Practice Areas
Bar Admissions
North Carolina
Education
University of Virginia, J.D., 1983, Order of the Coif; Executive Editor, Virginia Law Review, 1982-83
University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, B.A., with highest honors, 1980, John Motley Morehead Scholar; Phi Beta Kappa
Profile
David Wright has represented companies and executives in business disputes for 40 years. He regularly represents defendants in complex and varied securities, corporate and ERISA class and derivative actions, as well as corporate and regulatory investigations. David has handled numerous noncompetition and trade secret disputes, employment disputes of all kinds, and executive compensation and severance matters.
David has assisted numerous clients in high-stakes contractual, commercial and corporate disputes. He also prosecutes claims for policyholders in insurance coverage disputes, including those relating to long-tail toxic tort exposures. He has extensive experience representing clients throughout North America who face product liability claims arising from significant property damage or personal injuries. In addition, David has represented the administrations of four different North Carolina governors in significant and groundbreaking constitutional and statutory litigation.
David is a Fellow in the American College of Trial Lawyers. The College selects Fellows by invitation only to experienced trial lawyers whose professional careers have been marked by the highest standards of ethical conduct, professionalism, civility and collegiality.
He is the immediate past chairman of the board of trustees of The Morehead-Cain Foundation and a member of the Judicial Conference Advisory Committee on Civil Rules.
Honors & Awards
- Chambers USA, litigation, 2012-24
- The Best Lawyers in America, bet-the-company litigation, commercial litigation, employment law - management, labor law - management, product liability litigation - defendants, 2006-25; Charlotte Labor Law - Management Lawyer of the Year, 2018; Charlotte Product Liability Litigation - Defendants Lawyer of the Year, 2021
- North Carolina Super Lawyers, business litigation, 2009-24; Top 100 North Carolina Super Lawyer, 2009-18, 2021-24; Top 25 Charlotte Super Lawyer, 2013-18, 2022-24; Top 10 North Carolina Super Lawyer, 2024
- Business North Carolina, Legal Elite, litigation, 2010-12, 2014-22; employment, 2021
- Benchmark Litigation, Litigation Star, 2011-25; Labor & Employment Star, 2019-25
- Client Choice - USA & Canada, Litigation, 2014
- Martindale-Hubbell, AV® Preeminent™ Peer Review Rated
- Only North Carolina litigator to receive Lexology "Client Choice" award in 2014, based exclusively on interviews with senior corporate counsel
Clerkships
- Law Clerk, The Honorable J. Dickson Phillips Jr., U.S. Court of Appeals, Fourth Circuit, 1983-84
Experience
Experience
Employment and Executive Compensation
Represented public company in nationwide class action alleging gender discrimination in setting store manager salaries.
Represents public company in putative class action concerning retiree benefits; successful in defeating preliminary injunction and opposing class certification.
Represented public logistics company in over 20 different cases in which client obtained significant injunctive relief precluding competition and solicitation.
Represents multiple public and private businesses in cases alleging sexual harassment and gender discrimination; violations of wage and hour statutes; race, gender and age discrimination; and/or retaliation.
Extensively represented executives and businesses relating to the negotiation and finalization of comprehensive executive compensation agreements, including employment contracts and severance arrangements.
Successfully represented largest health care provider in the Southeast in class action challenging application of ERISA to benefit plans. Case and appeal dismissed.
Corporate and Securities Litigation
Represented largest health care provider in the Carolinas in securing denial of preliminary injunctive relief in action brought by public company related to $100 million anesthesiology contract.
Represented public pharmaceutical company in litigation attempting to prevent merger.
Represented nationwide energy company in lawsuit filed to enjoin merger with competitor.
Represented special committee in securities class action alleging breach of fiduciary duty in "going private" merger. Case dismissed.
Represented public energy company in 10b-5 and "tag along" ERISA class actions filed following a decline in the company's stock price. Cases dismissed on the pleadings with prejudice.
Commercial Litigation
Obtained, on behalf of a private software firm, a multimillion-dollar verdict arising out of enterprise software dispute, including treble damages for unfair and deceptive trade practices.
Represents global manufacturing company in dispute with international firm concerning multiple issues arising from supply of critical parts to nuclear power facilities.
Obtained multimillion-dollar verdict in arbitration on behalf of public company arising from supply of equipment to manufacturing plant, defeating substantial counterclaims.
Product Liability
Represented public company in federal court action arising from death of farmer while using agricultural equipment.
Represents lighting company presented with multimillion-dollar fire claims arising from alleged product failures.
Represented international manufacturing company in cases involving alleged malfunction of circuit wiring in heating units, including property damage and wrongful death claims.
Represented global manufacturer in conjunction with wrongful death claims arising out of carbon monoxide poisoning from boiler operation.
Represented global manufacturer in suit alleging product failure resulting in deaths of two small children.
Insurance Coverage
Represented international company in multimillion-dollar dispute with insurer regarding payment and billing issues associated with retrospective premium program. Federal district court held that portion of billing program by insurer was unlawful and not in accord with policy language.
Represented global multi-industry manufacturer in dispute with insurer group concerning allocation and contribution issues arising from asbestos claims, including multifaceted coverage and lost policy issues. Achieved cost-sharing agreement with no contribution of policyholder.
Represented public company in bad faith and breach of contract claim arising out of failure to provide coverage under vendor's endorsement policy.
News & Events
News
- Oct. 22, 2024
- Sept. 17, 2024
- Aug. 15, 2024
- June 6, 2024
- Jan. 8, 2024
- Aug. 17, 2023
- June 6, 2023
- Jan. 20, 2023
- Oct. 27, 2022
- Aug. 23, 2022
- June 2, 2022
- Jan. 14, 2022
- Jan. 6, 2022
- Oct. 12, 2021
- Sept. 29, 2021
- Aug. 26, 2021
- May 21, 2021
- Jan. 15, 2021
- Jan. 4, 2021
- Dec. 16, 2020
- Aug. 20, 2020
- April 30, 2020
- Jan. 22, 2020
- Jan. 3, 2020
- Oct. 17, 2019
- Sept. 30, 2019
- Sept. 3, 2019
- Aug. 15, 2019
- Aug. 6, 2019
- May 6, 2019
- Jan. 28, 2019
- Jan. 2, 2019
- Nov. 16, 2018
- Aug. 15, 2018
- July 6, 2018
- June 20, 2018
- May 31, 2018
- Jan. 30, 2018
- Jan. 3, 2018
- Nov. 2, 2017
- Oct. 3, 2017
- Eight Named “Lawyer of the Year”Aug. 16, 2017
- May 31, 2017
- Jan. 26, 2017
- Jan. 4, 2017
Events
- April 20, 2021
Robinson Bradshaw
1450 Raleigh Road, Suite 100
Chapel Hill, NC 27517June 28, 2017
Insights
- Jan. 7, 2021Class Actions Brief Blog
- June 5, 2019Robinson Bradshaw Publication
- March 27, 2019Class Actions Brief Blog
- July 17, 2018Class Actions Brief Blog
- May 22, 2018Class Actions Brief Blog
- Feb. 28, 2018Class Actions Brief Blog
- Jan. 8, 2018Class Actions Brief Blog
- Dec. 19, 2017Class Actions Brief Blog
- Dec. 1, 2017Class Actions Brief Blog
- Aug. 23, 2017Class Actions Brief Blog
- June 13, 2017Class Actions Brief Blog
- June 2, 2017Class Actions Brief Blog
- May 12, 2017Class Actions Brief Blog
- March 31, 2017Class Actions Brief Blog
- March 10, 2017Class Actions Brief Blog
- Feb. 21, 2017Class Actions Brief Blog
- Feb. 9, 2017Class Actions Brief Blog
- Feb. 3, 2017Class Actions Brief Blog
- Nov. 23, 2016Class Actions Brief Blog
- Oct. 3, 2016Robinson Bradshaw Publication
- Aug. 31, 2016Class Actions Brief Blog
- June 23, 2016Class Actions Brief Blog
- March 29, 2016Class Actions Brief Blog
- March 24, 2016Class Actions Brief Blog
- Feb. 12, 2016Class Actions Brief Blog
- Jan. 27, 2016Class Actions Brief Blog
- Jan. 19, 2016Class Actions Brief Blog
- Dec. 7, 2015Class Actions Brief Blog
- Sept. 2, 2015Class Actions Brief Blog
- Aug. 18, 2015Class Actions Brief Blog
- July 20, 2015Class Actions Brief Blog
- July 15, 2015Class Actions Brief Blog
- June 9, 2015Class Actions Brief Blog
- Dec. 31, 2014Class Actions Brief Blog
- May 1, 2014Business North Carolina, Law Journal
Affiliations
Professional Affiliations
- Judicial Conference Advisory Committee on Civil Rules, Member, 2024-present
- American College of Trial Lawyers Fellow
- American Bar Association, Litigation and Labor and Employment Sections
- Federation of Defense and Corporate Counsel, Member
Community Affiliations
- Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation, Charlotte Chapter, Board of Directors, Former President and Executive Committee
- Morehead-Cain Foundation, Board of Trustees, Past Chairman