Gary W. Jackson

Gary Jackson* is a name many attorneys in North Carolina know. He has been president of the North Carolina Advocates for Justice and has held leadership positions in several other national and state organizations. He is frequently asked to speak throughout the country at educational programs for lawyers and he regularly authors articles addressing current legal trends and developments.

His 40+ year career is marked by many awards, with 24 of those years spent fighting for plaintiffs in numerous multi-million dollar claims.

Growing up, Gary learned to fight for what he wanted – perhaps the result of living with a mother who fought off cancer three times. This feat motivates Gary to this day. He was rejected when he first applied to Duke Law School. He immediately went to the dean’s office and appealed his case. The dean asked Gary to come back later that afternoon. When he did, the dean handed him an acceptance letter.

Having started on the corporate side of litigation, Gary left the defense practice to begin advocating for plaintiffs. He took on synthetic stucco complaints from homeowners. When the going got tough, he even cashed out his 401(k) to keep fighting. Those cases, which the North Carolina Attorney General at that time described as the largest consumer problems to face the state, numbered in the hundreds. They eventually settled for substantial sums.**

In 2012, Gary was invited by noted trial lawyer Gerry Spence to his nationally acclaimed Trial Lawyers College. This one-of-its-kind institution is dedicated to helping lawyers and judges “obtain justice for individuals; the poor, the injured, the forgotten, the voiceless, the defenseless and the damned, and to protect the rights of such people from corporate and government oppression."***

In 2020, Gary was selected by his peers for inclusion into the “The Best Lawyers in America”** list in the Litigation field. North Carolina Super Lawyers magazine has designated Gary a North Carolina "Super Lawyer"** every year since 2006 for Class Actions and Mass Torts. In 2013, 2014, and 2015 he was designated one of the “Top 100 Lawyers in North Carolina"** and in 2013 and 2015 among the “Top 25 Lawyers in Charlotte"**. Gary has been recognized by Business North Carolina as a “Legal Elite"** in 2003, 2004, 2008, and 2013. Since 2011, Gary has been recognized as a Fellow** of the American Bar Foundation, which represents 1% of lawyers licensed to practice in each jurisdiction. He is a charter fellow of the Litigation Counsel of America, and holds an AV pre-eminent rating (the highest peer-review rating) from Martindale-Hubbell**.

Gary has been with the Law Offices of James Scott Farrin since 2017. Throughout his law career he has tried cases in the areas of consumer protection, construction litigation, business litigation, class actions, mass torts, products liability, medical negligence, nursing home negligence, estate disputes, and whistleblower claims. Gary has often been tapped by other law firms as co-counsel on tough cases.

CLERKSHIPS/ TEACHING:

1980–1981 Law Clerk, U.S. District Judge Robert P. Aguilar (N.D. Cal.)
2002 Senior Lecturing Fellow, Duke University School of Law

BAR MEMBERSHIPS:
North Carolina State Bar, 1987
New York State Bar, 1985
California State Bar, 1979 (inactive)
U.S. Court of Appeals, 9th and 4th Circuits U.S. District Courts (Western, Middle, and Eastern Districts of North Carolina; Eastern, Northern, Central, and Southern Districts of California; Southern and Eastern Districts of New York)
International Trade Commission (1994)

MEMBERSHIPS:
American Association for Justice
Co-Chair, Construction Defects Litigation Group, 2002–present
Member, Public Affairs Committee, 2006–2008
Member, Publications Committee, 2007–2009
Business Torts Section
North Carolina Advocates for Justice President, 2011–2012 Executive Committee, 2007–2013 Vice President at-Large, 2010–2011 Vice President – Education, 2007–2010 Board of Governors, 2006 –2013 Chair, Consumer Areas of Practice Litigation Group, 2003–2005 Professional Negligence, Consumer Areas of Practice sections
Southern Trial Lawyers Association Board of Governors, 2006–present
North Carolina Bar Association Chair, Litigation Section, 2002–2003 Chair, International Section, 1994–1995 Tort Reform Task Force, Member, 2003–present, Co-Chair, 2005–2007
American Bar Association, Litigation Section
National Association of Consumer Advocates Public Justice Foundation Taxpayers Against Fraud Durham County Bar Association Master, William Bobbitt Inn of Court, Program Chair, 2003–2005

HONORS/AWARDS/ACCOMPLISHMENTS:
“Best Lawyers in America”** for Litigation, 2020
Mass Tort MDL Program Certificate, Duke University School of Law, Bolch Judicial Institute, 2019
North Carolina "Super Lawyers"** for Class Actions/Mass Torts, 2006–19
North Carolina Open Government Coalition, Sunshine Award for Advocacy, 2015
North Carolina Super Lawyers "Top 100 Lawyers in North Carolina"**, 2013–15
North Carolina Super Lawyers "Top 25 Lawyers in Charlotte"**, 2013 and 2015
Business North Carolina’s “Legal Elite"**, 2003, 2004, 2008, 2013
Fellow*, American Bar Foundation – limited to 1% of lawyers licensed to practice in each jurisdiction
Litigation Counsel of America, Charter Fellow, 2006-present
Martindale-Hubbell AV Pre-eminent Rating**
Who’s Who in American Law North Carolina Advocates for Justice Kelly Crabtree Award, 2011
North Carolina Advocates for Justice Ebbie Award, 2009

Each case is unique and must be evaluated on its own merits. Prior results do not guarantee a similar outcome.

*Of counsel

**For information regarding the standards for inclusion for “Best Lawyers in America,” visit www.bestlawyers.com. For information regarding the standards for inclusion for “Super Lawyers,” “Top 100 Lawyers in North Carolina,” and “Top 25 Lawyers in Charlotte,” visit www.superlawyers.com. For information regarding the standards for inclusion for Business North Carolina’s “Legal Elite,” visit www.businessnc.com. For information regarding the standards for inclusion in Martindale Hubbell peer review ratings, visit www.martindale.com. For information regarding the American Bar Foundation’s 1% of lawyers licensed to practice in each jurisdiction, visit www.americanbarfoundation.org/fellows.

***www.gerry-spence.com