Find Lawyers in Raleigh, North Carolina for Commercial Litigation
Practice Area Overview
Litigation increasingly occurs in various venues, from state and federal courts to private arbitrations and administrative hearings. Proceedings can involve business-to-business disputes or any number of government agencies. Understanding the motivations and outlook of each of the litigation participants is important for determining weak points to exploit and strong points that will persuade the audience in question. During the past decade, commercial litigators have seen a dramatic uptick in multidistrict and inter-disciplinary litigation, making the stakes higher, the cases more complex, the parties more numerous and the discovery more complicated and unwieldy. Firms that are able to develop and implement a creative legal approach to each individual problem, efficiently focus on the key legal and factual issues, and master and manage the various aspects of these complex matters will be the busiest in the years to come.
In the current challenging economic climate, commercial litigators are under increasing client pressure to keep costs in check, which has both sides testing the efficacy of alternative fee arrangements and the scope of reasonable discovery. Whether the “death of the billable hour” is ultimately realized, the keys to a commercial litigator’s success will continue to be strong client relationships, thought leadership, practical management skills, deep experience, and personal commitment.
Hill Allen is a partner in the firm and handles a broad range of civil and criminal litigation. His practice areas and past cases include: White Collar Criminal Defense and Government Investigations, criminal, civil and regulatory – defending those under investigation or charged by federal and state law enforcement and administrative agencies. Mr. Allen has represented entities and individuals in investigations by federal grand juries in North Carolina and other states, as well as feder...
Julia Ambrose provides transactional and regulatory counsel to media companies navigating the rapidly-changing video programming industry. She is also an experienced litigator, well-versed in commercial and constitutional litigation in all levels of state and federal trial and appellate courts. Technology is evolving rapidly, but the laws and regulations governing broadcast television have not always kept pace. Julia has significant experience helping media companies and broadcast trade assoc...
David Coats is the firm's co-managing partner and senior litigation partner. He has been recognized by and peer selected for each of the past 14 years for inclusion in The Best Lawyers in America ; Business North Carolina Magazine's Legal Elite ; and North Carolina Super Lawyers - and in a variety of areas including litigation, construction law, and insurance law. Since 1996, Martindale Hubbell has recognized David with its prestigious "AV" peer rating. In 2021 (as well as in 2019 and 2020), ...
A Board Certified Specialist in appellate practice, Charles Coble handles complex business litigation and appeals across a range of courts and jurisdictions. He has represented businesses and individuals in a wide variety of matters at the trial and appellate levels, including bet-the-company litigation, franchise disputes, intellectual property matters, and class actions. Among other honors and awards, Charles is recognized as a "Band 1" practitioner in Litigation: Appellate by Chambers USA ...
Eric David focuses his practice on business litigation, constitutional litigation, and media and communications law. Eric represents businesses, public agencies, and individuals in high-stakes litigation in federal and state court, and especially the North Carolina Business Court. A seasoned litigator, Eric represents large and small businesses in complex litigation, particularly in federal court and the North Carolina Business Court. Eric has experience in a myriad of matters, including trad...
Thurston Debnam is one of the founding partners of Smith Debnam Narron Drake Saintsing & Myers, L.L.P. Thurston is the Section Head of the Business Law practice group and served as the firm’s managing partner from 1992 through 1997. He concentrates his practice in the areas of business and corporate planning and real estate law, including land use planning and zoning. For more than thirty years, Thurston has maintained a broad-based business practice, assisting clients with business...
Shana Fulton represents businesses and individuals in criminal and civil litigation, under government investigation or in conducting internal investigations. As a defense attorney and former Assistant U.S. Attorney, she has experience litigating and investigating high-profile and complex matters at all levels of federal and state trial courts. She loves using her deep experience as a defense attorney and federal prosecutor on complex matters that feature a mix of criminal, civil and regulator...
Kris Gardner maintains an eclectic legal practice that is focused primarily in local government law, litigation and alcoholic beverage control law. He is a native North Carolinian and grew up in Charlotte, where he attended the public schools. Kris began his career at Tharrington Smith as an office courier after graduating college. He was offered several jobs but selected Tharrington Smith because, even though the interview was brief, he quickly realized the close community of people who work...
Noah H. Huffstetler, III is the managing partner of Nelson Mullins Riley & Scarborough’s Raleigh office. He practices in the areas of healthcare law, administrative law, and business and appellate litigation. Mr. Huffstetler is a lecturer in healthcare law, having participated in programs sponsored by the North Carolina Bar Association, the North Carolina Hospital Association, the North Carolina Medical Society, and the Duke University Graduate Program in Healthcare Administration.
Mike Kaeding is a trial lawyer who regularly represents both plaintiffs and defendants in a wide range of complex, high-profile litigation, including antitrust, commercial, financial services, intellectual property, white collar criminal and technology cases. Mike has tried cases to verdict and regularly serves as a trial instructor for Emory University’s nationally recognized Trial Techniques program. He was named a Litigation Future Star by Benchmark Litigation. Although based in Nort...
Upon graduation from law school in 1980, Doug Kingsbery joined the firm of Tharrington, Smith & Hargrove in Raleigh, North Carolina, where he worked as an associate in the areas of education law and criminal defense. He was made Partner in 1985, and has developed an extensive litigation and trial practice which includes trial and appellate work in civil, criminal and administrative law. Over the past 28 years, he has tried dozens of civil and criminal jury trials in numerous state and fed...
Matthew McGuire is a partner in Alston & Bird's Litigation & Trial Practice Group, where his practice focuses on complex commercial and business tort litigation, including class action defense, financial services litigation, and antitrust litigation. He also serves as the Managing Partner of Alston & Bird's Research Triangle, North Carolina office. He has represented companies across a wide variety of industries in the prosecution and defense of claims involving breach of contract...
A member of Manning Fulton's litigation section, Michael T. Medford has more than 37 years of experience representing clients in a broad range of complex commercial litigation and insurance disputes. His practice focuses on complex business litigation involving shareholder and partnership disputes, disputes relating to the purchase and sale of businesses, business and legal malpractice claims, lending disputes, employment disputes, securities law disputes and insurance coverage and procuremen...
Charlie Mercer is an attorney at Young Moore and Henderson, P.A. and represents clients before state and federal courts and administrative boards and commissions. He serves as a lawyer and advisor to corporations, partnerships, and individuals on a variety of issues, including state and local tax issues and economic development matters. A Fellow of the American College of Tax Counsel, Charlie is recognized by Best Lawyers in America in Tax Law and Commercial Litigation and by Chambers USA: Am...
Brandon Neuman’s practice focuses on advising businesses and individuals on complex issues, ranging from strategic and risk management advice, regulatory and internal investigations, through bet-the-company litigation. He counsels clients on all aspects of business operations, regulatory compliance and complex commercial litigation. Brandon regularly serves as outside General Counsel for client institutions and businesses, where he manages a wide variety of legal matters such as interna...
Chris Page, a shareholder at Young Moore and Henderson, is an experienced and successful trial lawyer, serving as lead trial counsel in numerous state and federal jury trials since he began his law career in 1992. Chris represents a broad array of commercial clients, but his practice centers primarily on complex business litigation, employment litigation, and trademark/ trade secret litigation. He also regularly represents clients in non-compete litigation. Chris is listed in North Carolina S...
Gary Parsons is a litigator's litigator: he tries cases. He has participated in more than 80 trials, over 125 appeals, and has represented clients in courtrooms in at least 70 of North Carolina's 100 counties. Gary began his career as a law clerk for Associate Justice J. William Copeland of the North Carolina Supreme Court. Since that time, he has participated in over 125 appeals. He has argued before the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit, the North Carolina Supreme Court, and the ...
Gavin Parsons is an experienced attorney representing many clients—from large corporations to local businesses and individuals—in high-stakes civil litigation in state and federal courts, including the North Carolina Business Court. Known for his practical, results-driven style, Gavin employs a strategic approach and creative thinking to deliver solutions clients need in a manner they appreciate. With a practice centered on both business and intellectual property litigation, Gavin...
J. Heydt Philbeck concentrates his practice on complex civil litigation in the areas of civil rights, employment law, commercial litigation, contract disputes, unfair business practices, state and federal personnel law, constitutional law, and occupational licensing. Mr. Philbeck is an experienced trial advocate who has tried over 100 jury and bench trials to verdict. He has successfully represented clients before the North Carolina Supreme Court, the North Carolina Court of Appeals and the U...
Will Quick has a diverse litigation and regulatory practice, representing businesses and local governments in trial and appellate matters and before state agencies in North and South Carolina. He has a particular focus on litigating individual and class action claims involving violations of state consumer privacy protection statutes and federal privacy laws ranging from the Telephone Consumer Protection Act to the Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act. Will also advises clients on th...
Robert S. Shields, Jr. is a member of Manning Fulton’s litigation practice. He has over 30 years of experience representing clients in a wide variety of civil litigation matters. His broad range of experience spans from professional liability defense and catastrophic damages to commercial real estate litigation and business related disputes. Rob has represented corporations, attorneys, physicians, and hospitals as well as healthcare providers in disciplinary matters including licensing,...
Dan Smith focuses his law practice on matters involving environmental, commercial, education, and state constitutional law. He uses his scientific training and background to help clients solve complex problems related to environmental laws, frequently working as part of a larger Brooks Pierce team. Dan uses his scientific training and background to help clients solve complex problems related to environmental laws, frequently working as part of a larger Brooks Pierce team. Dan has represented ...
A member of Manning Fulton's litigation section, William C. Smith, Jr. has a diverse litigation practice. He represents small and large businesses, and individuals in a variety of litigation and administrative law matters, including contract disputes, debt collection, employment, real estate and bankruptcy matters. William represents clients in both federal and state courts. He also advises both employers and employees on labor and employment issues and related matters, and represents a numbe...
Jessi Thaller-Moran focuses her practice on employment law and litigation, counseling employers on compliance with state and federal laws. She also uses her experience in the North Carolina Business Court to develop strategies for clients embroiled in a wide range of complex business litigation disputes, helping clients to think creatively about opportunities for resolution and zealously advocating for their interests in court when the need arises. Jessi seeks to help companies thrive by help...
Walt Tippett provides legal counsel to professionals and privately held businesses, typically regarding fiduciary relationships, ownership rights, or the development of real estate, technology, or research innovations. With his extensive personal and professional experience in the governance of privately held companies, Walt is adept at handling disputes concerning complex agreements to govern, purchase, sell, finance, and dissolve business ventures. Having developed and financed real propert...
Having served in key leadership positions in state and federal government, Ed Turlington uses this experience to serve clients in a variety of industries, including health care, transportation and education. Much of his time is spent advising technology companies on legal issues and public policy matters. Ed has a distinguished record of public service. He has served as Chief of Staff to both the Governor and Lt. Governor of North Carolina, as Special Assistant/Counsel to a United States Sena...
Judson A. Welborn, a member of Manning Fulton's litigation section, concentrates his practice in the areas of real property litigation, construction litigation and business litigation. He has extensive experience representing clients in the state and federal courts of North Carolina, as well as administrative agencies and arbitration forums, in a variety of litigation matters involving real property and title insurance disputes, construction disputes, franchise, taxation and other business di...
Matt is a litigator at Young Moore. His practice focuses on matters involving insurance coverage and commercial litigation, including complex business disputes, employment, construction, products liability, and premises liability. Matt graduated with high honors from the University of North Carolina School of Law and was inducted into the school’s Order of the Coif chapter. In law school, Matt led the Broun National Trial Team as President and competed on the Holderness Moot Court Juliu...
Matthew Hooker calls upon his experience consulting clients on a wide array of complex litigation matters to provide practical guidance that supports their business objectives. Matthew focuses on complex infrastructure, health care, bet-the-company, and business litigation. He litigates and consults clients on a wide variety of matters, including energy and infrastructure projects, federal antitrust and its related issues, state consumer protection and antitrust laws, commercial contract disp...
Kelsey Kingsbery guides clients engaged in commercial activity across the United States through litigation involving top-of-the-house matters and high claims disputes in state and federal courts. Kelsey represents clients in a wide variety of complex commercial litigation matters in trial and appellate proceedings, with a special focus on consumer class action defense, business torts, and contract disputes. She has substantial experience representing clients in major consumer class actions an...
Jordan helps clients navigate complex disputes related to business, intellectual property, and trusts and estates matters. She is skilled at interpreting statutory and regulatory schemes, contracts, and other legal documents. She is also experienced in evaluating pleadings, motions, and briefs, which allows her to work with individuals and businesses in all phases of the litigation process, including pre-trial investigations, preparation of pleadings, discovery, and trial. Before joining Ward...
An associate and member of Young Moore’s litigation team, Patrick focuses his practice on matters involving general commercial litigation, construction law, insurance coverage analysis, insurance defense litigation, and employment and labor law. He is recognized in the 2023 edition of Best Lawyers: Ones to Watch in America in the area of Insurance Law. Patrick graduated from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill with a B.S. in Polymer Chemistry and continued his studies at the...
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