Founded in 1920, Akerman is recognized as one of the country’s premier law firms, with more than 700 lawyers in 25 offices throughout the United States..
Commercial Litigation: Akerman offers a leading trial team that includes litigators across the United States. We represent a diverse range of clients across numerous sectors, with particular strength in the financial services, private equity, insurance, real estate, construction, health and life sciences, and energy sectors. Akerman lawyers regularly appear before judges and arbitrators in class actions, securities, white-collar, fraud and recovery, product liability, intellectual property, employment, bankruptcy, and general business matters.
Appellate: With a bench that includes many former appellate and trial court judges, Akerman’s appellate practice is a national powerhouse with demonstrated success in handling appeals related to complex commercial litigation. Akerman's appellate team frequently assist trial lawyers during all phases of litigation, preserving errors for appeal, drafting motions and responses, and providing strategic advice on the best approach for seeking relief on appeal. They handle numerous matters before appellate courts nationwide in various commercial cases and class actions. We also have experience in administrative appeals involving high profile issues before state agencies. Additionally, Akerman's appellate lawyers represent industry associations as amicus curiae in appellate proceedings when our clients are not a party to an appeal but have a substantial interest in the outcome.
International Litigation & Arbitration: Akerman has a long record of accomplishment in resolving complex multijurisdictional disputes. Our team represents multinational, foreign, and domestic corporations and individuals before U.S. federal and state courts, as well as in arbitration proceedings before a wide range of international arbitral bodies in multiple jurisdictions. Akerman litigators help clients successfully address conflicts in a broad range of sectors, including general commercial disputes, power and energy, construction and engineering, and banking and finance, among many others. Our highly responsive, multilingual team works in tandem with experienced local counsel to provide seamless resolution to disputes throughout Latin America, as well as in Europe, Asia Pacific, Africa, and the Middle East.
Employment Litigation: Akerman’s national, multidisciplinary team helps clients navigate claims brought before state and federal agencies and boards as well as trial and appellate courts throughout the United States. Our lawyers regularly defend employers in all types of employment litigation, including complex class-action discrimination cases and collective action wage and hour matters. We also represent employers in connection with administrative charges and audits, and have successfully negotiated and supervised numerous settlements with the U.S. Department of Labor.
Updated Sep 2024
Our Mission Statement
Ellis & Winters will provide exceptional legal services to our clients, acting at all times with uncompromising integrity and professionalism, for the purposes of earning and preserving the trust and confidence of our clients, providing everyone at the firm the opportunity to do rewarding work, creating and fostering a diverse and inclusive environment, preserving the trust and collegiality we have built, and improving the communities in which we work through service and engagement.
Our Firm
The story of Ellis & Winters is one of ingenuity, ambition, and self‑determination. In 2000, eleven lawyers from a leading national law firm formed a new premier firm in North Carolina. They created Ellis & Winters to provide exemplary legal representation through a select team of attorneys with the resources and knowledge base necessary to handle sophisticated legal concerns and the flexibility to adapt to each client’s needs.
When Ellis & Winters was formed, its founders had already built strong reputations in their respective practice areas and had served in leadership roles as national counsel for multinational corporations. Since its founding, the firm has tripled in size through the careful addition of lateral and new attorneys, enhancing its ability to handle increasingly sophisticated matters at the state, regional, and national levels.
Deep Experience
The firm’s litigation team handles a broad spectrum of matters, from pre‑suit investigations and counseling through trial and appeal. This experience provides a wide perspective on how cases develop and enables the execution of effective exit strategies when appropriate.
Ellis & Winters also maintains a robust commercial real estate practice involving purchases, sales, leases, commercial financing, and large‑scale development projects that shape city skylines. The firm’s experience allows it to provide practical, strategic, and sophisticated advice across all stages of these transactions.
Creative, Nimble Representation
The firm prides itself on a creative and adaptable approach to legal representation. Its organizational structure ensures that client matters are handled by lawyers best positioned to resolve them efficiently and effectively at every stage of the dispute process.
Smith Anderson is a full-service business and litigation law firm serving regional,national and global companies. More than one-third of our attorneys have joinedSmith Anderson from national and international firms, providing clients with a highlyexperienced and deep bench of support at favorable local market rates. It’s our clientfocusedculture and forward-thinking insights that have shaped Smith Anderson formore than a century as it helps guide clients toward success.
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