JeanneHarrison

Jeanne M. Harrison is the founding attorney of Harrison Litigation Team, PLLC, a Nashville-based law firm representing contractors, developers, business owners, and property owners in construction litigation, business disputes, and contract matters. Licensed in Tennessee and Georgia, Jeanne has more than a decade of legal experience, including practice at national law firms Smith, Currie & Hancock LLP and Holland & Knight LLP. Her work spans disputes involving defective or incomplete construction, unpaid contract balances, project delays, change orders, contractor defaults, and commercial agreements. She represents clients in state and federal litigation, arbitration, mediation, and negotiation, while also advising construction companies and other businesses on contract drafting, project risk, and dispute avoidance.

In 2022, Jeanne moved from Atlanta to open and oversee Smith Currie's Nashville office and spearhead the national construction law firm's local expansion. She later served as a founding and managing partner of Anderson & Harrison, PLLC, before establishing Harrison Litigation Team. She has been recognized in Best Lawyers: Ones to Watch in America since 2022 for Construction Law and Litigation – Construction and teaches construction contracts through the Associated General Contractors of America (AGC).

Construction disputes can threaten a project's schedule, financing, payment chain, and business relationships. Jeanne represents participants on both sides of construction disputes, including general contractors, subcontractors, developers, property owners, sureties, architects, and engineers. Her practice includes disputes involving residential and commercial construction and major development projects. Her work includes construction defect and defective-work claims; contractor and subcontractor nonpayment; liens and payment-bond claims; project delays and disruption; change orders and scope disputes; contract termination, default, and abandonment; and claims arising under AIA and other construction agreements. Jeanne evaluates not only the contract and applicable law, but also the project record: schedules, payment applications, correspondence, change directives, inspection reports, and other documentation that often determines the strength of a claim or defense. She pursues negotiated resolutions when they protect the client's interests and litigates when necessary to enforce or defend contractual and legal rights.

Jeanne's litigation experience includes representing construction clients in federal court. She has served as counsel for ASI Construction LLC in a contract dispute in the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Oklahoma and for 4K Global-ACC JV, LLC in a Miller Act action in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Georgia. At Smith Currie, Jeanne contributed to federal jurisdiction analysis in Kane County's Payments in Lieu of Taxes (PILT) litigation against the United States in the U.S. Court of Federal Claims. The consolidated proceedings resulted in a recovery exceeding $17 million for a class involving 1,256 local governments. Her work in these matters complements her construction and business litigation practice with experience involving federal procedure, statutory payment rights, and government obligations.

Jeanne represents businesses, owners, and entrepreneurs in commercial litigation involving breach of contract, disputes among owners or business partners, contract enforcement, business relationships, and commercial real estate issues. She works with clients to identify practical objectives early, including protection of assets, continuity of operations, recovery of amounts owed, preservation of important relationships, or an efficient negotiated exit. Her litigation strategy is tailored to both the merits of the dispute and the business consequences of pursuing it.

For companies that need ongoing legal guidance, Jeanne provides outside general counsel services involving construction contracts, commercial agreements, contract risk allocation, project administration, and emerging disputes. She drafts and negotiates construction agreements, including AIA-based and customized contracts, and helps clients understand the obligations and remedies that matter if a project goes off track. Her litigation background informs her transactional advice. Contract language governing payment, changes, schedule responsibility, termination, indemnity, and dispute resolution can determine a company's leverage long before a complaint is filed.

Jeanne developed her construction and business litigation practice at Smith Currie and Holland & Knight, advising clients involved in significant private and public construction projects. Her experience includes matters involving multimillion-dollar developments, infrastructure projects, and project risk management. An official Smith Currie announcement in June 2022 identified Jeanne as the attorney who relocated to open and oversee its Nashville office. She helped build relationships among construction and development professionals in the region and co-hosted a Market Maker Spotlight Series involving Nashville real estate and construction leaders. Jeanne went on to serve as a founding and managing partner of Anderson & Harrison before launching Harrison Litigation Team. She founded the firm to pair sophisticated litigation experience with direct attorney involvement, practical advice, and communication tailored to each client.

Jeanne teaches construction contract principles to contractors and construction professionals through the Associated General Contractors of America, including the Contracts module of AGC's Contractor Business Essentials program. She has also spoken for construction and professional organizations on contract negotiation, material escalation, safety obligations, and risk management. She served as a chapter editor of the sixth edition of Smith, Currie & Hancock's Common Sense Construction Law: A Practical Guide for the Construction Professional. Her writing and commentary have appeared in Construction Executive, The Real Estate Finance Journal, and other construction-law and industry outlets. Her published analysis also addresses anticipated tariffs and their potential impact on infrastructure projects, connecting her construction practice with issues affecting project costs and commercial risk.

Jeanne understands that litigation rarely exists in isolation. For a contractor, unresolved payment or defective-work allegations may jeopardize cash flow and future projects. For a business owner, a contract dispute can complicate operations and strategic decisions. For a property owner, a construction problem can threaten a substantial investment. Her approach combines detailed preparation, candid advice, and attention to each client's objectives. Harrison Litigation Team represents clients across Nashville and Middle Tennessee—including Franklin, Brentwood, Murfreesboro, Smyrna, and surrounding areas—and in Georgia matters within Jeanne's admitted practice.