Philip P. Cristaldi, III (“Phil”) is a partner at Ross & Cristaldi, LLC where he concentrates his practice on insurance defense, construction defect, products liability, premises liability, personal injury and general civil litigation.

Along with his success representing numerous clients throughout South Carolina, Phil has been awarded Super Lawyers and Rising Stars 2023-2025, Best Lawyers in America: Ones to Watch South Carolina, Greenville Business Magazine’s Legal Elite 2021-2023, and Top Attorneys in South Carolina Rising Stars 2023.

Phil frequently defends general contractors and subcontractors against multi-million dollar construction defect claims, including class-action litigation, multi-family projects, single-family residences, commercial projects, site work claims, and a variety of other types of construction-related project disputes. In addition to contractors, Phil represents a variety of developers and suppliers in lawsuits involving any number of construction-related disputes. Outside of the litigation realm, Phil offers non-litigation support for his clients providing advice related to industry issues and payment disputes, as well analyzing and drafting contracts in an effort to prevent disputes and provide protection in the future.

Phil is a magna cum laude graduate of the University of North Carolina Wilmington and a summa cum laude graduate of the Charleston School of Law where he graduated at the top of his class. While in law school, Phil served as the Student Works Editor for the Federal Courts Law Review and received CALI awards for the highest grade in his class in Civil Procedure I, Legal Research and Writing II, Criminal Procedure, Secured Transactions, Land Use Planning, and Insurance Law.

Outside of the office, he is an avid outdoor enthusiast who enjoys running, cycling, surfing, snowboarding, and spending time with his wife, Kelly, son, and dog.

Scott Winograd is a partner at Ross & Cristaldi. His practice is focused on construction defect, insurance defense, real estate disputes, and personal injury. Scott has extensive experience defending general contractors and subcontractors against construction defect claims, including class-action litigation, multi-family projects, single-family residences, commercial projects, site work claims, and a variety of other types of construction-related project disputes. Scott also frequently defends companies against a variety of other types of claims.

Prior to joining the firm, Scott handled a variety of cases at a Charleston-area law firm relating to construction defects, mechanic’s liens, real estate disputes, personal injury, HOA and community association law, business formation, advice and disputes, as well as contract formation, review and litigation. Scott brings to the firm and its clients his knowledge and experience gained through a variety of educational and professional experiences over his career that has included working for law firms, companies, non-profit organizations, as well as state and local governments.

Scott graduated from Miami University and the Ohio Northern Pettit College of Law. He has also received master’s degrees from the Levin College of Urban Affairs at Cleveland State University and the College of Forestry at Oregon State University.

He is admitted to practice in South Carolina, North Carolina, Georgia, and Ohio, as well as the United States District Court of South Carolina, the Western, Middle, and Eastern Districts of North Carolina, and the Northern District of Ohio. He is a member of the Charleston County Bar Association.

Outside of the office, he enjoys playing basketball and softball as well as reading and spending time with his wife, Emily, and their two kids.

Rosie is an associate at Ross & Cristaldi where her practice is primarily focused on construction defect, personal injury, and general civil litigation defense. She has been selected as part of the 2025 South Carolina Rising Stars list.

Prior to joining the firm, Rosie gained experience handling a variety of different cases, both on the plaintiff and defense side. She has represented individuals across the state in federal labor and employment issues, as well as represented school districts across the state, working with insurance carriers to provide quality representation on a number of complex and different legal issues.

Most recently, she represented individuals across the state of South Carolina who were injured on the job or in a motor vehicle accident. She is able to use her years of experience and array of knowledge to provide her clients with a comprehensive and robust legal strategy, tailored to fit their needs.

Rosie is a proud graduate of the College of Charleston where she obtained her Bachelors of Science in Marketing and later went on to graduate from The University of South Carolina School of Law where she made the Dean’s List. Rosie was also an active member of the Pro-Bono program and received a Konduros Public Service Fellowship. She is admitted to practice in South Carolina, both at the state and federal level.

Outside of the office, Rosie enjoys traveling, spending time with friends and family and attending concerts.

Alex LePeter is an associate at Ross & Cristaldi where his practice is primarily focused on construction litigation defense, insurance defense, and civil litigation.

Prior to joining the firm, Alex gained experience at both a small private practice law firm and in-house at a Global 500 corporation, giving him knowledge of a variety of issues across the legal spectrum in various sectors.

Alex attended Roanoke College in Salem, Virginia, and graduated with a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science and a minor in Environmental Studies. At Roanoke College, Alex was a member of the Pi Kappa Alpha fraternity and a Roanoke College Emerging Leader.

Alex graduated from law school at the University of South Carolina School of Law, where he was a Student Bar Association committee member and Vice President of the Environmental Law Society.

He is admitted to practice in South Carolina, both at the state and federal level.

Outside of the office, Alex enjoys fishing, reading, and watching all Roanoke and Gamecocks sports.

Marcedes K. Smith is an associate attorney at Ross & Cristaldi, LLC. Her practice is focused on construction defects, insurance defense, personal injury, and civil litigation. Prior to joining Ross and Cristaldi, Marcedes gained experience in a variety of areas including family law, community and HOA law, foreclosure, mechanics liens, contract disputes, secured transactions, diminishment of value, and civil litigation. Marcedes’s background, years of experience, and knowledge gained through her professional and personal experiences has equipped her with many skills and assets valuable to the firm and its clients.

Marcedes graduated from Francis Marion University with a Bachelor of Science in Political Science and a minor in Chemistry. While at Francis Marion, Marcedes served as Student Government president and was crowned Ms. FMU 2017. Marcedes attended law school at Charleston School of Law. While attending law school, Marcedes was a member of the Trial Advocacy Board and served as Vice President her 3L year. She was also an executive board member for the Keith J. Williams Chapter of the Black Law Student Association. Additionally, Marcedes received an award for completing over 50 hours of pro bono work.

Marcedes is admitted to practice in South Carolina, Texas, and the United States District Court for South Carolina. She is a member of the South Carolina Bar Association and the Charleston County Bar Association.

In March 2025, Marcedes was appointed a Magistrate Judge in Charleston County making her the youngest judge in the county and one of the youngest in the state of South Carolina. Her judicial duties include handling bond court on the weekends and small claims in magistrate court when the damages or amount of injury is $7500 or less.

Outside of the office, Marcedes enjoys cooking, baking deserts from scratch, and spending time with her family and two cats, Coco Bean and Lima Bean. Marcedes also hosts and emcee’s various events in the tri-county area, is an active member of a community service organization and is a mentor through the Big Brother Big Sister Lowcountry nonprofit organization.