Representative Work

• Represented client in lawsuit against former girlfriend in dispute over the rightful ownership of a North Carolina Education Lottery “Lucky for Life” lottery ticket.
• Successfully defended the propounders of a will (three siblings) in a jury trial against a fourth sibling’s claim that their father’s will should have been set aside and declared void for lack of testamentary capacity, undue influence, and/or duress.
  
• Successfully defended owner and general contractor against an appeal of a summary judgment order dismissing a lien enforcement lawsuit brought by a subcontractor and related to construction of a Lowe’s home improvement store. The plaintiff recovered nothing on the underlying claim, while owner and general contractor recovered attorneys’ fees and costs for having to defend the meritless action, which was unanimously affirmed by the North Carolina Court of Appeals.
• Represented real estate developer in malpractice lawsuit against architect for design defects in a condominium development and, shortly after serving initial round of discovery requests, negotiated settlement exceeding insurance policy coverage limits.
• Defended personal guarantor of a loan to a third party from a bank and negotiated a settlement with the bank for less than twenty percent (20%) of the outstanding debt due and owing.
• Represented successor trustee of a special needs trust in a lawsuit against the previous trustee for breach of fiduciary duty and wrongful disbursements of trust proceeds created for the benefit of a minor with severe developmental handicaps and recovered over eighty percent (80%) of the funds shortly after filing suit.
• Defended former employee of life insurance company against claims that bonus payments were instead advances against his salary and secured dismissal of action (without payment of any settlement amount) after serving initial round of discovery requests.
• Represented a manufacturer of hunting products in arbitration administered by the American Arbitration Association ("AAA") against a chemist for infringement of trade secrets and intellectual property rights resulting in a significant recovery of costs and attorneys’ fees.
• Represented former CEO of corporation in a federal bench trial in which the district court held he was terminated without cause and entitled to severance benefits under his employment agreement and the Employment Retirement Income Securities Act ("ERISA") for damages in excess of $1,000,000 which verdict was upheld on appeal to the Fourth Circuit Court of Appeals.
• Represented the plaintiff/developer in a North Carolina Court of Appeals case advocating reversal of long-standing North Carolina precedent barring the unilateral relocation of easements.
• Represented publicly traded corporation in successful settlement of lawsuit against an industrial water treatment services provider for systemic, corrosive damages to its plant due to improper monitoring and servicing.
• Represented plastics recycling corporation in successful settlement of a products liability action against hose manufacturer.
• Represented traffic and signaling subcontractor in AAA arbitration against paving contractor, successfully defended against any recovery of underlying claim, and recovered full amount of actual damages alleged in counterclaim.

Professional Organizations

• North Carolina Bar Association
• Mecklenburg County Bar Association
• Justice William Bobbitt Inn of Court
• Charlotte Estate Planning Council

Presentations

• Speaker: "Recent Developments in Fiduciary Litigation", Estate Planning and Fiduciary Law Section, North Carolina Bar Association, November 9, 2018
• Speaker: "Basics of Estate Planning, Administration, and Litigation", Mecklenburg County Bar, January 15, 2018
• Speaker: "Alive and Well: The North Carolina Dead Man's Statute", Estate Planning and Fiduciary Law Section Webcast, January 25, 2017
• Speaker: "Breach of Fiduciary Duty: Causes of Action and Defenses", Trusts & Estates: Fiduciary Litigation and Dispute Resolution, North Carolina Bar Association, February 4, 2015
• Speaker: "Selected Special Topics in Construction Law", McKimmon Conference & Training Center at NC State University, August 21, 2012
• Facilitator: "Practical Skills for Litigators" CLE, Charlotte School of Law, November 4, 2011

Publications

• North Carolina Fiduciary Litigation Manual, Chapters IX and XIV (2018)
• On Mandating Trustees’ Duty to Inform and Report: The Will & The Way; Section Vol. 34 No. 3 | Page 14 | May 2015
• Kissing Cousins: Breach of Fiduciary Duty and Constructive Fraud: The Will & The Way; Section Vol. 34 No. 2 | Page 6 | March 2015

Community Involvement

• Annual Alzheimer's Association Walk to End Alzheimer's, Fundraiser and Participant (October 13, 2018; November 2, 2019; October 23, 2021)
• Strategic Planning & Emerging Trends Committee, North Carolina Bar Association (2014-2017)
• Executive Board of the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation, Charlotte Chapter (2014-2016)
• Co-Chair of the NCBA 4ALL Service Day Committee (2012-2013)
• Co-Chair of Site Chair Committee of North Carolina Bar Association 4ALL Service Day hosted by WBTV (2011-2012)
• Co-Chair, Charlotte Division, of North Carolina Bar Association 4ALL Service Day hosted by WBTV (2009-2012)
• Co-Chair, Social Committee, Young Lawyers Section of the Mecklenburg County Bar Association (2009-2011)
• EXTREME Hike for a Cure benefiting the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation: (April 28, 2012; April 26, 2014; April 18, 2015)
• Guys & Dolls Bachelor/Bachelorette Auction benefiting the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation: (February 26, 2011)
• Charlotte Chamber of Commerce Leadership School (Spring 2004)