
Craig Schauer
- Raleigh
- t: 919.573.6206
- f: 336.232.9186
- cschauer@brookspierce.com
Overview
Craig Schauer is a trusted litigator who advises and advocates for clients. He has been fortunate to counsel clients through a wide variety of disputes and legal problems, ranging from business disagreements, to regulatory battles, to constitutional lawsuits.
My Practices
Craig has represented businesses of all sizes—from small partnerships to Fortune 100 corporations—in state and federal courts, arbitration proceedings, and various regulatory agencies with disputes regarding contractual relationships, constitutional rights, class actions, unfair competition claims, government regulations, defamation, and other commercial issues. He has worked with clients in a variety of sectors, including healthcare, construction, professional sports, nonprofit, franchises, energy, financial services, public utilities, and local and state government.
"I believe in resolving disputes amicably, but do not hesitate to throw hard — but fair —punches to protect the Firm's clients."
Craig’s advocacy includes representing businesses in the water, power, and renewable energy industries. He advises both energy producers and energy consumers on relevant state and federal regulations. He frequently appears before the North Carolina Utilities Commission, including representing clients in rate proceedings, utility transactions, and other matters requiring regulatory approval.
Craig helps clients confidently express their political voice by ensuring that their political conduct complies with the law. He advises corporations on how to form entities that will be politically active, either directly or indirectly, and helps craft company policies on political activity and lobbying practices. He represents clients before the Board of Elections and the Ethics Commission in regulatory proceedings and confidential investigations. He also assists local and state governments in ensuring compliance with federal and state elections law, including the Voting Rights Act and other constitutional requirements.
Craig not only assists clients with political activity, but also helps them navigate other free speech and First Amendment issues within the public sphere.
Credentials
Clerkships
Law Clerk to Associate Justice Paul M. Newby, Supreme Court of North Carolina, 2010-2011
Law Clerk to James C. Dever III, U.S. District Court, Eastern District of North Carolina, 2011-2012
Honors & Recognitions
Selected by his peers for inclusion in The Best Lawyers in America© in Commercial Litigation (2021-2023)
Selected for Benchmark Litigation's "40 & Under Hot List" (2020-2021)
Selected by his peers for inclusion in Business North Carolina's "Legal Elite" in the Young Guns category (2019)
Recognized by North Carolina Super Lawyers (Thomson Reuters) as a "Rising Star" in Civil Rights Law (2018); Business Litigation (2019-2020)
Education
Duke University School of Law, J.D., 2010, magna cum laude; Order of the Coif; Managing Editor of Law and Contemporary Problems, DeHoff/Arnold Endowed Law Scholar
Admissions
North Carolina
U.S. Court of Appeals for the 4th Circuit
U.S. District Court for the Western, Middle, and Eastern Districts of North Carolina
Newsroom
News
Speaking Engagements
Professional & Civic
Professional & Civic Activities
Member, State Judicial Council (2021-present)
Board of Directors, North Raleigh Young Life Committee (2019-present)
Ruling Elder, Midtown Community Church (2015-2019)
Board of Directors, Greater-Raleigh Young Life Committee (2011-2019)
About Me
I believe that relationships matter — we were not created to live in isolation. I invest in the relationships in my life, and I prioritize my family and local community. But I also believe that relationships matter to my clients: Businesses, just like people, do not exist in a vacuum — they depend on relationships. Unfortunately, all relationships, whether personal or business, are prone to breaking down. In my personal life, I seek to foster and restore relationships by being involved in local ministries. In my professional life, I use the law and the courts to help my clients build and defend their most important relationships.