Litigation: General Commercial: North Carolina

THE FIRM This Greensboro firm is one of the established litigation powerhouses in North Carolina. The team comprises 40 seasoned litigators, including some of the state's finest trial lawyers, whose immaculate credentials in commercial litigation and white-collar crime have seen the firm score a number of notable victories on behalf of clients such as  ABC Television, Time Warner Cable and Deloitte. The depth of the firm's offering in disciplines such as bankruptcy, telecom and antitrust law ensures first-class representation across the board.

Sources say: "A great firm. Quality-wise they are outstanding."

KEY INDIVIDUALS  Jim Williams is one of the state's most widely admired lawyers, considered by many to be "the dean of commercial litigation." He is, by all accounts, "an excellent trial lawyer" who is "great in the courtroom."

The excellent Jeffrey Oleynik focuses on commercial litigation, antitrust and bankruptcy. According to one peer, he is "one of the best attorneys in the state, period. He is smart and dogged and advocates well for his clients."

Jim Phillips is a respected trial attorney who handles commercial, securities and professional liability litigation. Sources attest that he is "a big time trial lawyer."

Reid Phillips is one of the firm's most active litigators, and has recently handled cases on behalf of Delhaize America and Time Warner Cable.

Kearns Davis heads the firm's five lawyer white-collar criminal litigation team. He has represented business clients in a number of high profile fraud cases and government investigations.

THE FIRM This litigation and commercial real estate boutique is noted by observers for fielding an exceptional array of legal talent, and in the 11 years since its inception has moved from strength to strength in its representations on behalf of the cream of the state's business community. Clients have included Johnson & Johnson and Brunswick Corporation.

Sources say: "A very fine litigation practice with some of the best lawyers I know."

KEY INDIVIDUALS  Richard Ellis has a broad commercial litigation practice with a focus on product liability work. He receives unanimous applause from peers, one of whom names him as "one of the best lawyers in America."

Leslie Packer is the firm's go-to lawyer for healthcare litigation and medical malpractice defense. Sources describe her as "a fine litigator" and "one of the best lawyers I have ever seen."

Jonathan Sasser is "an exceptional advocate with a great ability to handle sophisticated litigation." He represents clients in complex corporate disputes.

THE FIRM McGuireWoods's litigation group is increasingly impressing observers, many of whom name it as one of the state's leading practices. In addition to an excellent business litigation team, the firm offers niche expertise in medical malpractice, First Amendment and white-collar criminal litigation. The team has recently handled some impressive work in the financial services arena. Other recent work includes representing Duke Energy, along with some of its directors, in a $1 billion shareholder derivative action.

Sources say: "One of the elite litigation practices in the state."

KEY INDIVIDUALS Douglas Ey has been leading the team in the Duke Energy case. He is a highly experienced litigator and arbitrator who, according to one source, "deserves to be at the top of any list."

The "knowledgeable and passionate" Jonathan Buchan is arguably North Carolina's leading name for First Amendment litigation. Key clients include The Charlotte Observer and McClatchy Newspapers. 

Bradley Kutrow has a broad commercial litigation practice with a focus on the financial services industry, and is noted for his primacy in class action cases. 

Mark Anderson is the firm's big name for medical malpractice work and has handled some high-dollar litigation on behalf of Duke University Health System and Wake Forest Baptist Medical Center. Sources confirm that he is "an excellent medical malpractice lawyer."

Robert Muckenfuss is "an excellent younger lawyer" who is developing a strong reputation in the field of commercial litigation and motor sports law.

Ken Bell is the leading light of the team's fast growing white-collar criminal and government investigations practice. He has been representing the former president of Xe Services, formerly Blackwater Security, in high-profile litigation.

THE FIRM The Robinson Bradshaw team has been handling notable litigation on behalf of the firm's corporate and banking clients, including representing Wells Fargo in four different shareholder suits and Duke Energy in class actions challenging its merger with Progress Energy. It has a depth of bench that makes it one of the go-to firms for complex business litigation, while its strength in bankruptcy, antitrust, real estate and employment law gives it huge reserves of knowledge upon which to draw. The firm is particularly noted for its strength in handling class action suits.

Sources say: "End-to-end the firm has an exceptional reputation. Nobody credible would say anything else. The litigation practice maintains this high quality."

KEY INDIVIDUALS The "creative and productive" Robert Fuller is "one of the most intellectual trial lawyers in North Carolina" and is considered to excel in high-dollar financial disputes. Key clients include Wachovia and Wells Fargo.

Mark Merritt is well regarded for his antitrust work and for his skill in complex class action matters and other business litigation. According to one satisfied client, "the thing that distinguishes him is that he will roll up his sleeves and really work to understand the underlying facts and context." 

John Wester is universally lauded by peers and clients, one of whom praises him as "one of the best litigators I have ever met." He focuses on complex commercial litigation and is also noted for his skills as an employment litigator.

Ward McKeithen's long track record as a leading litigator underpins his status as one of the team's most prominent names. He has a broad commercial litigation practice and is a certified mediator.

David Wright is one of the firm's rising stars, whose skills in commercial litigation practice have seen him take the lead in the Duke Energy merger litigation.

THE FIRM This firm has a fine regional presence and an army of litigators stationed across its five North Carolina offices. The team's strengths are in complex commercial and product liability litigation, with much recent work flowing from the state's major financial institutions as a result of the continuing fallout of the 2008 financial crisis. The group also has a noted presence in the areas of healthcare and white-collar criminal litigation, and an unparalleled capacity in the e-discovery arena. Clients include Google, BB&T and Wells Fargo.

Sources say: "I have a great affinity for their litigation practice and the work they do in this arena. They are top-notch litigation attorneys."

KEY INDIVIDUALS James Cooney has an exceptionally broad practice, representing individuals, organizations and businesses in the most complicated and testing of scenarios. His white-collar criminal practice has earned him the reputation as "one of the deans of the bar" and has led to his representation of former Senator John Edwards in a highly publicized federal investigation and indictment.

Mark Horoschak has a niche in healthcare-related antitrust work. Representative clients include Carolinas Healthcare System and Legacy Hospital Partners. "He is wonderful," said a source.

Jim Cooley heads the firm's litigation practice and is described by one admiring peer as "a tremendous trial lawyer who knows everything there is to know about the law." He practices in business litigation and product liability litigation.

Andrew Copenhaver is an experienced trial attorney whose name carries considerable weight in the areas of class action and federal multidistrict litigation. He has represented some of the firm's most prestigious corporate clients, including Krispy Kreme and R.J. Reynolds. 

Pressly Millen is a seasoned trial attorney with a focus on complex business litigation. Sources say that he "gets to the root of a problem to find the solution."

Keith Vaughan is the chairman of the firm and has a long history in business and product liability litigation.

Fred Rom focuses on product liability litigation for clients including AIG and Chartis Insurance. Sources attest that he is "very attentive to his clients and has significant trial experience."

Hayden Silver focuses on commercial litigation, often with an element of IP law. He recently joined the firm from Kilpatrick Townsend.

THE FIRM This firm's litigation practice finds itself in expansion mode, having impressed market observers with a consistently fine performance rooted in its representation of many of the state's major corporate and financial entities. The team comprises 51 full-time attorneys who focus on complex commercial litigation. Offices in Charlotte and the Research Triangle ensure the group is well placed to serve both financial and technology clients, while a series of notable court victories include the representation of ABT in a multimillion-dollar trade secret action against a former employee.

Sources say: "They think outside the box, they are highly professional and they leave no stone unturned. They are very, very thorough."

KEY INDIVIDUALS James McLoughlin is a leading light in the firm's litigation practice and is described by one peer as "extremely bright and as tenacious as any lawyer I've ever seen." He has extensive trial experience in the most complex contentious matters and is also a recognized arbitrator.

George Hanna has a well-earned reputation thanks to a long and successful career. He is respected for his skills in litigation, arbitration and mediation.

Valecia McDowell is emerging as one of the next generation of leading litigators. She focuses on commercial and financial services litigation and is hailed as "an outstanding lawyer: tenacious, smart and well prepared."

THE FIRM The Parker Poe team has had a highly impressive year, handling complex commercial litigation on behalf of high-profile clients such as Speedway Motorsports, Ernst & Young and AVX Corporation. The firm also offers noted white-collar criminal defense and healthcare practices, and its respected abilities in environmental, employment and bankruptcy law give it a depth and breadth that is hard to match.

Sources say: "They have a culture of excellence from top to bottom. They have first-rate lawyers with good corporate clients."

KEY INDIVIDUALS Catharine Biggs Arrowood is a "great lawyer" and is noted for her broad business and antitrust litigation practice.

William Rikard has more than 40 years' experience in commercial litigation and arbitration. He has scored several impressive victories of late for clients such as CV Industries and Polymer Group.

Melanie Black Dubis receives rave reviews from peers and clients for her emerging business litigation practice. According to one source, "her instincts are fantastic and the delicacy with which she can handle difficult facts - confronting them, not ignoring them - is masterful."

Harvey Cosper is the firm's recognized authority on medical malpractice and healthcare litigation and is hailed by sources as "a first-rate trial lawyer."

Richard Glaser leads the firm's rapidly expanding white-collar criminal defense practice, bringing with him more 20 years' experience with the US Department of Justice.

THE FIRM The litigation practice of this huge firm handles complex business litigation, frequently with a national scope, on behalf of major corporate clients in a range of industries. The team has noted expertise in motor sports law, financial services litigation and employment litigation, and has been particularly active in the area of utility regulatory litigation, within which it counts Duke Energy as a key client.

KEY INDIVIDUALS Kiran Mehta is the key figure in the Charlotte office's litigation team and has handled the bulk of the utility-related litigation. Sources say that he is "very intellectual and a first-rate trial lawyer."

THE FIRM Kilpatrick represents some of North Carolina's most prestigious corporate entities, including AT&T, Lowe's Companies and BB&T, in complex commercial litigation. The firm's January 2011 merger with a national IP firm has enabled the team to transcend its North Carolina locality, and its full-service support ensures that it has the depth of resources to handle employment, healthcare fraud and contract disputes.

Sources say: "They do a wonderful job of making sense of complicated issues with lots of moving parts. They have been very creative in their approach."

KEY INDIVIDUALS Dan Taylor is an experienced trial and arbitration attorney and is the firm's senior litigator in North Carolina. Sources say that he "is very professional, gives down-to-earth advice and has good business sense."

Adam Charnes works closely with Dan Taylor in complex commercial litigation matters and enjoys an increasingly busy caseload on behalf of corporate clients including Ford and Krispy Kreme.

THE FIRM This firm has more than 50 specialist litigators across its Charlotte, Raleigh, Greensboro and Wilmington offices, and organizes itself to provide expertise in a variety of distinct areas, including general business, antitrust, intellectual property and financial services litigation. Clients include Charlotte-Mecklenburg Hospital Authority and TradeWinds.

Sources say: "They staff leanly and are very cost-effective. They have excellent business awareness and provide sound advice with options."

KEY INDIVIDUALS Larry Sitton is an experienced trial lawyer with a focus on business litigation. He has taken the lead in the firm's work for TradeWinds and is described by sources as "well organized, very articulate and possessing a good command of the facts and the law." 

Alan Duncan has a broad business litigation practice and is described by one admiring peer as "a remarkable lawyer of great breadth."

The "very bright and creative" Fred Wood concentrates on commercial litigation.

Robert Marcus's practice involves both appellate and complex commercial litigation. He receives rave reviews from peers and clients, one of whom says that he is "very logical, straightforward, unflappable and has a wealth of experience in a number of different areas." 

Jonathan Heyl focuses on commercial litigation for clients in the corporate and financial services arenas.

THE FIRM This smaller firm enjoys a fine reputation in the litigation arena with 19 attorneys working between its Charlotte and Winston Salem offices. The group has acted for a strong roster of corporate and financial clients including BB&T and Wells Fargo.

Sources say: "A very good smaller regional firm."

KEY INDIVIDUALS William Davis has a "formidable reputation as a smart, savvy courtroom litigator." He focuses on business and commercial litigation.

Alan Ruley focuses on civil litigation and appeals.

THE FIRM Hunton & Williams's team is particularly focused on the representation of financial institutions, notably Bank of America, which it has represented in a series of cases stemming from the failure of Colonial Bank. The team is also involved in a significant amount of pro bono work on behalf of charitable trusts and similar entities.

Sources say: "It is an excellent litigation firm and couldn't improve at all in terms of client service."

KEY INDIVIDUALS Frank Emory cochairs the firm's litigation group. He concentrates on complex commercial litigation, often with an emphasis on the financial services industry. Sources attest that he is an "excellent lawyer."

Douglas Kenyon is described as "very prominent" by peers. His business litigation practice has a focus on intellectual property and competition issues.

THE FIRM This 39-lawyer Charlotte firm is highly rated in the local business community for its skills in the litigation arena. The team often acts as plaintiff's counsel in matters of business and civil litigation, while its attendant expertise in product liability, employment, real estate and bankruptcy law ensures that it is able to provide a comprehensive service to clients.

Sources say: "An excellent firm. They are always top of my list."

KEY INDIVIDUALS William Diehl is described as "incredibly effective" by peers. He has more than 40 years' experience as a courtroom lawyer and focuses on business disputes as well as family and criminal litigation.

Edward Hinson focuses on business and civil litigation and has "a fantastic reputation and a well-deserved ranking."

THE FIRM This firm's commercial litigation team has been involved in some impressive work, most notably shareholder litigation arising from the Duke Energy-Progress Energy merger and the representation of Wachovia in a New York federal court. The team handles a broad range of issues, including corporate and securities litigation, commercial litigation and construction litigation.

Sources say: "We interviewed a number of firms and we decided Smith Anderson could think outside the box. It has a multifaceted team of litigation attorneys."

KEY INDIVIDUALS Carl Patterson handles many of the firm's most significant cases, often with a focus on corporate and commercial litigation. Sources say that "he has a good grasp on the big picture and is sensitive to the unique concerns of his clients."