Bet-the-Company Litigation Commercial Litigation Litigation - Banking and Finance Litigation - Intellectual Property
Reid L. Phillips
Recognized in Best Lawyers since 2001 Awarded Practice Areas
Biography
An experienced trial and appellate attorney, Reid Phillips represents companies and their owners in complex business disputes, including defense of class action lawsuits, malpractice claims, and serious personal injury and death claims.
Reid represents businesses and business owners before federal and state courts in lawsuits involving contracts, securities, antitrust, unfair competition, copyright and trademark infringement, and non-compete agreements. His recent experience includes the successful defense of shareholder, customer and employee class action lawsuits in retail, banking, insurance, and manufacturing businesses. The 2020 Chambers USA guide states that "Reid Phillips is an accomplished attorney particularly noted for handling business and corporate litigation." A peer notes, "He’s a great trial lawyer.”
Reid has experience representing legal and accounting professionals in professional liability litigation.
Reid represents banks, business owners and investors in state and federal court litigation and arbitration related to banking, securities and antitrust issues. He has consistently been recognized by top industry publications, including The Best Lawyers in America© and Benchmark Litigation, for his litigation success.
Reid defends businesses and product manufacturers before state and federal courts in wrongful death, serious personal injury and products liability claims.
Overview
- The University of Texas, JD with Honors, graduated 1977
- The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, BA, graduated 1974
- North Carolina, United States
- North Carolina Bar Association - Vice-President, Board of Governors (2019-2021)
- National Association of Railroad Trial Counsel - Member
- Joseph Branch Inn of Court - Master of the Bench
- U.S. Supreme Court
- U.S. Court of Appeals - 2nd, 4th, 5th Circuits
- U.S. District Court - Southern District of Illinois
- U.S. District Court - Western District of North Carolina
- U.S. District Court - Middle District of North Carolina
- U.S. District Court - Eastern District of North Carolina
- North Carolina, United States
- North Carolina Bar Association - Vice-President, Board of Governors (2019-2021)
- National Association of Railroad Trial Counsel - Member
- Joseph Branch Inn of Court - Master of the Bench
- The University of Texas, JD with Honors, graduated 1977
- The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, BA, graduated 1974
- U.S. Supreme Court
- U.S. Court of Appeals - 2nd, 4th, 5th Circuits
- U.S. District Court - Southern District of Illinois
- U.S. District Court - Western District of North Carolina
- U.S. District Court - Middle District of North Carolina
- U.S. District Court - Eastern District of North Carolina
Client Testimonials
Awards & Focus
Named "Lawyer of the Year" by Best Lawyers® for:
- Litigation - Banking and Finance, Triad (2023)
- Litigation - Banking and Finance, Greensboro (2019)
- Litigation - Banking and Finance, Greensboro (2017)
- Litigation - Banking and Finance, Greensboro (2015)
Recognized in The Best Lawyers in America® 2026 for work in:
- Bet-the-Company Litigation
- Commercial Litigation
- Litigation - Banking and Finance
- Litigation - Intellectual Property
Additional Areas of Practice:
- Transportation Law
- Professional Malpractice Law
Special Focus:
- Civil Litigation
- Commercial Disputes
- Complex Litigation
- Covenants Not to Compete
- COVID-19
- Crossing Accidents
- FELA
- Fraud
- Large Case Litigation
- Railroad
Awards:
Order of the Long Leaf Pine (2022)
Selected by his peers for inclusion in The Best Lawyers in America© in Bet-the-Company Litigation, Commercial Litigation, Banking & Finance Litigation, and Intellectual Property Litigation (1999-2025); Triad "Lawyer of the Year" in Banking & Finance Litigation (2015, 2017, 2019, 2023)
- Recognized in Business North Carolina's "Legal Elite" in Litigation (2006, 2012-2015)
- Recognized in Super Lawyers Business Edition for Business Litigation (2015)
- Fellow, American College of Trial Lawyers, 2003-present
- Winner of the Denise E. Maleska Leadership Service Award, Leadership Greensboro (2018)
- Recognized in North Carolina Lawyers Weekly's "Leaders in the Law" (2017)
- Recipient of the John B. McMillan Distinguished Service Award, North Carolina State Bar (2021)
- Recognized in Business North Carolina's "Power List" (2021-2024)
- Winner of the Distinguished Service Award, Greensboro Bar Association (2018)
- Recognized by Chambers USA: America's Leading Lawyers for Business for Litigation: General Commercial (2008-2025)
- Recognized by Benchmark Litigation as a "Local Litigation Star" in Antitrust, General Commercial, Intellectual Property, Personal Injury and Securities Law (2016-2023)
- Recognized in North Carolina Super Lawyers (Thomson Reuters) in Business Litigation (2006-2024); Top 100 (2008-2010, 2013-2015, 2018, 2022)
News & Media
Case History
Cases
- OBX-Stock, Inc. v. BiCast, Incorporated
In February 2009, the United States Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit affirmed summary judgment for our client, the defendant, in this trademark infringement case. Plaintiff claimed that OBX, first used by it as an abbreviation for the Outer Banks in black letters on white oval stickers, gave rise to its trademark and that Defendant had infringed that trademark by its sale of oval stickers with "OB Xtreme" in pink script. The Fourth Circuit concluded that OBX is a geographically descriptive abbreviation, which has no secondary meaning and therefore is not a valid trademark.
- In re Pedestrian Walkway Failure Litigation
Following the collapse of the pedestrian walkway at the Lowe''s Motor Speedway in May 2000, more than one hundred persons made claims against the owner of the walkway and the manufacturer of a walkway component that failed. Many of the claims resulted in lawsuits and trials, lasting until June 2007. I represented Tindall Corporation in those cases, as well as in the successful defense of a lawsuit for indemnification brought by the Charlotte Motor Speedway, Inc. in 2007.
Your browser is not fully compatible with our automatic printer friendly formatting.
Please use the print button to print this profile page.