Kara M. Smiley

Kara drafts, negotiates, and conducts risk mitigation reviews of prime contracts, subcontracts, and related agreements for contractors, construction managers, design-builders, owners, and developers. She is dedicated to proactively identifying and addressing potential challenges, ensuring smooth project execution and minimizing legal risk for her clients.

Kara has helped advise design-build teams through the request for qualifications and request for proposals stages. She reviews procurement documents and draft contracts to identify risk-allocation concerns, prepares clarification submissions, and helps structure agreements so that risk flows down consistently through the project team. 

Before joining P&A, Kara worked in-house for two construction companies, where she drafted subcontracts and managed much of the financial documentation for multiple multimillion-dollar construction projects. This experience gives her a practical, contractor-side understanding of how contract terms play out in the field.

Kara earned her B.A. in Communication Studies from California State University and her J.D. from Fordham University School of Law, where she was a member of the Social Responsibility Clinic and recipient of the Archibald R. Murray Public Service Award for pro bono and community service work.