
Gary S. Parsons

Gary Parsons is a litigator's litigator: he tries cases. He has participated in more than 75 trials, over 125 appeals, and has represented clients in courtrooms in at least 70 of North Carolina's 100 counties.
Gary Parsons is a litigator's litigator: he tries cases. He has participated in more than 75 trials, over 125 appeals, and has represented clients in courtrooms in at least 70 of North Carolina's 100 counties.
Gary Parsons handles trials and appeals in state and federal courts throughout North Carolina and adjoining states. He has argued before the United States Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit, the North Carolina Supreme Court, and the North Carolina Court of Appeals. He also appears regularly before all three U.S. District Courts in North Carolina and the North Carolina Business Court.
When Gary was voted the 2005 Top Litigation Attorney in North Carolina in a poll of North Carolina lawyers conducted by Business North Carolina, the then-President of the North Carolina Bar Association told the publication “If I were in trouble, he is the lawyer I would call for help.”
Gary represents businesses ranging in size from Fortune 100 to regional and local companies, as well as local governments. He has represented clients in the energy, pharmaceutical, automotive, internet information, healthcare, communications and insurance industries. He has litigated business disputes, intellectual property, antitrust, catastrophic personal injury, wrongful death, mass tort, lawyer malpractice, civil rights, and insurance coverage and bad faith claims. He also has significant experience in litigating regulatory disputes and professional disciplinary hearings before state administrative agencies.
Gary has decades of experience representing companies of all sizes in a wide range of disputes. His representative experience includes:
"What makes a client want to retain any attorney in hundreds of cases over 30 years? In my situation, I retain Gary Parsons because I have confidence that he has the expertise to handle complex litigation in a timely, effective, and professional manner. I know of no one better at reducing factually intensive cases down to its basic elements and then succinctly addressing each complex issue in clear and easily understandable terms. He knows how to strengthen his argument using a better choice of words, than with more words. He is known and respected by the bench and bar, and appreciated by his clients."
-John Hester, Senior Claims Counsel, Corp Secretary, Lawyers Mutual Liability Insurance Company of North Carolina
This comment appears on the Best Lawyers website at www.bestlawyers.com, and is used with their permission.
Gary has:
Gary has successfully defended a number of mass tort claims, including:
"Gary Parsons is a southern gentleman in all aspects, but he is a warrior with class in the courtroom."
-William Little, Assistant City Attorney, City of Greenville, NC
This comment appears on the Best Lawyers website at www.bestlawyers.com, and is used with their permission.
Gary’s representative municipal and state litigation experience includes:
Gary began his career as a law clerk for Associate Justice J. William Copeland, of the North Carolina Supreme Court. Since that time, he has participated in over 125 appeals. He has argued before the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit, the North Carolina Supreme Court, and the North Carolina Court of Appeals. He has also represented clients before the United States Supreme Court.
Gary’s appellate practice has included cases involving financial regulation, lawyer professional liability, professional licensing, insurance regulation, municipal liability and civil rights actions. He has frequently been retained to assist other lawyers and firms in appellate matters and to advise on appellate procedure. Gary served on the Appellate Rules Committee of the North Carolina Bar Association for fourteen years.
Gary has copious experience defending product liability lawsuits. His representative experience includes:
Listed in Chambers USA: America's Leading Lawyers for Business for Litigation: General Commercial (North Carolina) (2011-2020)
Recognized in the "Legal Elite" Hall of Fame by Business North Carolina magazine for Litigation
Listed in North Carolina Super Lawyers for Business Litigation (2016-2021); Top 100 lawyers in North Carolina (2006-2019 editions), Top 25 Lawyers in Raleigh (2014-2015, 2018-2019).
Recognized in Super Lawyers Business Edition for Business Litigation (2015)
Selected by his peers for inclusion in The Best Lawyers in America© in Bet-the-Company Litigation, Commercial Litigation, Legal Malpractice Law - Defendants, and Personal Injury Litigation - Defendants (2003-2021)
Recognized as a "Local Litigation Star" by Benchmark Litigation in Insurance, Product Liability and Recall, Securities, and Environmental (2015-2021); Business Litigation (2015-2017)
American Board of Trial Advocates: Advocate (2009 - present)
Litigation Counsel of America: Fellow (2010-present)
Fellow, American Bar Foundation
North Carolina Association of Defense Attorneys, President, (2003-2004), Board of Directors (1998-2001), Judicial Committee (2011-2013)
North Carolina Bar Association, Professionalism Committee (2004-2006), Appellate Rules Committee (1982-1995)
Wake County Bar Association, Board of Directors (1989-1990)
Defense Research Institute (1985-present)
American Bar Association (1977-present)
"Five Lessons Learned From a Lifetime in the Courtroom," published by North Carolina Lawyers Weekly and South Carolina Lawyers Weekly, July 6, 2020
Presenter, "Ethics Update for In-House Counsel: Privilege, Confidentiality and Compliance," UNC School of Law Festival of Legal Learning, February 2020
Presenter, "Ethics Update for In-House Counsel: Privilege, Confidentiality and Compliance," UNC School of Law Festival of Legal Learning, February 2019
Panelist, "Civility Matters," American Board of Trial Advocates Event, Duke Law School, March 19, 2018
Qualifying Your Expert; North Carolina is Now a Daubert State —The Litigator, North Carolina Bar Association, Vol. 34, No. 1, p. 1 November 2013
Privilege, Work Product and Related Ethical Issues for Inside Counsel in Litigation and Investigation, Research Triangle Chapter, Association of Corporate Counsel, August 14, 2013
Litigation Management Planning, Research Triangle Chapter, Association of Corporate Counsel, August 15, 2012
Section 1983 Actions Against Government Attorneys, North Carolina Bar Association, The Workplace and the Constitution—Constitutional Rights and Responsibilities Section Annual Meeting, February 5, 2010
Ethical Considerations for the Insurer, Insured, and Defense Counsel, North Carolina Bar Association, 2009 Insurance law Update, November 6, 2009
Preparing the Electrical Contact Accident for the Jury’s Eyes From the First Minute of the Investigation – Southeastern Claims Association Eighty-Fourth Annual Seminar, June 18, 2009
Getting the Right People – Jury Selection—Nuts and Bolts, North Carolina Association of Defense Attorneys, Young Lawyers Seminar, February 27, 2009
My career has been about taking problems that people and businesses bring to me and solving them in cost-effective ways. Sometimes, this has been done with a phone call or a letter. Other times, it required trials and appeals.
Much like surgeons, litigators frequently see the client only after more conservative measures did not yield a cure. Like good surgeons, we need the confidence and skill to take the case to our operating theatre - the courtroom - and the judgment to know when a solution can be achieved with less cost and risk.
I enjoy trying lawsuits and arguing appeals more than any of my hobbies - primarily because I'm a better lawyer than a golfer. I enjoy seeing people freed from the disputes they face, especially when we can end their risk and uncertainty earlier at lower cost.