The North Carolina Association of Defense Attorneys (NCADA) held its 46th Annual Meeting the weekend of June 8-11, 2023. New officers and directors assumed new roles within the organization at the close of the meeting.
Christopher R. Kiger was confirmed as the 46th President of the Association. Chris is a partner with Smith Anderson, LLP in Raleigh. His trial practice focuses on products liability, mass tort, and commercial litigation. He has significant experience representing manufacturers, insurers, and other corporate clients in both state and federal courts, as well as in multi-district litigation. He has successfully handled the defense of litigation involving a broad array of automotive, industrial, consumer, and medical products. Chris is a graduate of Elon College and received his J.D. from the University of NC in 2002. He was inducted into the Elon College Basketball Hall of Fame in 1998
JD Keister was installed as President-elect. Keister’s civil and complex litigation practice is based in the Raleigh office of McAngus Goudelock & Courie, LLP. He routinely engages in the representation of parties in construction, professional liability, bad faith, real estate litigation, catastrophic loss, commercial litigation and first party defense for insurance carriers. He obtained his juris doctorate from Ohio Northern University Pettit College of Law.
As Executive Vice President, Keister served as program chair of this year’s annual meeting seminar and was instrumental in securing engaging and informative content and speakers for the two-day CLE program. A diverse group of speakers and panelists discussing varying aspects of how the practice and law firms are changing post-pandemic and with four generations now in the work force. Programming also included a mock argument before a live and diverse focus group demonstrating juror perspectives during these changing times.
Ashley K. Brathwaite is Immediate Past President. Brathwaite practices with Ellis & Winters, LLP. Her practice is divided between the representation of health care providers, product manufacturers and distributors, and others facing allegations of liability for a catastrophic personal injury. She obtained her J.D. from Campbell University School of Law in 2005. Brathwaite has served on the Board since 2015 in Director and Officer positions. Brathwaite was presented the “DRI Exceptional Performance Award” and the NCADA recognized her for her year of service during the conference.
George Simpson, IV was elected to the office of Executive Vice President. Simpson is the founding member of Simpson Law, PLLC located in Raleigh. After graduating with honors from UNC as a double major, George attended UNC Law School. His practice focuses on insurance disputes and defense, business disputes, regulatory compliance matters, and subrogation claims.
Erin McNeil Young moves to the position of Secretary after serving a one-year term as Treasurer. Erin is a past member of the Board of Directors. Young is an experienced litigator with 23 years of experience in private practice and is now managing litigation for a large corporation for Extended Stay Americas. Young received her J.D. from UNC School of law in 1999.
Daniel M. Nunn was elected to a 2-year term as Treasurer. Nunn is a partner with Caudle & Spears, P.A. in Charlotte and was elected Treasurer after serving a three-year term on the Board of Directors. Nunn represents clients primarily in construction defect litigation, insurance defense litigation, complex civil litigation, business law, and employment law. He obtained his J.D. from University of Miami School of Law.
The NCADA welcomed the following NEW members to the Board of Directors to serve a 3-year term ending in 2026:
ABOUT the NCADA: North Carolina Association of Defense Attorneys (NCADA) is a professional organization of over 800 attorneys and paralegals who devote a majority of their time representing the interests of business and individuals in civil litigation. For more information about the N.C. Association of Defense Attorneys, please contact (919) 239-4463 or visit www.ncada.org.
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We are pleased to announce our 1st Annual Virtual Food Drive as part of our 2023 Annual Meeting! Our goal is to raise $5000 this week benefiting the Food Bank of Central & Eastern North Carolina, and we need your help to make it happen.
We believe that every donation, no matter how small, can make a significant impact on families and individuals who are struggling to access nutritious meals. By participating in our Virtual Food Drive, we can come together as a team to help alleviate hunger and create positive change in our community.
Not only does contributing to the Virtual Food Drive support a great cause, but it also provides a sense of fulfillment, purpose, and connection to something greater than ourselves. This is an opportunity for NCADA and our members to share our commitment to social responsibility and caring for those in need.
Join us this week in donating and help us showcase our dedication to making a positive impact. Let's inspire others to follow our lead and join us in making a difference today!
Remember, every dollar counts, so please donate now and let's make a difference together. Thank you for your support in the fight against food insecurity in North Carolina!
#fighthungernow
Donate Here!
MEET: Danielle Barbour Wilson
Danielle Wilson is a principal with The Banks Law Firm, the largest minority-owned law firms in North Carolina, with a practice focus in Employment Law. A 2009 graduate of Emory University School of Law, she has been a member of NCADA since 2012 and is a past member of the Board of Directors.
What drew you to the practice of law and to a litigation and trial practice? My college scholarship was for public speaking, so I was naturally drawn to trial practice. I was also a huge CourtTV junkie (my dad got me an old school satellite radio for my car so I could listen to it while driving!)—I really felt I had no choice but to become a lawyer.
How has membership in NCADA benefited your professional life?NCADA has connected me with not just only good lawyers, but great people. I take comfort in knowing that I am connected with a great group of folks who are always eager to serve as a resource to me in the practice.
What would you do if you were not a lawyer? Probably something on the business side of the entertainment industry.
What is your favorite legal movie or TV show and why?Philadelphia hands down. Joe Miller (Denzel Washington) reluctantly took on an employment discrimination case for Andrew Beckett (Tom Hanks) and brought forth justice when no one else would take the case. The movie has always resonated with me, but it’s even more compelling now that I am an employment lawyer.
What excites you the most right now? These days, I’m most excited by getting hugs and kisses from my rambunctious 19-month old who is a total daddy’s girl!
What is one piece of professional or life advice you would tell your younger self? No matter what you’re doing, you should find enjoyment in the process—not just the outcome. If you aren’t enjoying what you’re doing, then do something else.
Say hello to Danielle and connect today!
NCADA collected more than 100 children's books at the 2022 Fall Seminar as a public service project. The books were donated to the Albemarle Regional Library System (ARLNC) for use among its seven libraries in Bertie, Gates, Hertford, and Northampton Counties in northeastern North Carolina.
The ARLNC serves a population of less than 75,000 people in the combined counties. Working with ARLNC Director Hugh Davis, we were able to share children's books among the libraries operating in the system.
We will partner with ARLNC again this year collecting children's books and donations in advance and day of the 2023 Fall Seminar on Friday, October 6, 2023 in Greensboro. Save the Date and start collecting!
Recognize a colleague, mentor or peer you hold in high esteem for the J. Robert Elster Award for Professional Excellence and the Award for Excellence in Trial Advocacy this year.
Present and past members of the NC Association of Defense Attorneys are eligible for consideration as a possible recipient for one of these awards. Recipients will be recognized during the 2023 Annual Meeting during the weekend of June 8-11.
Deadline for submission is Monday, March 27, 2023. Your letter of nomination should be addressed to Brian Beverly, Chair, Awards Committee, c/o Lynette Pitt, Executive Director, NCADA, by email.
Learn more about the J. Robert Elster Award for Professional Excellence and the Award for Excellence in Trial Advocacy and nominate someone you hold in high esteem.
A list of Past Recipients may be found here.
Nominations Accepted for NCADA Board of Directors & Practice Group Leadership
The terms of five current members of the NCADA Board of Directors will expire in June 2023. Nominations for the five vacant Director positions are now being accepted to serve a three year term beginning at the close of the 2023 Annual Meeting through the close of the 2026 Annual Meeting.
Director responsibilities include:
To qualify for a position on the NCADA Board of Directors, the nominee should
Leadership opportunities in the NCADA’s Practice Groups are open for nominations. Members interested in the continued growth and relevance of the NCADA through its practice groups will be considered for leadership positions in the following areas of practice: Construction, Commercial, Employment, General Liability, Government, Medical Malpractice, Product Liability and Workers’ Compensation.
The following information should be included in the nomination:
1) Member Name, Firm, contact information and a brief biographical sketch;
2) Brief statement by the nominee of his or her availability and commitment to actively serve as a member of the Board, or as a practice group leader;
3) Brief statement why nominee would like to serve as a member of the Board of Directors, or as a practice group leader.
Persons interested in submitting a nomination may E mail the Nominating Committee in care of Lynette Pitt, Executive Director (E mail: lynettepitt@ncada.org.)
Nominations must be received no later than Monday, March 13, 2023, 5 p.m.
Print document.
Karen Stiles, Shumaker Loop & Kendrick LLP, has been appointed to serve as a member of the NCADA's Board of Directors. Karen will complete an unexpired term ending in June 2024.
"Karen Stiles has been a valuable and engaged member of the NCADA for years, and we are grateful to have the opportunity to work with her as a thought leader on our Board of Directors," notes Ashley Brathwaite, the current President of the NCADA.
A member since 2002, Karen previously served as chair of the Medical Malpractice Group. Karen’s practice is focused primarily on defending medical malpractice cases and catastrophic personal injury litigation. She is a partner on Shumaker's Medical Malpractice team in Charlotte.
The North Carolina legal community lost a colleague on December 19, 2022, when he was shot by his own client during a personal injury mediation. He left behind a wife and two young children. As a legal community, we would like to support his family. Below is information on how you can financially contribute to them during their time of immense grief.
The White Family requests donations in memory of Patrick White be made to the Hayes Barton United Methodist Church’s Growing in Love Fund (GIL), which provides financial assistance to members and their families experiencing emergencies and crises. Checks should be made payable to Hayes Barton UMC with “GIL – The White Family” noted in the memo line, and mailed to Hayes Barton UMC, Attn: Business Office, 2209 Fairview Road, Raleigh, NC 27608. Alternatively, contributions can be made online at Online Giving. Please choose The Growing in Love Fund in the select a fund drop down box and note “GIL – The White Family” in the optional memo box. Molly, Zeke, and Phoebe thank you for your kindness, generosity, and prayers during this difficult time.
If you or someone you know is in need of counseling, please contact NC Lawyers Assistance Program or BarCares.
Editor’s Note: We are all saddened by the circumstances and tragic loss earlier this week of attorney Patrick White at the law firm of Riddle & Brantley in Goldsboro. We are in communication with other Bar groups about efforts to provide support and resources. This tragedy impacts us individually and as a profession. Please take advantage of resources available to you through the NC Lawyers Assistance Program and BarCares if you need to talk confidentially to someone.
Life and work have resumed -- our new normal after the pandemic. In our various practices, the civil courts are working on the backlogs of cases that had been put on hold. We were also busy at the NCADA getting back to face-to-face meetings and working on new opportunities for members.
Looking back at the last few months, we had a successful Annual Meeting in June for the first time in Wilmington, North Carolina. An outstanding CLE program was put together by program chair Chris Kiger, and our biennial Judicial Candidates’ Forum was chaired by Allen Smith. The opportunity to connect with old friends, meet new ones, and hear directly from our judiciary were highlights of the meeting.
We adapted and pivoted again for our annual Fall Seminar in late September as the remnants of Hurricane Ian disrupted travel plans. A hale and hearty group of speakers, members and guests, and litigation support partners made it in-person and we were able to live-stream the event to close to 80 additional attendees online. Another new location for us at the Winston-Salem Convention Center helped make this a successful day.
In addition to the popular expert webinars hosted by our litigation support partners, we had excellent attendance at our paralegal seminar on Thursday, December 8th. Our NCADA member paralegals and other attendees made it highly interactive and insightful by sharing comments and questions during the presentations. We heard from Kellie Myers about NC Judicial Branch’s eCourts initiative. Thank you to all the speakers and to our planners Shelli Simontacchi, Hedrick Gardner Kincheloe Garofalo, and Nathan Hewitt, Hamlet Law. We are planning additional professional development opportunities specific to paralegals in 2023 based on the feedback from this session.
We are looking forward to more great events and activities for the NCADA in 2023. As you plan your professional development goals for 2023, consider enrolling in the NCADA's new Business of Law pilot program. This is a fully virtual education program, which is based on the fundamentals of a mini-MBA curriculum, that will help you learn, understand, and immediately apply practical management skills and financial knowledge. Of course, this program and others for 2023 are available on the NCADA website. Take a look, mark your schedule, and plan to join us!
We appreciate your ongoing support and participation in the NCADA. Please let us know how we can continue to value your practice and career development goals. And follow us on LinkedIn for more NCADA updates!
The Administrative Office of the Courts announces that eFiling is coming to North Carolina Courts! Training sessions will be offered both virtually and in person for File and Serve in September. Attorneys, paralegals, and legal staff may register now for virtual or in-person sessions.
As part of the North Carolina Judicial Branch’s transformative eCourts initiative to take the state court system from paper to digital, the Odyssey Integrated Case Management System (ICMS) is projected to launch on October 10, 2022, in the four pilot counties of Harnett, Johnston, Lee, and Wake.
Throughout the month of September, NCAOC will offer in-person and virtual training sessions for attorneys, paralegals, and legal staff. For more information on the eCourts initiative and training opportunities, visit NCcourts.gov/eCourts.
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