Brooks, Pierce, McLendon, Humphrey & Leonard LLP

63 Best Lawyers awards

Brooks, Pierce, McLendon, Humphrey & Leonard LLP logo

Awarded Practice Areas

Bet-the-Company Litigation Commercial Litigation Legal Malpractice Law - Defendants Personal Injury Litigation - Defendants

Biography

Gary Parsons is a litigator's litigator: he tries cases. He has participated in more than 80 trials, over 125 appeals, and has represented clients in courtrooms in at least 70 of North Carolina's 100 counties.

Gary began his career as a law clerk for Associate Justice J. William Copeland of the North Carolina Supreme Court. Since that time, he has participated in over 125 appeals. He has argued before the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit, the North Carolina Supreme Court, and the North Carolina Court of Appeals. He has also represented clients before the United States Supreme Court.

Gary’s appellate practice has included cases involving financial regulation, lawyer professional liability, professional licensing, insurance regulation, municipal liability and civil rights actions. He has frequently been retained to assist other lawyers and firms in appellate matters and to advise on appellate procedure. Gary served on the Appellate Rules Committee of the North Carolina Bar Association for fourteen years.

Gary has defended lawyers across the state against malpractice claims for over three decades. He has also represented lawyers in grievance proceedings before the North Carolina State Bar.

Gary has decades of experience representing businesses and governments of all sizes in a variety of disputes.

Brooks, Pierce, McLendon, Humphrey & Leonard LLP

63 Best Lawyers awards

Brooks, Pierce, McLendon, Humphrey & Leonard LLP logo

Overview

  • North Carolina State University, B.S., graduated 1974
  • The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, J.D., graduated 1977

  • North Carolina, North Carolina

  • North Carolina Association of Defense Attorneys - Board of Directors (1998-2001, 2025-2026)

  • U.S. District Court, Eastern District of North Carolina
  • U.S. District Court, Middle District of North Carolina
  • U.S. District Court, Western District of North Carolina
  • U.S. Court of Appeals, 4th Circuit
  • U.S. Supreme Court

  • North Carolina - Supreme Court
  • North Carolina, North Carolina
  • North Carolina Association of Defense Attorneys - Board of Directors (1998-2001, 2025-2026)
  • North Carolina State University, B.S., graduated 1974
  • The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, J.D., graduated 1977
  • U.S. District Court, Eastern District of North Carolina
  • U.S. District Court, Middle District of North Carolina
  • U.S. District Court, Western District of North Carolina
  • U.S. Court of Appeals, 4th Circuit
  • U.S. Supreme Court
  • North Carolina - Supreme Court

Client Testimonials

Gary Parsons is a superstar.

Gary Parsons is a skilled litigator, well respected by both his peers and his clients.

Gary Parsons is straightforward, hardworking, and responsive to the needs of the client. Integrity and determination are at the top of the list of characteristics that would describe Gary Parsons.

William Little (City of Greenville, NC)

Greenville, NC

Gary Parsons is very thorough. His preparation is a hallmark. He has excellent courtroom skills.

Gary Parsons is hardworking and thorough. We will receive a same-day response to a question or concern. He is great to work with. Even something that is routine, Gary takes time to answer and respond. Gary is one of kind -- the best kind.

William Little (City of Greenville, NC)

Greenville, NC

I have had the great pleasure to work with Attorney Gary Parsons for more than 25 years. He is one of the finest attorneys I have ever known. He regularly defends other attorneys in legal malpractice cases as well as assists plaintiff attorneys in claims repair activities to keep their case from being dismissed due to some civil procedure issue. His firm is very efficient and provides immediate attention to any request. Gary is always completely prepared and professional when he is in court. He represents his client with courtesy and civility and extends that respect to everyone involved. Gary is very well-known to both the bench and bar, and everyone holds him in high regard in the legal community. I have never known a finer attorney. I would recommend Gary in any complicated civil matter or commercial litigation.

John Hester (Lawyers Mutual Liability Insurance Company of North Carolina)

Cary, NC

What makes a client want to retain any attorney in hundreds of cases over 30 years? In my situation, I retain Gary Parsons because I have confidence that he has the expertise to handle complex litigation in a timely, effective, and professional manner. I know of no one better at reducing factually intensive cases down to its basic elements and then succinctly addressing each complex issue in clear and easily understandable terms. He knows how to strengthen his argument using a better choice of words, than with more words. He is known and respected by the bench and bar, and appreciated by his clients.

John Hester (Lawyers Mutual Liability Insurance Company of North Carolina)

Cary, NC

Gary Parsons is a southern gentleman in all aspects, but he is a warrior with class in the courtroom.

William Little (City of Greenville, NC)

Greenville, NC

Experienced, practical, and thorough, Gary Parsons is among the very best lawyers in North Carolina for sophisticated courtroom work. I am very pleased to have Gary working with us. If you have a high exposure tort case with a high probability of going to trial, Gary Parsons is your man.

Charlie Madison (Progress Energy)

Raleigh, NC

I have worked with Gary in my roles as in-house counsel and in claims management in the insurance industry for more than 20 years. While Gary is very well liked and well respected among his peers, what is critical from a client's perspective is his easy accessibility, the depth and breadth of his knowledge of insurance law, and his ability to quickly identify the strengths and weaknesses of a particular case and develop a winning game plan for his client. Gary is one of the most effective litigators with whom I have ever had the privilege to work. He can be an aggressive advocate when warranted, always keeping the best interest of his client as his primary focus.

Valerie Loftin (Lincoln Financial)

Greensboro, NC

Awards & Focus

Recognized in The Best Lawyers in America® 2026 for work in:
  • Bet-the-Company Litigation
  • Commercial Litigation
  • Legal Malpractice Law - Defendants
  • Personal Injury Litigation - Defendants
Additional Areas of Practice:
  • Technology Law
  • Transportation Law
  • Litigation - Intellectual Property
  • Legal Malpractice Law
  • Personal Injury Litigation
Special Focus:
  • Appellate
  • Catastrophic Injury
  • Complex Litigation
  • COVID-19
  • Large Case Litigation
  • Lawyer Ethics
  • Product Liability
  • Public Liability
  • Wrongful Death
Awards:
  • American Bar Foundation, Life Fellow (2010-present)

  • Litigation Counsel of America: Senior Fellow

  • American Board of Trial Advocates: Advocate (2009 - present)

  • Recognized as a "Local Litigation Star" by Benchmark Litigation in Insurance, Product Liability and Recall, Securities, and Environmental (2015-2025); Business Litigation (2015-2017)

  • Selected by his peers for inclusion in The Best Lawyers in America© in Bet-the-Company Litigation, Commercial Litigation, Legal Malpractice Law - Defendants, and Personal Injury Litigation - Defendants (2003-2025)

  • Recognized in Super Lawyers Business Edition for Business Litigation (2015)

  • Listed in North Carolina Super Lawyers for Business Litigation (2006-2025); Top 100 lawyers in North Carolina (2006-­2019, 2023 editions), Top 25 Lawyers in Raleigh (2014-2015, 2018-2019)

  • Recognized in the "Legal Elite" Hall of Fame by Business North Carolina magazine for Litigation

  • Chosen as the 2021 recipient of the North Carolina Association of Defense Attorneys Award for Excellence in Trial Advocacy

  • Listed in Chambers USA: America's Leading Lawyers for Business for Litigation: General Commercial (North Carolina) (2011-2025)

Your browser is not fully compatible with our automatic printer friendly formatting.

Please use the print button to print this profile page.

Spinning circle Big letter B