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The easiest way to get Tiana Towns to do something is to tell her she can’t. After a high school teacher incorrectly predicted that Towns would never pass AP English, she became class valedictorian. When a guidance counselor told her she wasn’t good enough to play Division I softball, she joined the UC Riverside Highlanders and notched a hit in her first start. She finished her Highlanders career as the tenth best in slugging percentage in the university’s history. Towns has earned a reputation for proving her doubters wrong.
Today, Towns continues to defy expectations as senior legal counsel at Gilbane Building Company. Despite gaining experience in real estate and construction litigation at an AmLaw 100 firm, Towns’ academic degree from UC Riverside is in psychology, not engineering and construction. While some doubted her ability to excel as in-house attorney at a national construction and real estate development company, Towns maintains an unwavering confidence and determination in her ability to push herself beyond expectations.
“I approach life with a competitive attitude that motivates me to challenge myself to do a little better every day,” she says. “Can I run a faster mile, beat my daily step goals, or do one more pushup?” That mindset makes Towns fearless.
Again and again, Towns has turned a student-athlete background and desire to continuously learn and grow into one of her biggest assets.
Towns was torn between several law school choices before she sat in on a class at Howard University School of Law. Watching Black students from various backgrounds engage in a rigorous dialogue was unlike anything Towns had ever seen. Inspired, she walked away knowing that she could thrive at the historically Black university.
“I’m a double minority as a Black woman, which means I always wonder how people perceive me, especially in the legal profession,” Towns says. “I saw Howard as a place where I could be me without thinking and worrying about being an other or the only, because finally I wasn’t. At Howard, I had the rare chance to just be a student, not the Black student or the minority.” She had found a place where she could focus on learning the foundations of law.
As Towns started her career, she discovered that many partners and senior associates were willing to provide both assistance and mentorship. She was just a third-year attorney at the Minneapolis firm of Dorsey & Whitney LLP when a partner invited her to argue a motion for a summary judgment in district court.
“People underestimate me all the time, but I want people to take me seriously because I’ve proven myself time and time again.”
Tiana Towns
While the event boosted her confidence, others humbled and challenged her. Towns recalls several clients and colleagues who, upon meeting her face-to-face for the first time, assumed she was an assistant—and in one encounter, a high school intern. Some even asked her to fetch coffee while they waited for the lawyer to arrive, unaware that she in fact was the lawyer they scheduled to meet. “People underestimate me all the time, but I want people to take me seriously because I’ve proven myself time and time again,” Towns says.
After a stint as corporate counsel at Clark Construction Group, Towns joined Gilbane Building Company in 2023. She provides legal support, including both crafting strategy for and managing litigation, and negotiating all contracts for projects and business units in the Western division.
Her growth mindset has been instrumental in helping her navigate complex topics and develop essential skills. Towns spent her first months at Gilbane reading construction textbooks, interviewing company and operations managers, and soliciting advice, effectively giving herself a crash course in the business of construction management. She is well on her way to mastering the intricacies of her role.
Like Howard, Gilbane provides an environment in which Towns and her colleagues can present their most authentic selves and thrive. “I’m always seeking environments where I can be myself, because that’s when I am at my best, and Gilbane is one of those places,” she explains. Gilbane, founded in 1870, is one of the oldest and largest family-owned construction and real estate development firms in the nation. Its values include caring, integrity, teamwork, and tenacity.
Gilbane’s employee resource groups (ERGs) serve as important hubs where individuals from various demographics (and their allies) can network and support one another. Current ERGs include groups for women, Hispanics, African Americans, military members, Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders, young professionals, and members of the LGBTQ+ community.
Gilbane takes diversity and inclusion seriously. Company leaders take feedback from various internal groups to inform their decisions regarding recruitment, work processes, and community engagement. Gilbane has also committed to economic inclusion to create a more equitable construction landscape by setting a goal of generating $4 billion in project awards to certified diverse-owned and small businesses over the next several years.
In late 2023, Gilbane announced it would manage a $5 billion renovation over six years at the Mayo Clinic campus in Rochester, Minnesota. The contractor plans to upgrade site buildings and provide the infrastructure to support future growth. Two new nine-story clinical facilities will account for much of the project’s 2.4 million square feet of construction. This is one of the biggest projects Gilbane has ever constructed, and Towns was named as project counsel, charged with managing all legal issues related to the job.
A decade into her career, Towns is thriving. She attributes her success to a desire to constantly learn and improve, being prepared, and listening to feedback and making necessary adjustments — the same characteristics that helped her flourish on the softball diamond. The similarities are not lost on her.
“You work in the offseason to get yourself ready. If you ask the coach to put you in the game, you better not squander the opportunity that comes your way,” Towns says. “And when you’re up to bat with two outs in the bottom of the ninth inning, be ready to hit with the game on the line. I approach my career in a similar manner. I try to stay prepared and ready to deliver when my team is counting on me.”
Construction Discovery Experts:
“Tiana is a forward-thinking, energetic leader who navigates the industry with authenticity and drive. Her hard work and innovative spirit continue to leave a lasting impact, and she truly inspires all of us.”
–Lauren Abeyta, COO
“Tiana is dedicated and invested in her work, always striving to bring considered and insightful guidance to help Gilbane succeed in whatever project they are working on. Her extensive knowledge of construction law and passion for getting it right are always evident.”
–Elaine Lee, Partner
