For over 35 years, Chuck has successfully tried a vast number of complex trials involving business disputes, product liability, intellectual property, construction, employment, and catastrophic personal injuries in multiple states. He has handled matters across more than one-fourth of the United States, from California to Maine to Florida. He has defended several class actions to defense verdicts, including matters involving antitrust claims (price-?xing), racial steering in the sale of real estate, and group health insurance. Chuck has represented clients faced with government investigations and qui tam matters, and defended clients faced with bet-the-company multi-district litigation. This experience has equipped him with the ability to defend against high-stakes litigation regardless of the jurisdiction.

Although most of his cases fall into one of the aforementioned categories, Chuck has also successfully tried several other types of complex cases, including a liquid propane gas explosion and fire case and a breach of contract and fraud matter filed against a company by its group health insurer. He successfully defended the trial of a start-up corporation in a lawsuit brought by a major movie distributor involving claims of copyright infringement, intentional interference with contractual relations, deceptive trade practices, and breach of contract. He has also represented attorneys, hospitals, and architects in actions alleging malpractice. He also regularly represents clients faced with OSHA citations.

Chuck is a Fellow of the American College of Trial Lawyers and an Advocate in the American Board of Trial Advocates, both invitation-only associations of experienced trial lawyers and judges. Both organizations offer membership only to those with significant trial experience, the highest standards of ethical conduct, and a commitment to civility in the practice of law. In addition to his participation in these two organizations, Chuck is very active in practice-related organizations such as IADC, FDCC, and DRI, where he served on DRI’s Board of Directors and later served as chair of the Product Liability Committee. He also was the first attorney under the age of 40 to be elected president of the Alabama Defense Lawyer’s Association. Chuck has been a certified mediator for more than 20 years, and serves as both a private mediator and arbitrator.

Bar Admissions

• Alabama, 1985
• Tennessee, 2008

Court Admissions

• Supreme Court of the United States
• United States Court of Appeals, 4th Circuit
• United States Court of Appeals, 5th Circuit
• United States Court of Appeals, 6th Circuit
• United States Court of Appeals, 11th Circuit
• United States District Court, Middle District of Alabama
• United States District Court, Northern District of Alabama
• United States District Court, Southern District of Alabama
• United States District Court, Eastern District of Texas
• United States District Court, Western District of Oklahoma
• United States District Court, Southern District of California
• United States District Court, Northern District of Florida
• United States District Court, Middle District of Tennessee
• United States District Court, Eastern District of Tennessee

Education

• Cumberland School of Law at Samford University, J.D., 1985, Writing Editor, Associate Editor, and Member, Cumberland Law Review; Recipient of Am Jur Book Awards (now the Scholar of Merit Award) in Ethics, Admiralty, and Criminal Law; Judge Daniel H. Thomas Award in Admiralty; Senior Class Vice President
• Sewanee: The University of the South, B.A., 1980

Significant Accomplishments
Listed in Mid-South Super Lawyers, Business Litigation, 2016-2018
Listed in Alabama Super Lawyers, Business Litigation, 2008-2015
Listed in The Best Lawyers in America®
Bet-the-Company Litigation, 2009-2020
Commercial Litigation, 2007-2020
Litigation – Labor & Employment, 2016-2020
Product Liability Litigation – Defendants, 2015-2020
Employment Law – Management, 2017-2020
Labor Law – Management, 2018-2020
"Lawyer of the Year," Montgomery, Bet-the-Company Litigation, 2018, 2020
"Lawyer of the Year," Montgomery, Employment Law – Management, 2017
"Lawyer of the Year," Montgomery, Labor & Employment Law, 2015
Listed in Benchmark Litigation, "Litigation Star," Alabama, 2015, 2017-2019
Listed in Who's Who Legal: Products Liability Defence, 2011-2019
Merit Selection Panel for the Middle District of Alabama
Recipient of the DRI’s Richard H. Krochock Award, 2004


Professional Associations

• American Board of Trial Advocates
• Federation of Defense and Corporate Counsel
• International Association of Defense Counsel
• DRI