Overview
Robert Fuller's practice focuses on counseling business clients and resolving business disputes through litigation, negotiation or ADR mechanisms. He has experience in corporate, financial products, banking, partnership, construction, fiduciary, securities, tax and general commercial matters. Robert also has experience with governmental investigations and has coordinated the defense of a number of class actions and putative class actions. In addition, he routinely provides legal counsel to a collegiate sports conference in both litigation and general business matters.
Experience
Corporate, Class Action & Commercial Litigation
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Represents the Southeastern Conference in defending putative class actions (MDL centralization in Oakland, California) filed by present and former student-athletes challenging the validity of NCAA grant-in-aid rules and claiming a right to be paid for playing in televised games.
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Represents the Southeastern Conference in 11 "single-school, single-sport" putative class actions (MDL centralization in Illinois) filed by former football student-athletes related to concussions in college sports.
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Represented a major financial institution that arranged multiple financings for a defunct entity in defending suits in New York, Los Angeles and Pittsburgh filed by bondholders, senior secured lenders, a bond trustee and a liquidating trustee in bankruptcy.
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Represents two different hospital systems in defending a putative class action alleging systemic patient overcharges.
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Represented Wachovia in the Wachovia/Wells Fargo merger litigation.
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Represented First Union in the First Union/Wachovia/Sun Trust merger litigation.
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Represented lenders in various matters arising from the "credit crunch" of 2007-08, including litigation concerning the obligations associated with commitment letters.
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Defended several dozen related financial products lawsuits in various states on the East Coast, from New Jersey to Florida.
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Successfully defended putative class action seeking recovery for alleged defeasance overcharges.
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Represented numerous defendants in the typical litigation filed after every public company merger.
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Prevailed in a tax refund case in which the IRS challenged an alleged tax shelter for lack of economic substance.
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Litigated various fiduciary matters, including claims involving administration of trusts and estates.
Construction Litigation
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Represented the EPC contractor for a 62 MW Hydro Turbine Generator installed at the Rainbow Redevelopment Project in Great Falls, Montana, in litigation with the owner of the project concerning extra work, design, acceleration and other related claims.
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Represented the general contractor for a large Orlando, Florida, resort hotel project in litigation with the owner and several dozen subcontractors concerning delays, design defects and extra work claims.
Accolades
Honors & Recognitions
- Chambers USA, litigation, 2006-25; antitrust, 2025
- The Best Lawyers in America, bet-the-company litigation, commercial litigation, litigation - mergers and acquisitions, 2003-26; Charlotte Bet-the-Company Litigation Lawyer of the Year, 2020; Charlotte Litigation - Mergers & Acquisitions Lawyer of the Year, 2012, 2016, 2019, 2021, 2023
- Business North Carolina, Legal Elite, litigation, 2006-12, 2015, 2017, 2019, 2022
- North Carolina Super Lawyers, business litigation, 2008-25; Top 25 Charlotte Super Lawyer, 2013-20; Top 100 North Carolina Super Lawyer, 2008-20, 2023-24
- Benchmark Litigation, Litigation Star, 2010-26
- Sports Business Journal, Outside Counsel Power Player, 2016, 2021
- North Carolina Lawyers Weekly, Power List, commercial litigation, 2024-25
- Martindale-Hubbell, AV® Preeminent™ Peer Review Rated
Affiliations
Professional Affiliations
- American Bar Foundation Fellow
- International Society of Barristers, Member
- North Carolina Bar Association, Sports Law Section, Council Member
- North Carolina Business Court, Rules Revision Committee, Member, 2005, 2015
- North Carolina Bar Association, Civil Practice and Procedure Committee, Former Member; Construction Section Council, Former Member
- North Carolina State Bar, Ethics Committee, Former Advisory Member
- Mecklenburg County Bar, Fee Arbitration Committee, Former Member
Community Affiliations
- North Carolina Nature Conservancy, Board of Directors
- Myers Park Presbyterian Church, Uganda Outreach Committee; Malawi Outreach Committee, Chair, 2012-14
News & Events
News
Events
Insights
Publications
Practice Areas
Education
Duke University, J.D., with highest honors, 1983, Order of the Coif; Willis Smith Award (highest academic average in graduating class); Am Jur “Book” Awards for Contracts, Civil Procedure, Property, Evidence, Conflict of Laws, Commercial Law, Trusts & Wills; Editor-in-Chief, Duke Law Journal, 1982-83
University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, B.S., 1980, Phi Beta Kappa, Beta Gamma Sigma
Bar Admissions
- North Carolina
Clerkships
- Law Clerk, The Honorable James C. Hill, U.S. Court of Appeals, Eleventh Circuit, 1983-84
