Sheila Sears

Sheila joined HITT in 2013 as its first general counsel and has more than 17 years of construction law experience. In her role, Sheila oversees all material legal matters for the company and provides executive oversight of both HITT’s legal and risk management department and the safety department. Sheila sits on HITT's corporate steering committee, the company's governing body, and serves as a strategic adviser for the future business direction of the organization. Sheila has advised HITT on the acquisition of two firms and expansion into five new regions within the US. Under her leadership, the legal and risk management department has executed master agreements with more than 100 national clients and negotiated billions of dollars in contracts.

Prior to joining HITT, Sheila practiced law for eight years in Washington, DC as a partner at a boutique firm focused on construction law and government contracts. A consummate professional and widely regarded for her expertise in construction risk and safety issues, Sheila’s accolades include being named a Bisnow DC Top 40 Corporate Counsel (2015) and the Washington Business Journal’s General Counsel of the Year (2018).

Sheila is a Fellow of the Construction Lawyers Society of America and is actively involved in the Virginia State Bar, Construction and Public Contracts section, and the American Bar Association, Forum on Construction Law. Sheila earned her J.D. from the American University, Washington College of Law, in 2005.