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Mike Medford, a native of the Blue Ridge Mountains in Western North Carolina, has forty years’ experience representing clients in a wide variety of complex Commercial, Business, and Insurance Litigation.
Mike joined Manning Fulton in 1977 after graduating from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and receiving his law degree from Columbia Law School where he was a member of the Board of Editors of the Columbia Law Review.
About
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 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 was recognized by Best Lawyers as a “Lawyer of the Year” in Raleigh for Insurance Litigation (2025) and Appellate Practice (2021).
Mike and his wife of 45 years are proud of their two children and four grandchildren.
Credentials
Education
- Columbia University School of Law, J.D. 1976 (Harlan Fiske Stone Scholar and Law Review).
- The Board of Editors of the Columbia Law Review.
- Harlan Fiske Stone Scholar.
- University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. 1973, AB Degree. (Morehead Scholar, Phi Beta Kappa, Order of the Golden Fleece).
- Student Body Attorney General, 1971 – 1972. (Attorney General’s Staff 1969 – 1970; Assistant Attorney General 1970-1971).
- Chairman of Orientation, 1972.
- Order of the Golden Fleece and other honorary societies.
- Morehead Scholar.
- Phi Beta Kappa.
Admitted to Practice
- State of North Carolina, 1977.
- United States Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit.
- United States District Courts for the Eastern, Middle and Western Districts of North Carolina.
- Supreme Court of the United States.
Professional Memberships & Activities
- North Carolina Bar Association Member since 1977.
- Litigation Section Council Pro Bono Chairman (2008-2009).
- Insurance Law Section Council 2013 to present (Treasurer 2016-2017; Secretary 2017 – 2018) (Jury Instruction subcommittee 2015-2018).
- Modest Means Access Committee (2010-2011).
- Endowment Visibility Project (2013-2014).
- North Carolina Bar Foundation (formerly North Carolina Bar Association Foundation) Development Committee 2009 to present.
- Defense Research Institute member (2012 to present).
- Litigation Counsel of America fellow (2007 to present).
- International Association of Defense Attorneys member (2016 to present).
- American Bar Association fellow (1977 to present).
- Wake County Bar Association member (1977 to present).
- Federal Bar Advisory Counsel.
- Independent Insurance Agents of North Carolina, Panel Speaker for E&O Symposiums and teach classes for agents for 5+ years.
- Recognized in Best Lawyers in America for Antitrust Law, Appellate Practice, Bet-the-Company Litigation, Commercial Litigation, Insurance Law, Tax Litigation & Controversy and Antitrust, Insurance, Labor & Employment Litigation (2003-2027)
- 2025 “Lawyer of the Year” (Raleigh) for Insurance Litigation
- 2021 “Lawyer of the Year” (Raleigh) for Appellate Practice
- Recognized by Chambers and Partners for Insurance Law – Band 1 (2026) and Band 2 (2025)
- Recognized in “Legal Elite” (Antitrust Law), Business North Carolina (2014-2015, 2018, 2020, 2022-2026)
- Recognized in Super Lawyers for Business Litigation, Professional Liability, Insurance Coverage (2007-2026)
- Recognized with a Martindale-Hubbell Peer Review AV Rating™ (2023)
Prior Experience and Clerkships
- United States Court of Appeals
- Fourth Circuit; Law Clerk to the Honorable Donald Russell, United States Circuit Judge; 1976-1977
Community Engagement
- Raleigh Pre-school, Inc.
- Board member and legal counsel — 1983-1985,
- Building Committee Chairman — 1983-1984.
- Christ Episcopal Church
- Member — 1987 to present.
- Columbia University School of Law
- Columbia Law School Alumni Association.
- Member of Reunion Committees for 2006, 2011 and 2016.
- Columbia Law School Alumni Association.