Michael T. Medford

Mike’s practice focuses on complex commercial litigation, insurance coverage and bad faith disputes and non-medical professional liability litigation. He represents clients in all three federal districts in North Carolina, state trial courts throughout North Carolina, the North Carolina Business Court, the North Carolina Property Tax Commission, FINRA and other arbitration panels, the North Carolina Court of Appeals and Supreme Court and the United States Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit. He has significant experience in litigating complex claims under the federal and North Carolina securities laws, shareholder and partnership disputes, property tax issues, multi-party cases, class actions, insurance declaratory judgment actions, ERISA litigation and professional liability claims.

Mike has handled over 60 cases resulting in opinions reported in the West Reporter System, Lexis or West Law. Some recent examples include the following:

• Represented an insurance carrier and its insured against a second insurance provider that had denied coverage for a large claim for our client’s insured. The North Carolina Court of Appeals ruled in our favor entering a decision that resulted in the opponent accepting responsibility for paying over $1.7 Million to settle claims that otherwise would have been covered by our client.
• Represented client in lawsuits asserting that the client’s conduct had constituted improper price fixing, violation of the non-discrimination provisions of the Robinson Patman Act, violation of the Sherman Anti-trust Act, violation of the North Carolina equivalent to the Sherman Act and violation of the federal RICO statute. Obtained federal district court and North Carolina Business Court decisions dismissing the federal and state antitrust claims and RICO claims against our client.
• Represented client in complex dispute about the proper evaluation of over 40,000 items of computer equipment for property tax purposes. Decisions by the North Carolina Appellate Courts established important principles relating to the burden of proof in property tax cases and ultimately resulted in our client’s recovery of over $8 Million in property tax refunds.
• Represented insurance agent in a lawsuit alleging that the Agent was responsible for the Plaintiff’s lack of applicable coverage for losses arising from a hurricane. Obtained summary judgment dismissing the lawsuit and subsequent decision by the North Carolina Supreme Court affirming that judgment established important principles relating to the scope of insurance agent’s duties. Often-cited North Carolina Supreme Court decision affirming summary judgment for our client and establishing important principles relating to the duties of insurance agents and brokers.
• Represented a real estate owner and developer in claims asserting breach of a letter of intent related to a commercial real estate development. The resulting Business Court decision in our client’s favor established significant principles about when letters of intent are enforceable.
• Represented the beneficiary of an ERISA-regulated accidental death and disability policy after the insurance carrier denied the claim. Obtained summary judgment in federal court granting the beneficiary’s motion for summary judgment and awarding beneficiary more than $ 1 million in benefits.

Mike has been active in the North Carolina Bar Association and the North Carolina Bar Foundation. He has served on the Bar Association’s Litigation Section Council, he was a founding member of the Association’s Insurance Law Section Council and he has been a member of the Bar Foundation’s Development Committee since 2009. He is a former member of the Federal Bar Advisory Council.

Mike and his wife of 45 years are proud of their two children and four grandchildren.