matters. As a Special Assistant Attorney General, he successfully recovered $7.5 million for the State of Mississippi, and acted as outside corporate counsel for the State on a $200 million economic development project.

Dorsey is an attorney for construction projects such as highways, public schools, manufacturing facilities, health laboratories, power plants, water plants, military barracks, landing strips, distribution centers, mass transit systems, industrial construction projects, commercial buildings, shopping center developments, condos, subdivision developments, and casinos. He serves as lead attorney in contracting and public bid and award protests, and in litigation involving payment and performance problems related to changes, changed conditions, lost productivity, out-of-sequence work, delays, suspensions of work, termination of contracts, A/E liability, and insurance disputes.

In 2010, the Mississippi Business Journal recognized Dorsey as one of its inaugural Mississippi’s 50 Leaders in Law. Chambers USA has recognized Dorsey as a “Leader in their Field” in the area of Construction Litigation. Since 2011, Dorsey has been recognized as a Mid-South SuperLawyer. In 2012, Dorsey was selected as one of PORTICO Jackson’s PORTICO 10, the top 10 up-and-coming lawyers in the Jackson area. Since 2013, Dorsey has been included in The Best Lawyers in America for his work in Construction Law. Dorsey is a Partner of the Truman National Security Project. Dorsey has also served as a spokesperson and legal commentator in regional and national media outlets, including Court TV and CNN.

Dorsey began focusing on construction law in 1999 while at Smith Currie & Hancock in Atlanta. Construction law has been his primary practice area since that time, as well as heavy experience in commercial litigation, intellectual property, partnership disputes, and government contracts. Before opening his own firm, Dorsey served as the Mississippi office managing partner at Burr Forman. Earlier in his career, Dorsey opened the Jackson office of Krebs Farley & Pelleteri, and served as associate at Mockbee Hall & Drake, and at Butler Snow. Dorsey received his Juris Doctorate from the University of Georgia, where he served as Vice-President of the Student Bar Association, and Articles Editor for the Georgia Journal of International & Comparative Law. Dorsey also attended the London Law Consortium at the University of London, where he externed with Barrister Jerome Lynch. He attended Mississippi State University, where he earned his Bachelor of Arts, magna cum laude.

Dorsey was drawn to the idea of starting a smaller firm because it allows him and fellow attorneys more opportunities to be creative, flexible and use cutting edge ideas in how they approach their cases, as well as the firm. He finds helping people, solving problems, and offering outside-of-the-box solutions the most gratifying parts of his job.

Dorsey has published the following manuals/articles:

“Environmental Issues Following a Natural Disaster,” ABA Const. Forum Annual Meeting, Hollywood, FL, 2019. “Mississippi Construction Lien Law,” 2015-2019. “Mississippi Construction License Law Update,” 2018. “Managing Engineering Liability and Risk,” 2018. “Challenges and Contractual Issues with Sub-Subcontractors,” 2017, 2009. “Public Procurement Law Applicable to Construction Contracting,” 2017. “Construction Project Financing Essentials” and “Case Law and Legislative Update,” Birmingham, AL, 2016. “The Well Has Dried, But the Project Isn’t Finished: Practical Advice on How to Handle Mid-Project Financing Problems,” ABA Const. Forum Annual Meeting, New Orleans 2014. “Capture the Imagination with Visualization: The Hottest Trend in Construction Scheduling and Change Order Analysis,” ABA Construction Law Forum Midwinter Meeting, 2014. “Construction Defect Litigation: From A to Z,” 2013. “Mississippi Construction Law Update,” ABA Const. Forum, 2011-13. “Georgia Construction Law Update,” ABA Const. Forum, 2012-13. “Federal Construction Law Update,” ABA Const. Forum, 2010-11. “Getting Paid in a Tough Economy: Innovative Strategies and Techniques,” ABA Const. Forum, 2010. “Challenges and Contractual Issues With Sub-Subcontractors,” 2009 Mississippi Practitioner’s Foreclosure Manual, 2009. “Inside the Minds: Contract Dispute Resolution,” 2008. “Entering Into Construction Contracts and Subcontracts,” Construction Law For Architects, Engineers, and Contractors, 2008. “Construction Delay Claims,” 2006. “Mississippi Construction Law,” State Public Construction Law, 2002. “Construction Claims in Georgia,” 2002. “Mississippi: No Damages For Delay,” 2001. “Construction Lien and Public Contract Bond Law,” 2000-01. “Is Hot Weather An Excusable Delay?” 2001. “Pass Through Delay Claims,” 1999. “Remembering Dean Rusk,” 1996.

Both sets of Dorsey’s grandparents were farmers; one also was a pipeline contractor, including building the Alaska Pipeline. His mother worked at the same church for over 40 years prior to her retirement in Ridgeland, MS, and his father lives south of Tylertown, just north of the Louisiana border, where he is retired from insurance and banking regulatory work.

Along with wife Susan and daughter Hays, he enjoys traveling and staying “on the go from place to place,” as well as music, art, food, and outdoor activities.