Jessica Vickers, a litigator in Manning Fulton’s Raleigh office, has been named to the Triangle Business Journal’s ‘40 Under 40,’ an annual listing of the region’s top young professionals.
Specifically, the 2020 ‘40 Under 40’ Leadership Awards recognize outstanding professionals under the age of 40 for contributions to their respective organizations and to the community at large.
Judges from the local business community reviewed approximately 200 applications to select this year’s honorees.
At Manning Fulton, Vickers has developed a niche practice representing franchisors. Specifically, she defends franchisors facing antitrust claims, claims for violation of FTC regulations, purported employment claims and helps them to effectively deal with “runaway” franchisees whose conduct jeopardizes the franchisor’s protected brand, business model and customer goodwill. Vickers has also had success creating law on matters of first impression in the insurance sector.
All the while, since returning to Raleigh in 2014, Vickers has zealously given back to the community she calls home. Among her community contributions, Vickers chaired the Wake County Bar Association’s annual “Bar Awards,” a fundraiser for Raleigh’s Legal Aid office, for two consecutive years and most recently served as chair of the Sponsorship subcommittee.
Under Vickers’ leadership, the Bar Awards had its largest fundraising years in history, and her team raised a combined total of more than $300,000 for Legal Aid. Vickers now sits on the board of the Wake County Bar Association, a role in which she will serve through 2021.
Vickers also serves on the board of Methodist Home for Children (“MHC”). Despite being its youngest member, Vickers has embraced more responsibility with each passing year and began serving as Board Chair this month.
In MHC, Vickers has found an organization working effectively to change trajectories and lives for children and youth in crisis, by creating safe and stable environments and providing children and youth with services needed to live into their full potential. MHC began in 1899 as a traditional, campus-based orphanage in Raleigh (sitting today on what is known as Fletcher Park), but for many decades MHC has been providing community-based services throughout the entire state of North Carolina.
“At Manning Fulton, we encourage and expect our attorneys to give back to the Triangle community, personally and professionally,” said Judd Welborn, the Firm’s co-managing partner. “We are proud of Jessica for this well-deserved recognition but, more importantly, the compassion, commitment, and leadership it represents.”
