Practice Areas
Bar Admissions
North Carolina
Education
Duke University, J.D., magna cum laude, 2006; Editor-in-Chief, Duke Law Journal, 2005-06
Pomona College, B.A., 1997
Profile
Adam Doerr advocates for companies and individuals involved in significant business disputes, including financial services litigation, class actions, shareholder and corporate governance disputes, and appeals in state and federal courts.
Adam litigates in state and federal courts in North Carolina and across the country. He also represents parties involved in litigation that spans multiple forums and jurisdictions, such as multidistrict litigation and simultaneous cases in state and federal court, and in arbitration proceedings.
In addition to his business litigation practice, Adam handles political and governmental litigation. His experience includes representing a group of plaintiffs challenging partisan gerrymandering in litigation before the U.S. Supreme Court, serving as counsel to the North Carolina governor in litigation over proposed constitutional amendments, and defending state government agencies in regulatory and licensing challenges.
Adam co-chairs the firm's Class Actions and Appeals practice groups, and he serves as a member of the state Appellate Rules Committee.
Honors & Awards
- Mecklenburg County Bar, Outstanding Individual Attorney Pro Bono Award, 2023
- The Best Lawyers in America, commercial litigation, litigation - securities, 2022-25
- North Carolina Super Lawyers, business litigation, 2019-24; Rising Star, 2011-13
- Benchmark Litigation, Future Star, 2014-16; Top Litigator Under 40, 2016
- Mecklenburg Access to Justice Pro Bono Partners Program, Pro Bono Honor Roll, 2021
- North Carolina Pro Bono Honor Society, 2020-22
Clerkships
- Law Clerk, The Honorable Stanley Marcus, U.S. Court of Appeals, Eleventh Circuit, 2006-07
Experience
Experience
Represented plaintiffs in redistricting litigation that led to the redrawing of North Carolina’s legislative districts and was appealed to the U.S. Supreme Court in Moore v. Harper.
Represented national retailer in multidistrict litigation involving class and collective actions based on alleged violations of the Fair Labor Standards Act and the state labor laws of 19 different states.
Represented investors in settlement of derivative claims regarding over $300 million in real estate investments formed by U.S. Congressman Robert Pittenger; obtained approval of settlement by 51 real estate LLCs with over 1,400 individual members, including creation of new corporate entity to hold carried interest and negotiation of agreements with new manager.
Obtained dismissal of leading university from class action litigation filed in the Northern District of California regarding the Varsity Blues investigation into college admissions.
Represents public companies, LLCs and investors in internal corporate disputes, including breach of fiduciary duty claims, and books and records demands under both Delaware and North Carolina law.
Represented a Fortune 500 retailer in a putative national class action brought by tens of thousands of individual store managers, including an interlocutory appeal in the Fourth Circuit and a petition for certiorari to the U.S. Supreme Court.
Represented governor of North Carolina in challenging proposed constitutional amendments; successfully obtained injunction based on failure of ballot language to inform voters about proposed changes to the North Carolina Constitution.
Regularly defends board members, corporations and private equity firms against shareholder lawsuits challenging public company mergers, including litigation over eight different public company transactions in recent years.
Represented Wachovia Corp. and its directors in successfully defending a suit challenging Wachovia's $15 billion merger with Wells Fargo. Ehrenhaus v. Baker, 2008 NCBC 20 (2008) (refusing to enjoin the merger), on appeal after settlement, 717 S.E.2d 9 (N.C. Ct. App. 2011) (upholding non opt-out settlement), 776 S.E.2d 699 (N.C. Ct. App. 2015) (rejecting further challenge to settlement).
Filed multiple briefs with the U.S. Supreme Court, including an amicus brief for the Cato Institute supporting the victim of a police shooting, a petition for certiorari in a major class action, and an opposition to certiorari in a case raising First Amendment issues.
Litigated complex fraud and other claims in multiple forums following collapse of massive Ponzi and accounting fraud scheme.
Obtained dismissal, without discovery, of four separate cases filed in three different courts by shareholders regarding the decline in Wachovia’s share price; successfully defended results on appeal. Rivers v. Wachovia, 665 F.3d 610 (4th Cir. 2011); Browne v. Thompson, 727 S.E.2d 637 (N.C. Ct. App. 2012); Rice-Marko v. Wachovia, 728 S.E.2d 301 (S.C. Ct. App. 2012); Harris v. Wachovia, 2011 NCBC 3 (N.C. Bus. Ct. 2011).
Defended Duke Energy Corp. in multijurisdictional litigation regarding its $32 billion merger with Progress Energy Corp. In re Progress Energy Shareholder Litigation, 2011 NCBC 44 (2011).
News & Events
News
- Oct. 22, 2024
- Aug. 15, 2024
- Jan. 8, 2024
- Aug. 17, 2023
- June 27, 2023
- June 7, 2023
- May 25, 2023
- Feb. 8, 2023
- Jan. 20, 2023
- Oct. 21, 2022
- Aug. 23, 2022
- July 29, 2022
- May 17, 2022
- Jan. 14, 2022
- Oct. 4, 2021
- Aug. 26, 2021
- Aug. 24, 2021
- June 21, 2021
- June 1, 2021
- May 11, 2021
- April 5, 2021
- Jan. 15, 2021
- Dec. 9, 2020
- Dec. 3, 2020
- Nov. 19, 2020
- Nov. 5, 2020
- Robinson Bradshaw Challenges Exclusion of Low-Income Families from State Coronavirus Relief PaymentsOct. 29, 2020
- Sept. 11, 2020
- July 23, 2020
- April 28, 2020
- Jan. 22, 2020
- Sept. 4, 2019
- Aug. 7, 2019
- July 17, 2019
- Jan. 28, 2019
- Aug. 31, 2018
- Aug. 23, 2018
- June 20, 2018
- May 21, 2018
- Jan. 30, 2018
- July 28, 2017
Events
- Sept. 13, 2023
Mecklenburg County Bar and Foundation Center
2850 Zebulon Road
Charlotte, NC 28208Oct. 22, 2021- March 7, 2020
Grand Bohemian
11 Boston Way
Asheville, NC 28803Oct. 4, 2019Pinehurst Resort
80 Carolina Vista Drive
Pinehurst, NC 28374Feb. 14, 2019Mecklenburg County Bar Center
2850 Zebulon Ave.
Charlotte, NC 28208Nov. 2, 2018Mecklenburg County Bar Center
2850 Zebulon Ave.
Charlotte, NC 28208May 4, 2018
Insights
- June 15, 2023Robinson Bradshaw Publication
- March 1, 2019Class Actions Brief Blog
- Aug. 31, 2017Class Actions Brief Blog
- April 28, 2017Class Actions Brief Blog
- April 24, 2017Class Actions Brief Blog
- Feb. 17, 2017Class Actions Brief Blog
- Jan. 3, 2017Class Actions Brief Blog
- Dec. 28, 2016Class Actions Brief Blog
- July 28, 2016Class Actions Brief Blog
- April 13, 2016Class Actions Brief Blog
- March 24, 2016Class Actions Brief Blog
- October 2015Business North Carolina
- Sept. 4, 2015Class Actions Brief Blog
- Aug. 5, 2015Class Actions Brief Blog
- Nov. 26, 2013Robinson Bradshaw Publication
- Feb. 17, 2012Charlotte Business Journal
Affiliations
Professional Affiliations
- North Carolina Bar Association Appellate Rules Committee Member, 2015-present
- North Carolina Bar Association Constitutional Rights & Responsibilities Section, Council Member, 2016-18
- Mecklenburg County Bar, Diversity & Inclusion Committee, 2016-present; Vice Chair, 2018-19; Chair, 2019-20; Co-Chair, 2020-21
- Charlotte Legal Diversity Clerkship, Co-Chair, 2017-18
Community Affiliations
- Sustain Charlotte, Board of Directors, 2014-20
- Leadership Charlotte, Class 39