Mark W. Merritt Sworn in as State Bar Vice President

Mark W. Merritt was sworn in as vice president of the North Carolina State Bar at the organization’s annual dinner on Oct. 24.

“I am honored to serve as an officer of the State Bar. North Carolina’s legal profession and judicial system face many challenges, and I look forward to meeting those challenges while working with my fellow officers and councilors,” said Merritt.

Prior to his election as vice president, Merritt served as a State Bar councilor for nine years. During that time, he chaired the Ethics Committee, Lawyers Assistance Program and the Special Study Committee on Ethics 20/20. He also served on the Authorized Practice Committee, the Grievance Committee and the Issues Committee. Before serving on the State Bar Council, Merritt was the Mecklenburg County Bar president. He currently serves on the board of directors of Legal Services of Southern Piedmont.

After joining Robinson Bradshaw in 1983, Merritt became a partner in 1989. He practices business-related litigation, with a focus on antitrust litigation and counseling and corporate governance litigation. Merritt represents clients in governmental investigations, and he assists corporate clients in conducting investigations into internal accounting and financial irregularities.

Merritt is a Fellow of the American College of Trial Lawyers and the International Society of Barristers. He has received numerous awards, including the H. Brent McKnight Renaissance Lawyer Award from the North Carolina Bar Association, which recognizes attorneys of integrity and intellectual achievement who are committed to civility and pursue excellence and service. Merritt has also been recognized as a Top 10 North Carolina Super Lawyer for seven years running.

Merritt was both a Morehead Scholar and member of Phi Beta Kappa at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. He earned his law degree from the University of Virginia, where he served as editor-in-chief of the Virginia Law Review and was inducted into Order of the Coif.