Shelly Ewald Elected to National Academy of Construction

We are proud to announce that Senior Partner Shelly Ewald has been elected to the National Academy of Construction (NAC) as part of its Class of 2025. Ewald will be formally inducted at the NAC’s Annual Meeting this October in Colorado Springs, Colorado.

Founded in 1999, the National Academy of Construction includes over 500 industry \ leaders from across the built environment—contractors, engineers, architects, academics, attorneys, consultants, and more—who have made outstanding, lifelong contributions to the industry. In addition to honoring its members, the NAC offers its collective expertise to governmental and private organizations in support of the nation’s infrastructure and construction excellence.

The NAC is widely recognized as one of the industry’s most prestigious honors, with membership extended to individuals who have demonstrated exceptional leadership, innovation, and lasting contributions to the construction industry. “Election to the National Academy of Construction is a high professional honor and is to be conferred with care on those few, most qualified candidates,” the NAC stated. “Academy membership honors those who have made outstanding contributions to the effectiveness of the construction industry over a period of several years and who are recognized as the industry leaders by his or her peers.”

Ewald was selected for her leadership in construction law and her commitment to advancing the construction industry through legal excellence, mentorship, and thought leadership. Her peers and clients alike recognize her for her deep expertise in dispute resolution, risk management, and her strong advocacy on behalf of contractors and owners.

“It’s a tremendous honor to be recognized by the National Academy of Construction,” said Ewald. “As a young lawyer, I could not have imagined how much I would appreciate a career in the construction industry, including the places it would take me and the people I would meet.  The companies and public entities who build and develop our communities provide livelihoods and challenging, meaningful work for a huge cross-section of our country. I’m humbled to join such a distinguished group of industry leaders, and I am inspired to serve the construction industry in meaningful ways through this organization.”

A leader within Watt Tieder for more than 30 years, Ewald has been instrumental in shaping the firm’s national and international construction practice, as well as its government contracts practice. She is an active speaker, author, and mentor and has held leadership roles in industry organizations, including President of the American College of Construction Lawyers in 2023.  She has taught government contracts and alternate dispute resolution at several law schools and has been an adjunct faculty member at George Mason University School of Law since 2010, where she has coached and mentored dozens of students in the Willem C. Vis International Commercial Arbitration Moot.