Litigation Strategy: Basics & Hot Topics

This event is only open to RTAC-ACC members.

Even when you need to litigate a dispute, you probably don’t want the case to become the Thirty Years’ War (or even the Seven Years’ War). Efficient litigation requires strategic thinking and action on the front end.

During this program, Robinson Bradshaw litigators, including the former solicitor general of North Carolina, and SECU’s deputy chief legal officer, will focus on strategies for winning a lawsuit, or at least getting the upper hand, in the early stages. They will cover front-end topics including:

• forum selection,
• choosing claims and remedies,
• the pros and cons of compelling arbitration,
• motions to dismiss, and
• early injunctive relief.

CLE level: Foundational

Featured Speakers:

Aryana Ainolhayat, Attorney, Robinson Bradshaw
Aryana represents clients in commercial litigation and employment disputes across different forums, including state court, federal court and arbitration. She has recent experience with claims for breach of contract, fraud, products liability, and discrimination and retaliation under Title VII and its state law counterparts. Beyond active litigation, Aryana also advises businesses in pre-litigation disputes by evaluating risks and negotiating solutions before a lawsuit arises.

In addition to her litigation practice, Aryana enjoys helping clients advance their business goals and reduce risk by advising on a variety of employment and labor issues including internal investigations of employee complaints, wage and hour compliance, policy development, and employee discipline and separation.

See Aryana’s full bio here.

Stephen Feldman, Attorney, Robinson Bradshaw
Stephen represents clients in a range of complex matters, including business disputes, antitrust litigation, product-liability cases and appeals.

Stephen's recent experiences include representing the manufacturer of firefighter protective gear in multiple federal class actions, defending an agriculture business accused of price-fixing, defending a state agency alleged of violating federal and state antitrust laws, representing a pharmaceutical company in federal multidistrict litigation, serving as trial counsel for a North Carolina health care entity in government litigation and defending financial institutions in putative class actions.

Stephen’s practice often involves matters in the North Carolina Business Court. The Business Court appointed Stephen to lead a committee that rewrote the court's rules. He has served on the leadership of the North Carolina Bar Association's Antitrust and Complex Business Disputes Section and as chair of the association's Appellate Practice Section. From 2015-18, he led the American Bar Association's Appellate Practice Committee.

Stephen regularly writes and speaks on issues related to complex litigation, including the law on unfair trade practices and techniques for clear legal writing.

See Stephen’s full bio here.

Matt Sawchak, Attorney, Robinson Bradshaw
Matt focuses his practice on complex litigation, antitrust and appeals. He has argued at all levels of the federal and North Carolina court systems, including the U.S. Supreme Court.

Clients often retain Matt as new or additional counsel on appeal. He is a State Bar-certified specialist in appellate practice.

Matt uses strategic approaches to handle complex cases efficiently. Many cases turn on the resolution of one central issue. Matt works to identify that issue early and get it decided in the client's favor.

Before joining Robinson Bradshaw, Matt served as solicitor general of North Carolina from 2017 to 2020. He acted as lead counsel in the state's highest-stakes civil appeals. In private practice as well, Matt has handled many cases involving government agencies — both as opponents and as clients.

Matt is a thought leader on the law of unfair and deceptive trade practices. Federal and state courts have relied on his articles in this area.

See Matt’s full bio here.

Adam Olls, EVP – Deputy Chief Legal Officer, SECU
Adam serves as the EVP – Deputy Chief Legal Officer at State Employees’ Credit Union in Raleigh, North Carolina where he helps oversee several enterprise legal functions, including litigation. Prior to joining SECU, Adam was a partner with a law firm in Raleigh, where he concentrated his practice in consumer financial services and utility law. He graduated with honors from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill School of Law and obtained his Bachelor of Science in Business Administration from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.

1.5 hours of general North Carolina CLE credit approved. Certificates of attendance will be provided for out-of-state CLE credit.