Ron Davis is a highly skilled courtroom lawyer with 30 years of experience litigating all kinds of disputes. Clients value his wisdom, hard-earned through hundreds of cases, to help them find practical, cost-effective solutions to their business problems, whether that solution is a pre-lawsuit mediation or a lengthy jury trial. Ron’s trial skills have been recognized by his peers as reflected by his inclusion in Best Lawyers in America© (2007-2024), North Carolina Super Lawyers (2009-2018), and North Carolina Super Lawyers – Corporate Counsel edition. He is a member of the firm’s Business Litigation Practice Group in the Greensboro/Winston-Salem region, ranked “Tier 1” by U.S. News & World Report in its Best Law Firms ratings.
Ron concentrates his practice in North Carolina federal courts, the North Carolina Business Court, and North Carolina state courts. He has prosecuted and defended arbitrations administered by the American Arbitration Association (AAA), Judicial Arbitration and Mediation Services (JAMS), and FINRA.
Ron’s practice is extensive and diverse. Over the course of three decades, he has represented public and private companies in sectors as varied as avionics, aircraft maintenance, automobile distribution, battery manufacturing, beverage manufacturing and distribution, brick manufacturing, broker/dealer, chemical manufacturing, coatings, construction aggregates, data analytics, electricity generation and transmission, fiber optics, financial services, food services (including the grocery and restaurant/hospitality industries), furniture manufacturing and distribution, gemstone manufacturing, investment banking, hedge funds, laser manufacturing, logistics, microprocessors, natural gas, real estate, REITs, stock car racing, television transmission, temporary staffing, textiles and warehousing.
Representative Experience
Any result the lawyer or law firm may have achieved on behalf of clients in other matters does not necessarily indicate similar results can be obtained for other clients.
- Litigation and trial counsel for member of LLC distribution company prosecuting various claims related to operation of LLC by minority owner/manager. Prevailed in efforts to force appointment of a receiver for LLC and force LLC into liquidation. Prevailed on receiver to prosecute claims against and secure million-dollar settlement from minority owner/manager. Defeated attempted TRO and preliminary injunction. The case venue was North Carolina Business Court.
- Counsel for name partner of prominent law firm in the dissolution of his law firm.
- Litigation and trial counsel for Board of Directors of public company defending against claims for breach of fiduciary duties in connection with $27 Billion dollar merger. Negotiated modest attorneys’ fees settlement over disclosure claims and prevailed on motion to dismiss all substantive claims against client. Successfully defended client on appeal. The case venue was North Carolina Business Court and NC appellate courts.
- Trial and litigation counsel in prosecution of multi-million-dollar claims under distribution contract. Prevailed in month-long jury trial under strict Covid protocols with jury entering verdict that was in Top100 commercial verdicts in US in 2022.
- Counsel for individual in connection with NCAA and U.S. Department of Justice investigations and prosecutions under Operation Varsity Blues college admissions scandal.
- Trial counsel defending publicly traded company in lengthy state court jury trial over actions, rights and duties of former CEO. Favorable jury verdict for a fraction of amounts sought by former CEO.
- Counsel for former CFO of publicly traded company defending client in 16 class actions, 9 shareholder derivative actions, SEC investigation, Department of Labor investigation, and U.S Department of Justice investigation. The engagement lasted seven years. Successfully secured exoneration from any criminal liability, a negligence-based (not scienter) modest SEC settlement, and minimal contributions towards resolution of class and derivative actions.
- Trial and litigation counsel for publicly traded company defending against effort to permanently shut down and enjoin operation of a significant and profitable mining operation and recover damages. Won take-nothing jury verdict after two-week jury trial in federal court. Mine remains open and profitable.
- Trial and litigation counsel defending Board of Directors of Top 10 US financial institution in ERISA class action prosecuted on behalf of 72,000 class members by nationally known trial counsel Jerry Schlichter. Case settled.
- Trial and litigation counsel prosecuting direct and derivative claims on behalf of member of LLC against minority member/manager. One of the first cases in NC involving LLC derivative claims. The case settled on favorable terms after defeating a TRO and preliminary injunction and contested involuntary redemption of minority member
Professional Activities
- North Carolina State Bar
- North Carolina Bar Association
- Forsyth County Bar Association
- NC Association of Defense Attorneys
- NC State Bar Ethics Committee (2003-2009)
- Judge, Disciplinary Hearing Commission of the North Carolina State Bar (2009-2015)
- Chief Justice Joseph Branch Inn, American Inns of Court (Barrister 2002-2003; Master of the Bench 2014 - present; Member, Board of Directors 2014 - present)
- Member, United States District Court, Middle District of North Carolina, Local Civil Rules Committee (2019-present)
Honors and Awards
- Recognized in The Best Lawyers in America (BL Rankings) in the fields of Commercial Litigation, Litigation – Banking and Finance, Litigation – Mergers and Acquisitions, Litigation – Regulatory Enforcement (SEC, Telecom, Energy), Litigation – Securities, Mass Tort Litigation / Class Actions – Defendants, 2007 – Present
- Named the Best Lawyers™ "Lawyer of the Year" in Banking and Finance Litigation - Greensboro (2020, 2024) and Securities Litigation - Greensboro (2016, 2019)
- Super Lawyers Honoree, Business Litigation, Civil Litigation, Eminent Domain, North Carolina Super Lawyers magazine (Thomson Reuters), 2009 – 2018
