Attorney Background - H. Mark Hamlet

Hamlet Law founding partner H. Mark Hamlet focuses his practice in the areas of commercial litigation, construction law, product liability, health care law, and insurance coverage and defense. Mark has been representing clients in Wilmington, N.C., for more than 30 years. He has tried more than 50 jury cases as lead counsel within North Carolina’s state and federal courts. He also has extensive appellate experience that includes published opinions in the North Carolina Court of Appeals and the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit.

Mark is admitted to the North Carolina State Bar and South Carolina State Bar. He also is admitted to practice in North Carolina’s U.S. District Courts, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit, and the United States Supreme Court. Mark is a member of the New Hanover County Bar Association and North Carolina Bar Association, where he has served on the Construction Law Section Council. He also has served as chair of the Construction Section of the North Carolina Association of Defense Attorneys and is a past president of the Fifth Judicial District Bar.

While Mark is an experienced litigator, his passion is in his role as a mediator. Mark has mediated more than 400 cases throughout North Carolina. Mark is certified by the North Carolina Dispute Resolution Commission as a mediator for court ordered mediations in North Carolina. Following a peer-vote review and a series of client interviews, Mark was inducted into the North Carolina Chapter of the National Academy of Distinguished Neutrals in 2025.

To schedule a mediation with Mark, please visit Mark’s page on the NADN website or contact office manager Bethany Honeycutt.

Mark has been a member of the American Arbitration Association Arbitration Panel since 2020. The AAA panel comprises subject-matter experts in their respective fields, who take ongoing education courses to remain abreast of changes and developments in the industry. The utilization of arbitration and mediation has become increasingly in demand as viable and appropriate alternatives to the traditional court process.

Mark has been recognized as one of Business North Carolina magazine’s “Legal Elite” for eight years, as a “Super Lawyer” by North Carolina Super Lawyers magazine in the Construction Litigation practice area for 15 consecutive years, as one of the “The Best Lawyers in America” for Commercial Litigation and Construction Litigation, and as a “Lawyer of the Year” for his work in personal injury litigation and construction litigation, respectively, in 2021 and 2023. The “Lawyer of the Year” award is determined by input from peer lawyers, and only one lawyer in each field of practice and geographic region is recognized as a “Lawyer of the Year.”

Mark is a Deacon and Chairman of the Board of Trustees at First Baptist Church in Wilmington, N.C., has served on the Troop Committee for Boy Scouts of America Troop 232 in Wrightsville Beach, N.C., and has volunteered for projects with the Cape Fear Habitat for Humanity. He has also served as the president of Ocean Dunes Homeowners Association and as chairman of the Government Affairs Committee for the Coastal Division of the Association of Builders and Contractors.

Prior to attending law school at Norman Andrian Wiggins School of Law at Campbell University, Mark was employed as a field adjuster for Integon Insurance Company in Winston-Salem, N.C. During his time at Integon, Mark learned the intricacies of the insurance industry and gained valuable insight into how the insurance business operates. Upon graduation from law school, Mark joined Crossley, McIntosh, Prior and Collier in Wilmington, N.C., as an Associate specializing in Insurance Defense. Mark later joined Williams Mullen as a partner specializing in Construction and Civil Litigation, Insurance Defense, Mediations and Business Planning.

Mark formed Hamlet & Associates, PLLC, in May 2012, representing businesses, individuals and governmental entities throughout the Carolinas. In the 2011-2021 editions of U.S. News – Best Lawyers, Hamlet & Associates was recognized as one of the “Best Law Firms” in the state in the practice areas of commercial litigation, personal injury litigation, construction law and construction litigation, which was based on a peer-review survey of more than 50,000 attorneys. In 2022, Mark celebrated 10 years, welcomed partners to the firm and rebranded as Hamlet Law. Hamlet Law focuses on construction and commercial litigation and is based in Wilmington, N.C.

Education

Norman Adrian Wiggins School of Law at Campbell University, (J.D.)
Wake Forest University, (B.A.)

Bar Admissions

North Carolina State Bar
South Carolina State Bar

Court Admissions

U.S. Supreme Court
U.S. District Courts
U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit
U.S. District Court, South Carolina

Awards and Honors

Business North Carolina magazine “Legal Elite”, Construction Law practice area, 2017, 2019-2025
Listed as “Super Lawyer” by North Carolina Super Lawyers magazine, Construction Litigation practice area, 2011-2025
The Best Lawyers in America, 2017, Commercial Litigation, Litigation – Construction, Personal Injury Litigation
“Lawyer of the Year,” BestLawyers.com, 2021 and 2023

Articles, Presentations and Publications

“The Kaleel Conundrum: Unsettled Questions Raised by Kaleel Builders, Inc. v. Ashby, 161 N.C. App. 34, 587 S.E.2d 470 (2003),” co-author with H. Mark Hamlet, W. Walter Rapp, and Jessica C. Tyndall: North Carolina Association of Defense Attorneys’ 37th Annual Meeting and Seminar, June 12-15, 2014.

“Warranty Work During a Pandemic: Key Factors to Consider” virtual seminar, in association with the Wilmington-Cape Fear Home Builders Association, June 2, 2020.

Professional Affiliations

Fifth Judicial District Bar, Past President
New Hanover County Bar Association
North Carolina Association of Defense Attorneys, Former Chair of the Construction Section
North Carolina Bar Association, Construction Law Section Council Member
North Carolina Dispute Resolution Commission, Certified Mediator
American Arbitration Association Arbitration, Panel Member
North Carolina Chapter of the National Academy of Distinguished Neutrals, Inductee

Community Involvement

Deacon and Trustee at First Baptist Church, Wilmington, N.C.
Cape Fear Habitat for Humanity Volunteer, Wilmington, N.C.
Ocean Dunes Homeowners Association, President, 2015-16
Troop Committee Member, Boy Scouts of America Troop 232
Former Chair, Government Affairs Committee, Association of Builders and Contractors, Coastal Division