Teresa J. Dumire
West Virginia
Kay Casto & Chaney PLLC
150 Clay Street, Suite 100
Morgantown, WV 26501
United States
Tel: (304) 225-0970, ext. 313
Email:
tdumire@kaycasto.com
Web:
www.kaycasto.com
Teresa J. Dumire is a member of the Management Committee at Kay Casto & Chaney PLLC and serves as managing attorney of the firm’s Morgantown office. An experienced civil litigator, she focuses her practice on construction litigation, trucking litigation, insurance defense, and the defense of personal injury and wrongful death claims. Her construction work forms a significant part of a broader defense litigation practice representing clients in complex disputes throughout West Virginia.
Teresa has earned longstanding recognition for her construction and litigation practice. She holds an AV Preeminent® rating from Martindale-Hubbell and has been recognized by The Best Lawyers in America since 2011 in areas including Construction Law, Litigation – Construction, Insurance Law, Litigation – Insurance, and Personal Injury Litigation – Defendants. Best Lawyers has repeatedly named her a Morgantown “Lawyer of the Year,” including for Construction Law in 2018 and Litigation – Construction in 2022 and 2025. She has also been recognized as a West Virginia Super Lawyer since 2008, while Chambers & Partners identifies her as a leading practitioner in General Litigation.
Teresa is deeply involved in organizations serving the construction and defense bars. She is Vice Chair of the Construction Committee of the Federation of Defense & Corporate Counsel (“FDCC”) and also serves on its Transportation Committee and as a West Virginia State Representative. Her longstanding involvement with Defense Trial Counsel of West Virginia included service on its Board of Governors from 2010 to 2022 and in every executive office, culminating in her term as President from 2020 to 2021. The organization named her its Defense Lawyer of the Year in 2025 and presented her with its Diplomat Award in 2026.
Her leadership extends to the wider West Virginia legal community and legal education. A West Virginia Bar Foundation Fellow, Teresa served on the Foundation’s Board of Directors from 2018 to 2025 and as its President in 2023–2024. She taught Pre-Trial Litigation as an Adjunct Professor at the WVU College of Law from 2006 to 2014 and served for a decade on the law school’s Visiting Committee. Earlier, she created and taught Expert Witnessing in WVU’s Department of Forensic Identification.
Before entering private practice, Teresa served as a law clerk to the Honorable Robert B. Stone and the Honorable Russell M. Clawges, Jr. of the Circuit Court of Monongalia County. She earned her J.D. from the West Virginia University College of Law in 1999, where she was a member of the Moot Court Board, after graduating summa cum laude and as an honors graduate from West Virginia University with a B.A. in Political Science and Philosophy. She was also inducted into Phi Beta Kappa.
Kay Casto & Chaney’s Construction practice represents owners, developers, general contractors, subcontractors, suppliers, and design professionals throughout every phase of construction projects. From contract formation through project close-out and dispute resolution, the team helps clients manage risk, control costs, and protect their commercial interests.
The firm advises on drafting and negotiating owner, contractor, subcontractor, and design agreements, including AIA and custom contracts. Its attorneys also handle mechanic’s and materialmen’s liens, public procurement and competitive bidding, bid protests, and government construction contracting.
When disputes arise, Kay Casto & Chaney represents clients in matters involving construction defects, delays, change orders, payment and nonpayment claims, and other project-related conflicts. The team handles construction disputes through litigation, arbitration, and mediation, providing practical counsel designed to resolve problems efficiently and keep projects moving.
Kay Casto & Chaney PLLC is a full-service West Virginia law firm with a century of experience representing clients ranging from individuals and local businesses to national and international corporations. With offices in Charleston, Morgantown, Martinsburg, Berkeley Springs, and Fayetteville, the firm combines the resources and experience of a larger practice with the accessibility, personal attention, and cost-conscious service of a mid-size firm.
The firm provides counsel across a broad range of areas, including commercial law and litigation, construction law, employment law, municipal law, public utility law, insurance defense, product liability, real estate, bankruptcy, tax and estate planning, and alternative dispute resolution. Its attorneys draw on experience in both private practice and public service to advise clients on transactional matters, regulatory issues, risk management, and disputes throughout West Virginia and surrounding jurisdictions.
Kay Casto & Chaney emphasizes experienced, practical, and economical legal representation tailored to the needs of each client. The firm also maintains strong ties to West Virginia’s legal community, with attorneys historically teaching law courses at West Virginia University and participating in professional education programs, reflecting the depth of experience that has supported the firm’s longstanding presence in the state.
“Construction clients benefit from Teresa’s deep defense experience and strong understanding of liability, insurance, and litigation risk. She brings a disciplined, commercially sensible approach to complex disputes and is widely respected within both the construction and defense bars.”