News

  • 20 Feb 2023 10:18 AM | Lynette Pitt (Administrator)

    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.


  • 20 Feb 2023 10:04 AM | Lynette Pitt (Administrator)

    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:

    • Regular attendance and participation at quarterly meetings of the Board;
    • Membership recruitment and retention;
    • Contributing and participating in Association programs and services;
    • Other individual responsibilities as required.

    To qualify for a position on the NCADA Board of Directors, the nominee should

    • Be a member in good standing with the North Carolina State Bar and the North Carolina Association of Defense Attorneys; and
    • Shown commitment and support of the NCADA through regular attendance at the NCADA's Annual Meeting, other programs and activities.

    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.


  • 31 Jan 2023 9:01 AM | Lynette Pitt (Administrator)

    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.


  • 29 Dec 2022 11:05 AM | Deleted user

    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.

  • 22 Dec 2022 10:35 AM | Deleted user

    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!


  • 02 Sep 2022 5:00 PM | Lynette Pitt (Administrator)

    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.


  • 18 Aug 2022 5:13 PM | Lynette Pitt (Administrator)

    The N.C. Defense Fund, the political action committee of the North Carolina Association of Defense Attorneys, endorses the following candidates seeking seats on the North Carolina Supreme Court and Court of Appeals:

    For Associate Justice of the North Carolina Supreme Court, the N.C. Defense Fund endorses

    For Judge of the North Carolina Court of Appeals, the N.C. Defense Fund endorses:

    • For Seat 8:  No Endorsement.
    • For Seat 9:  Donna Stroud for re-election to the Court.
    • For Seat 10: John M. Tyson for re-election to the Court.
    • For Seat 11: Darren Jackson for election to the Court.

    The NC Defense Fund made the decision to endorse each judicial candidate based on the following criteria:

    • Substantial legal experience in and demonstrated understanding of civil litigation and issues recurrent in defense of claims;
    • A willingness to impartially apply the statutory law and rules as written and the common law, including the application of affirmative defenses, and the granting of dispositive motions when warranted;
    • A recognition of the legislature's exclusive role to enact statutes and the Court’s role in interpreting existing common law and statutes in a fair, consistent and predictable manner with respect for prior court rulings as compelled by stare decisis;
    • Exemplifying a high level of independence and integrity in applying the law impartially and in compliance with judicial standards and the Rules of Professional Conduct.

    The N.C. Defense Fund is the political action committee of the North Carolina Association of Defense Attorneys. The North Carolina Association of Defense Attorneys [NCADA] is a professional association for lawyers and paralegals defending the interests of individuals and businesses in civil litigation. Current membership stands at over 850 attorneys and paralegals from across the State.

    For more information about the N.C. Association of Defense Attorneys, please contact the Association office at 919-239-4463.

    Print New Release

  • 20 Jun 2022 2:18 PM | Lynette Pitt (Administrator)

    New Officers and Board of Directors for the 2022-2023 year were installed on Saturday morning, June 18, at the 45th Annual Meeting in Wilmington, North Carolina.  

    Ashley K. Brathwaite, Ellis & Winters, assumes the office of President.  Ashley moves into this role after serving as an officer for four years, and previously as a member of the Board of Directors.  

    Sara R. Lincoln, Lincoln Derr, is immediate past president.  Sara will continue as a member of the Association's executive committee. Sara is this year's recipient of the Award for Excellence in Trial Advocacy. 

    Christopher Kiger, Smith Anderson, becomes President-elect after serving as Executive Vice President.  As Executive Vice President, Chris served as program chair of this year's stellar Annual Meeting programming.

    J. D. Keister, McAngus Goudelock & Courie, was elected to the position of Executive Vice President which leads to the role of President.  J.D. previously served as Treasurer.

    Erin Young, Hall Booth Smith PC, takes over the role of Treasurer.  Erin is a past member of the Board of Directors. 

    George Simpson, IV, will serve another year as Secretary.

    Joining the Board as Directors serving 3-years terms through 2025 are:

    Denaa Griffin, Jackson Lewis
    Scottie Lee, Ellis & Winters, LLP
    Charles McGee, Roberts & Stevens, P.A.
    Jasmine Pitt, Akerman
    Austin Walsh, Hedrick Gardner Kincheloe & Garofalo, LLP

    Join us in welcoming these new leaders!

  • 20 Jun 2022 1:36 PM | Lynette Pitt (Administrator)

    NCADA is pleased to announce the recipients for the J. Robert Elster Award for Professional Excellence and the Award for Excellence in Trial Advocacy for 2022.  J. Nicholas Ellis, Poyner & Spruill, was recognized with the J. Robert Elster Award for Professional Excellence. Sara Lincoln, Lincoln Derr, was presented the Award for Excellence in Trial Advocacy.  These Awards were presented at the NCADA 45th Annual Meeting on Friday, June 17, 2022 in Wilmington, North Carolina.  

    The J. Robert Award for Professional Excellence recognizes a member's contributions to the organized Bar as a whole and to their community, and who exemplify the highest standards of professionalism, integrity, and ethics. 

    The Award for Excellence in Trial Advocacy recognizes members who are eminently qualified to advocate for clients in state and federal courtrooms. They are considered by the NCADA as among the finest trial lawyers in the state. Not only have they consistently obtained favorable results for their clients, they have done so while exhibiting a command of the skills necessary to obtain such results.

    Please join us in congratulating Sara Lincoln and Nick Ellis as we recognize both as leaders in the NCADA and the civil trial bar.

    Learn more about each award and see past recipients via the links above.

  • 10 Jun 2022 12:20 PM | Lynette Pitt (Administrator)

    The North Carolina Association of Defense Attorneys (“NCADA”) will hold a Judicial Candidates' Forum on Friday, June 17, from 11:00 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. The Forum will feature judicial candidates running in statewide elections for seats on the North Carolina Supreme Court and the North Carolina Court of Appeals. The appellate races are statewide races that impact all citizens of North Carolina.

    Twelve candidates seek election for six open appellate level judicial seats - four candidates for North Carolina Supreme Court and eight candidates for North Carolina Court of Appeals. Information about each candidate may be found on the NCADA’s website at the Judicial Candidates’ Forum page.  Additionally, a Special Candidates Issue of The Resource is available for download.

    The Forum will be held at the Wilmington Convention Center, Wilmington, North Carolina in conjunction with NCADA’s 45th Annual Meeting.  Approximately 200 attendees are expected.

    The Forum gives members of the public and the bar a rare opportunity to learn about the candidates who wish to serve the state at the appellate court level. Each candidate will have the opportunity to answer a question germane to the members of the civil defense trial bar and to briefly discuss his or her qualifications for the position.

    The NCADA brings together civil trial attorneys to promote the exchange of information, ideas, and litigation techniques, and to strengthen the practice, improve the skills, and enhance the knowledge of lawyers defending individuals and businesses in North Carolina. For more information about the NCADA or the Judicial Candidates' Forum, please contact the Association office at 919-239-4463 or lynettepitt@ncada.org.

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