Profile

Frank’s practice focuses on complex commercial litigation and arbitration.

Frank is Co-Head of the Litigation and Labor Group and managing partner of the firm’s Charlotte office. Frank’s practice focuses on complex commercial litigation. During his nearly three decades in practice, he has tried more than 60 cases in state and federal courts and before arbitration panels and administrative agencies.

Frank has extensive trial and litigation counseling experience. He has represented clients in the financial services industry, having handled numerous cases involving structured finance products and related intellectual property issues. In addition to clients in the financial services industry, he has represented many publicly traded and privately held companies, both domestic and foreign, including major manufacturers in the automotive field and large health care organizations. The cases he has handled cover a broad range as well, from products liability and theft of trade secrets to contract and shareholder disputes, securities and consumer fraud, insurance coverage and medical negligence.

Frank is admitted to practice before the U.S. Supreme Court; the U.S. Circuit Courts of Appeals for the D.C., Federal, Fourth and Eleventh Circuits; the U.S. District Courts for the Eastern, Middle and Western Districts of North Carolina; the North Carolina Supreme Court; and the North Carolina Business Court. After earning his law degree, he served as a law clerk for the Honorable Charles L. Becton of the North Carolina Court of Appeals. Past Chair of the Charlotte Chamber of Commerce and longtime public servant, Frank is a recipient of The Order of the Long Leaf Pine, North Carolina’s highest civilian honor.   In 2017, Frank was appointed by Governor Roy Cooper to serve as Chair of the Economic Development Partnership of North Carolina.

Relevant Experience

  • Represented a major financial institution in defense of claims of fraud and theft of trade secrets, in connection with a nationwide product launch.
  • Successfully defended a major financial institution in a S.D.N.Y. patent infringement suit in which the jury rendered a complete defense verdict of no infringement and invalidity of the plaintiff's patent.
  • Represented major financial institutions in class actions arising out of claims for unfair and deceptive trade practice, usury, predatory lending practices, violations of the Truth and Lending Act, and RESPA.
  • Obtained a complete, favorable defense result on behalf of a Big Three auto manufacturer in a products liability class action related to use of the Class Action Fairness Act.
  • Represented a group of investors against claims of securities fraud and breach of contract in connection with the organization of a bank.
  • Represented Duke University and Duke University Health System, Inc., in the successful defense of negligence and professional medical liability cases.
  • Defended numerous employment cases arising out of federal and state law causes of action, specifically including Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, wrongful discharge, constructive discharge and sexual harassment.
  • Successfully defended a patent infringement case for an international products manufacturer.
  • Represented charitable trust in dispute over interpretation of trust agreement and the disposition of the single largest undeveloped tract of land on North Carolina Coast.
  • Represented property casualty insurer in a dispute over insurance coverage issues.
  • Represented federally funded housing authority in connection with breach of contract and race discrimination claims.

Bar Admissions

    Education
    JD, University of North Carolina School of Law, Morehead Fellow, 1982AB, Duke University, cum laude, A.B. Duke Scholar, 1979

    Areas of Practice

    • Colleges and Universities
    • Intellectual Property
    • Litigation

    Blogs

    Privacy and Information Security Law Blog

    Global privacy and cybersecurity law updates and analysis. Computerworld magazine has named Hunton & Williams the top firm for privacy for the fourth consecutive year based on a survey of more than 4,000 corporate privacy professionals. In addition, Chambers and Partners rated Hunton & Williams the top Privacy and Data Security practice in its Chambers Global, Chambers USA and Chambers UK guides, noting that the firm “is highly regarded for the strength of its excellent team.”

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