James K. Dorsett

About James K. Dorsett

A past President of the North Carolina State Bar, Jim Dorsett practices in the areas of commercial litigation, products liability, and tort and insurance litigation. His recent work involves the defense of corporations in contract, trade secrets, securities, and taxation cases, and the defense of manufacturers in products liability actions in the state and federal courts. He has also appeared on behalf of airlines and their insurers in accident and other lawsuits. As a certified mediator, his work extends to alternative dispute resolution and counseling. Jim has successfully defended major personal injury and wrongful death claims, and obtained substantial awards on behalf of plaintiffs in selected negligence cases. He is active in professional and volunteer activities and currently serves as President of the International Society of Barristers Foundation and as Secretary-Treasurer of the American Counsel Association, for which he previously served as President. Jim was recently elected President of the American Board of Trial Advocates eastern North Carolina chapter. He is a member of The Fifty Group of Research Triangle area business and professional leaders. Active in community affairs, he has served on the Board of Directors of Loaves and Fishes and as President of Food Runners Collaborative, Inc.NOTE: Neither my practice areas nor the \"Skills and Endorsements\" section of my LinkedIn profile constitute any claim of Specialization, or that I \"specialize\" or am a \"specialist,\" in any area of law under the North Carolina Rules of Professional Conduct. Please see to review my firm’s disclaimer notice.

Experience

1. Partner

   Smith Anderson

   Jan 1978 — Present

   Representative Matters Include- Represented national bottler in securing $19M settlement for violation of shareholder rights- Obtained $5M award for Embrex in breach of contract action against Wyeth division- Successfully defended west coast micro-chip designer in trade secrets litigation- Recovered award for national distributor against competitor for unfair trade practices- Secured multiple awards for minority shareholders in closely held family businesses- Obtained summary judgment for manufacturer in pharmaceutical plant explosion case- Obtained defense verdicts for Emerson in actions alleging product defects- Secured summary judgment for DuPont in claims related to allegedly defective piping- Obtained defense verdicts for vehicle manufacturers in wrongful death and injury actions- Recovered jury verdict of $2.4M for teenager suffering \"mild brain injury\" from accident- Recovered $9M structured settlement for decedent\'s estate arising from trucking accident- Successfully defended airlines, manufacturers and insurers in wide variety of claims- Obtained jury verdict in blasting case for contractor sued by adjacent property owner- Obtained $7.6M settlement for client in complex will caveat matter- Secured dismissal of intellectual property malpractice suit against national law firm- Assisted national bank in achieving seven figure reduction in real property taxation-Successfully defended developer in securities litigation and related commercial closings

Education

• Davidson College

  A.B.

  1970 — 1974

• Wake Forest University School of Law

  J.D.

  1974 — 1977