Complex Dispute Resolution

Poyner & Spruill’s litigation attorneys focus on both the creative resolution and trial of complex business, professional and personal disputes. We have extensive experience representing individuals, local businesses, national and international corporations, professionals and financial institutions in all kinds of litigation that can impact a business, such as consumer class actions, trademark, trade dress and copyright infringement litigation, disputes between buyers and sellers of businesses, disputes among owners of businesses, disputes involving banking, securities and accounting issues, the defense of class actions, employment disputes, and environmental, zoning and land use issues.  We also have extensive white collar criminal defense, professional liability, and insurance defense and tort practices. 

We regularly appear on behalf of clients in North Carolina state and federal trial and appellate courts.  Our attorneys regularly try cases in all three districts of federal court in North Carolina and in North Carolina’s state courts.  We have tried case in a majority of the 100 counties in the North Carolina state court system. 

In partnership with our Technology Department we utilize the latest technology to efficiently and cost-effectively meet the litigation needs and challenges of our clients.  Our communication, document management, collaboration, time and billing (including task-based and e-billing), automated litigation support (including E-Discovery tools), search and research tools, and other knowledge management services and systems are state-of-the-art.  Our technology systems ensure that we are available to clients 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. 

Poyner & Spruill’s litigation attorneys are recognized by their peers as some of the best litigators in North Carolina.  Nine members of our litigation section were recently selected by their peers for inclusion in Law & Politics’ 2008 ranking of North Carolina “Super Lawyers,” based on surveys of more than 17,000 active lawyers across the state.  The 2008 list includes:

Tom Davis (Litigation), David Dreifus (Business Litigation), Nick Ellis (Business Litigation), Keith Johnson (Business Litigation), David Long (Business Litigation – Top 100 Super Lawyers), Jerry Parnell (Professional Liability Defense), John Shaw (Construction – Top 100 Super Lawyers), Eddie Speas (General Litigation), Joe Zeszotarski (White Collar Criminal Defense). David Long and John Shaw were both among the state’s Top 100 Super Lawyers in 2008.

In addition, five members of the litigation section were also ranked among Business North Carolina magazine’s 2008 “Legal Elite,” based on a survey sent to nearly 18,500 active members of the State Bar living in North Carolina. The Poyner & Spruill litigators named to the 2008 “Legal Elite are:  Nick Ellis (Litigation), Keith Johnson (Environmental), David Long (Criminal Litigation), and Joe Zeszotarski (Criminal Litigation).  John Shaw (Construction) is listed in the “Legal Elite Hall of Fame.”

We also routinely represent our clients in litigation throughout the Eastern United States and beyond.  Our attorneys have tried cases from Florida to New Hampshire, as far west as Texas and Missouri, and as far north as Wisconsin.  We have litigation attorneys in the firm who are licensed in South Carolina, Virginia, Georgia,  Michigan, New York, Massachusetts, the District of Columbia, Oklahoma and California. 

Where appropriate, we partner with local counsel in jurisdictions outside of North Carolina to get the best possible results for our clients.  Poyner & Spruill is a member of the USLAW Network, a national organization composed of 60 independent member firms in 45 states with over 3,500 attorneys. The Network is comprised of AV-rated law firms throughout the United States, providing Poyner & Spruill and our clients with access to many of the best trial lawyers in the country when needed for the litigation and trial of complex, difficult issues and cases in markets outside of our region.

We also belong to The State Capital Global Law Firm Group, an association of independent law firms with member firms located in all 50 U.S. state capitals and in capital cities, business markets and financial centers around the world. Member firm attorneys bring a broad range of skills and experience from markets outside of North Carolina that we can access, depending  on the needs of our clients. Firms based in U.S. state capitals offer a unique knowledge of state legislatures and regulatory agencies. Those based outside the United States offer similar perspectives and abilities in their jurisdictions.

These resources offer our clients a legal presence and trusted partner in all 50 states and many countries worldwide.  While not engaged  in the joint practice of law, the firm’s memberships in both the USLAW Network and The State Capital Global Law Firm Group provide effective, trustworthy resources to assist clients with multi-jurisdictional legal services for standard business matters and complex transactions.   

For a fuller description of our litigation practice and the attorneys who practice in each area, click on any of the following links.

Appellate

Business and Financial Transactions Litigation

Condemnation (Eminent Domain)

Construction Law

Employment and ERISA Litigation

Environmental Litigation

Intellectual Property Law

Insurance and Tort Litigation

Professional Liability Litigation

White-Collar Criminal Defense 

Zoning and Land Use Litigation

Attorneys

Randall R. Adams