Senior Associate, Freeman Chair in China Studies, Center for Strategic & International Studies
From March 2018 to July 2021, Ivan Kanapathy served on the White House’s National Security Council staff as director for China, Taiwan, and Mongolia and deputy senior director for Asian affairs. In this capacity, he staffed and advised the president and national security advisor and led U.S. government interagency policy development and implementation on relations and engagement with China and Taiwan—including shepherding the most comprehensive and significant U.S. policy shift toward the People’s Republic of China in four decades. From 2014 to 2017, Ivan worked at the American Institute in Taiwan, representing U.S. interests and advising on military and security issues in Taipei. Earlier in his career, Ivan spent a year studying in Beijing and traveling throughout China, Taiwan, and Southeast Asia as a U.S. Marine Corps foreign area study fellow; he later led the development and implementation of the service’s global security cooperation strategy and policies at the Pentagon. As a naval flight officer, Ivan accumulated 2,500 flight hours, served three years as a F/A-18 weapons officer and tactics instructor at the U.S Navy Fighter Weapons School (better known as TOPGUN), and deployed to the Middle East and Western Pacific five times, earning several combat awards and decorations. He holds a MA (with distinction) in East Asia security studies from the Naval Postgraduate School, a BS in physics and economics from Carnegie Mellon University, and an AA and diploma (with highest honors) in Chinese – Mandarin from the Defense Language Institute.
Former US Executive Director, World Bank
DJ Nordquist is the executive vice president of the Economic Innovation Group, a bipartisan policy incubator dedicated to forging a more dynamic, entrepreneurial, and innovative economy. She also holds positions at ClearPath, the University of Virginia Darden School of Business, Sunlight Financial, Big Sun Holdings, the Special Competitive Studies Project, the Krach Institute for Tech Diplomacy at Purdue University, and the Center for Energy and Conservation at the Independent Women’s Forum. Previously, she represented the United States on the board of directors of the World Bank Group after being confirmed unanimously by the U.S. Senate. She helped steer the World Bank's Covid response and worked on the Debt Service Suspension Initiative, climate policy, technology procurement, the UN Sustainable Development Goals, and women’s rights. Prior to the World Bank, Ms. Nordquist served as chief of staff at the White House Council of Economic Advisers and a host of other prominent leadership roles, including at the Brookings Institution and U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. She began her career working in both the U.S. House and Senate. She has been published in the Wall Street Journal, Foreign Affairs, The Hill, Fortune, U.S. News & World Report, and RealClear. She holds a BA from Stanford University and an MS from Northwestern University. She received the Distinguished Service Award from the U.S. Department of the Treasury and was named Stanford associate by the board of governors. She is a life member of the Council on Foreign Relations, Extraordinary Women on Boards, and the National Association of Corporate Directors.
Chair, International Trade & National Security Practice Group, Buchanan Ingersoll & Rooney
Mr. Pickard counsels U.S. and international clients on the laws and regulations governing international trade, with particular emphasis on import remedy, anti-bribery, national security, and export control issues. He represents and advises clients in matters related to trade remedy investigations (including antidumping, countervailing duty, and safeguard cases), U.S. economic sanctions, export controls, anti-boycott measures, and the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act (FCPA). Mr. Pickard provides comprehensive international trade law compliance guidance, including assessing and resolving sensitive national security matters; developing corporate compliance programs; establishing compliance with the National Industrial Security Program (NISP) and mitigating Foreign Ownership, Control, or Influence (FOCI) issues; conducting internal investigations relating to potential violations; and appearing before the relevant agencies in connection with investigations, licensing, and enforcement actions. He also teams with the firm’s Election Law & Government Ethics Group to provide guidance pertaining to the Foreign Agents Registration Act (FARA).
Mr. Pickard represents clients before the U.S. International Trade Commission (ITC), the U.S. Department of the Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC), the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ), the U.S. Department of State’s Directorate of Defense Trade Controls (DDTC), the U.S. Department of Commerce’s Bureau of Industry and Security (BIS) and International Trade Administration (ITA), the U.S. Department of Defense’s Defense Security Service (DSS), the Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States (CFIUS), the U.S. Court of International Trade, and the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit.
Senior Associate, Freeman Chair in China Studies, Center for Strategic & International Studies
From March 2018 to July 2021, Ivan Kanapathy served on the White House’s National Security Council staff as director for China, Taiwan, and Mongolia and deputy senior director for Asian affairs. In this capacity, he staffed and advised the president and national security advisor and led U.S. government interagency policy development and implementation on relations and engagement with China and Taiwan—including shepherding the most comprehensive and significant U.S. policy shift toward the People’s Republic of China in four decades. From 2014 to 2017, Ivan worked at the American Institute in Taiwan, representing U.S. interests and advising on military and security issues in Taipei. Earlier in his career, Ivan spent a year studying in Beijing and traveling throughout China, Taiwan, and Southeast Asia as a U.S. Marine Corps foreign area study fellow; he later led the development and implementation of the service’s global security cooperation strategy and policies at the Pentagon. As a naval flight officer, Ivan accumulated 2,500 flight hours, served three years as a F/A-18 weapons officer and tactics instructor at the U.S Navy Fighter Weapons School (better known as TOPGUN), and deployed to the Middle East and Western Pacific five times, earning several combat awards and decorations. He holds a MA (with distinction) in East Asia security studies from the Naval Postgraduate School, a BS in physics and economics from Carnegie Mellon University, and an AA and diploma (with highest honors) in Chinese – Mandarin from the Defense Language Institute.
Former US Executive Director, World Bank
DJ Nordquist is the executive vice president of the Economic Innovation Group, a bipartisan policy incubator dedicated to forging a more dynamic, entrepreneurial, and innovative economy. She also holds positions at ClearPath, the University of Virginia Darden School of Business, Sunlight Financial, Big Sun Holdings, the Special Competitive Studies Project, the Krach Institute for Tech Diplomacy at Purdue University, and the Center for Energy and Conservation at the Independent Women’s Forum. Previously, she represented the United States on the board of directors of the World Bank Group after being confirmed unanimously by the U.S. Senate. She helped steer the World Bank's Covid response and worked on the Debt Service Suspension Initiative, climate policy, technology procurement, the UN Sustainable Development Goals, and women’s rights. Prior to the World Bank, Ms. Nordquist served as chief of staff at the White House Council of Economic Advisers and a host of other prominent leadership roles, including at the Brookings Institution and U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. She began her career working in both the U.S. House and Senate. She has been published in the Wall Street Journal, Foreign Affairs, The Hill, Fortune, U.S. News & World Report, and RealClear. She holds a BA from Stanford University and an MS from Northwestern University. She received the Distinguished Service Award from the U.S. Department of the Treasury and was named Stanford associate by the board of governors. She is a life member of the Council on Foreign Relations, Extraordinary Women on Boards, and the National Association of Corporate Directors.
Chair, International Trade & National Security Practice Group, Buchanan Ingersoll & Rooney
Mr. Pickard counsels U.S. and international clients on the laws and regulations governing international trade, with particular emphasis on import remedy, anti-bribery, national security, and export control issues. He represents and advises clients in matters related to trade remedy investigations (including antidumping, countervailing duty, and safeguard cases), U.S. economic sanctions, export controls, anti-boycott measures, and the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act (FCPA). Mr. Pickard provides comprehensive international trade law compliance guidance, including assessing and resolving sensitive national security matters; developing corporate compliance programs; establishing compliance with the National Industrial Security Program (NISP) and mitigating Foreign Ownership, Control, or Influence (FOCI) issues; conducting internal investigations relating to potential violations; and appearing before the relevant agencies in connection with investigations, licensing, and enforcement actions. He also teams with the firm’s Election Law & Government Ethics Group to provide guidance pertaining to the Foreign Agents Registration Act (FARA).
Mr. Pickard represents clients before the U.S. International Trade Commission (ITC), the U.S. Department of the Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC), the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ), the U.S. Department of State’s Directorate of Defense Trade Controls (DDTC), the U.S. Department of Commerce’s Bureau of Industry and Security (BIS) and International Trade Administration (ITA), the U.S. Department of Defense’s Defense Security Service (DSS), the Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States (CFIUS), the U.S. Court of International Trade, and the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit.
Chairman of the Securities and Exchange Commission
Paul S. Atkins was sworn into office as the 34th Chairman of the Securities and Exchange Commission on April 21, 2025, after being nominated by President Donald J. Trump on January 20, 2025, and confirmed by the U.S. Senate on April 9, 2025.
Prior to returning to the SEC, Chairman Atkins was most recently chief executive of Patomak Global Partners, a company he founded in 2009. Chairman Atkins helped lead efforts to develop best practices for the digital asset sector. He served as an independent director and non-executive chairman of the board of BATS Global Markets, Inc. from 2012 to 2015.
Chairman Atkins was appointed by President George W. Bush to serve as a Commissioner of the SEC from 2002 to 2008. During his tenure, he advocated for transparency, consistency, and the use of cost-benefit analysis at the agency. Chairman Atkins also represented the SEC at meetings of the President’s Working Group on Financial Markets and the U.S.-EU Transatlantic Economic Council. From 2009 to 2010, he was appointed a member of the Congressional Oversight Panel for the Troubled Asset Relief Program.
Before serving as an SEC Commissioner, Chairman Atkins was a consultant on securities and investment management industry matters, especially regarding issues of strategy, regulatory compliance, risk management, new product development, and organizational control.
From 1990 to 1994, Chairman Atkins served on the staff of two chairmen of the SEC, Richard C. Breeden and Arthur Levitt, ultimately as chief of staff and counselor, respectively. He received the SEC’s 1992 Law and Policy Award for work regarding corporate governance matters.
Chairman Atkins began his career as a lawyer in New York, focusing on a wide range of corporate transactions for U.S. and foreign clients, including public and private securities offerings and mergers and acquisitions. He was resident for 2½ years in his firm's Paris office and admitted as conseil juridique in France.
A member of the New York and Florida bars, Chairman Atkins received his J.D. from Vanderbilt University School of Law in 1983 and was Senior Student Writing Editor of the Vanderbilt Law Review. He received his A.B., Phi Beta Kappa, from Wofford College in 1980.
Originally from Lillington, North Carolina, Chairman Atkins grew up in Tampa, Florida. He and his wife Sarah have three sons.
Solicitor, U.S. Department of Labor
Jonathan Berry is Solicitor at the U.S. Department of Labor, in service to President Trump’s agenda to put American workers first. He leads the Department’s lawyers in advising the Secretary and agency leadership on all aspects of law and in representing the Department in court. He was previously managing partner at Boyden Gray PLLC, where he provided strategic counsel and litigated on issues at the intersection of law, politics, and public policy. Earlier, he headed the regulatory office at Labor, and also served at the Department of Justice, in the first Trump Administration. Mr. Berry served as a law clerk to Judge Jerry E. Smith of the United States Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit, and to Associate Justice Samuel A. Alito, Jr., of the Supreme Court of the United States.
President, Institute for the American Worker
As president and co-founder of I4AW, Vinnie is a trusted source and respected thought leader to labor policy experts across the country—he provides intellectual acuity and policy innovation to the worker freedom message. He served on the U.S. Department of Labor Transition Team for both Trump Administrations (2016-2017 and 2024-2025) and served in the George W. Bush Administration’s Department of Labor (2008-2009). Additionally, he was a presidential appointee to the Federal Service Impasses Panel (2017-2021). He has advised senators and congressmen on a multitude of labor-related issues, and has testified numerous times before Congress and state legislatures. He has also worked as director of labor policy at the Mackinac Center for Public Policy and currently serves as a senior policy advisor. Vernuccio has held advisory roles for a multitude of free market organizations such as the State Policy Network, Competitive Enterprise Institute, and others.
Chairman of the Securities and Exchange Commission
Paul S. Atkins was sworn into office as the 34th Chairman of the Securities and Exchange Commission on April 21, 2025, after being nominated by President Donald J. Trump on January 20, 2025, and confirmed by the U.S. Senate on April 9, 2025.
Prior to returning to the SEC, Chairman Atkins was most recently chief executive of Patomak Global Partners, a company he founded in 2009. Chairman Atkins helped lead efforts to develop best practices for the digital asset sector. He served as an independent director and non-executive chairman of the board of BATS Global Markets, Inc. from 2012 to 2015.
Chairman Atkins was appointed by President George W. Bush to serve as a Commissioner of the SEC from 2002 to 2008. During his tenure, he advocated for transparency, consistency, and the use of cost-benefit analysis at the agency. Chairman Atkins also represented the SEC at meetings of the President’s Working Group on Financial Markets and the U.S.-EU Transatlantic Economic Council. From 2009 to 2010, he was appointed a member of the Congressional Oversight Panel for the Troubled Asset Relief Program.
Before serving as an SEC Commissioner, Chairman Atkins was a consultant on securities and investment management industry matters, especially regarding issues of strategy, regulatory compliance, risk management, new product development, and organizational control.
From 1990 to 1994, Chairman Atkins served on the staff of two chairmen of the SEC, Richard C. Breeden and Arthur Levitt, ultimately as chief of staff and counselor, respectively. He received the SEC’s 1992 Law and Policy Award for work regarding corporate governance matters.
Chairman Atkins began his career as a lawyer in New York, focusing on a wide range of corporate transactions for U.S. and foreign clients, including public and private securities offerings and mergers and acquisitions. He was resident for 2½ years in his firm's Paris office and admitted as conseil juridique in France.
A member of the New York and Florida bars, Chairman Atkins received his J.D. from Vanderbilt University School of Law in 1983 and was Senior Student Writing Editor of the Vanderbilt Law Review. He received his A.B., Phi Beta Kappa, from Wofford College in 1980.
Originally from Lillington, North Carolina, Chairman Atkins grew up in Tampa, Florida. He and his wife Sarah have three sons.
Solicitor, U.S. Department of Labor
Jonathan Berry is Solicitor at the U.S. Department of Labor, in service to President Trump’s agenda to put American workers first. He leads the Department’s lawyers in advising the Secretary and agency leadership on all aspects of law and in representing the Department in court. He was previously managing partner at Boyden Gray PLLC, where he provided strategic counsel and litigated on issues at the intersection of law, politics, and public policy. Earlier, he headed the regulatory office at Labor, and also served at the Department of Justice, in the first Trump Administration. Mr. Berry served as a law clerk to Judge Jerry E. Smith of the United States Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit, and to Associate Justice Samuel A. Alito, Jr., of the Supreme Court of the United States.
President, Institute for the American Worker
As president and co-founder of I4AW, Vinnie is a trusted source and respected thought leader to labor policy experts across the country—he provides intellectual acuity and policy innovation to the worker freedom message. He served on the U.S. Department of Labor Transition Team for both Trump Administrations (2016-2017 and 2024-2025) and served in the George W. Bush Administration’s Department of Labor (2008-2009). Additionally, he was a presidential appointee to the Federal Service Impasses Panel (2017-2021). He has advised senators and congressmen on a multitude of labor-related issues, and has testified numerous times before Congress and state legislatures. He has also worked as director of labor policy at the Mackinac Center for Public Policy and currently serves as a senior policy advisor. Vernuccio has held advisory roles for a multitude of free market organizations such as the State Policy Network, Competitive Enterprise Institute, and others.
Assistant Solicitor General, North Carolina Department of Justice
Nick was appointed Solicitor General of North Carolina in May 2025. In that role,
he oversees the State’s appellate litigation and leads key appeals in the U.S.
Supreme Court, the Fourth Circuit, and the North Carolina appellate courts. Nick
earlier served as North Carolina’s Deputy Solicitor General and has worked in the
state SG’s office since 2019. Before starting a career in state-government service,
he was a senior associate at Hogan Lovells in Washington, D.C.
Nick clerked for Judge Gerald Tjoflat of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the
Eleventh Circuit and Judge Lee Rosenthal of the U.S. District Court for the
Southern District of Texas. He earned his law degree from Duke, where he was an
Executive Editor of the Duke Law Journal and a member of the Moot Court Board.
He received his undergraduate degree from UNC-Chapel Hill and is a proud Tar
Heel.
Partner, Fox Rothschild LLP
Troy works alongside trial counsel, collaborating on critical motions to ensure that clients are well positioned on appeal. Once a judgment is entered, clients rely on Troy either to defend their judgment or find creative paths to reversal.
Troy has a wide variety of trial and appellate experience, including in class actions, antitrust, employment disputes, land use litigation and family law cases. He also frequently litigates commercial disputes in federal and North Carolina Business courts. In addition, Troy serves as a class action consultant to attorneys inside and outside the firm, for both plaintiffs and defendants.
Troy frequently represents clients in precedent-setting cases. For example, in 2021, he persuaded the Supreme Court of North Carolina to unanimously recognize that children have a right, under the state constitution, to a learning environment free from abuse. Before then, lower courts had for a decade refused to recognize such a right.
Troy is a contributing author to the North Carolina Appellate Practice Blog, which provides news, information and tips for practicing law in North Carolina’s State and Federal Appellate Courts.
Prior to joining Fox, Troy worked as an associate at a boutique litigation firm. Before that, he was a law clerk to U.S. District Judge Thomas D. Schroeder of the Middle District of North Carolina.
During law school, Troy was an intern to the Honorable Justice Mark Martin of the Supreme Court of North Carolina. He also interned with the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Western District of North Carolina and externed with the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Eastern District of North Carolina. In addition, Troy served as the North Carolina Law Review's articles editor.
North Carolina Chamber Legal Institute, General Counsel
As general counsel of the NC Chamber and president of the NC Chamber Legal Institute, Ray sets strategy for litigation of the NC Chamber, the NC Chamber Legal Institute, and its affiliated entities. He also serves as a key member of the organization’s executive leadership team, providing guidance and counsel to the public policy development functions of the NC Chamber, and assessing and advising on current and emerging laws, rulings, and regulations affecting the NC Chamber and business community in North Carolina. Ray is also a respected agricultural industry thought leader, and leads the NC Chamber Foundation and NC Golden LEAF Foundation’s efforts to craft a strategic plan for North Carolina agriculture, a project dubbed NC Ag Leads. Ray was elected to the Board of Smithfield Foods, Inc. as an Independent Director in early 2025, contributing governance expertise to one of the world’s leading food companies.
Prior to joining the NC Chamber team, Ray served as Chief of Staff to U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Perdue where he coordinated execution of the Secretary’s policy agenda for the U.S. Department of Agriculture, a $140 billion agency with more than 100,000 employees. Ray focused on regulatory and deregulatory initiatives and acted as a point of contact for stakeholders throughout agriculture and rural communities.
He previously served as the principal agriculture advisor to the President of the United States at the White House, served as chief of staff and chief counsel for U.S. Sen. Thom Tillis, after serving as general counsel when Tillis was Speaker of the House in the North Carolina legislature, and worked as general counsel for the N.C. Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services, interfacing daily with Commissioner Steve Troxler.
Ray has a deep understanding of North Carolina’s economy and has proven experience building relationships that transcend politics. In the fall of 2022, Starling released his book Farmers Versus Foodies in which he shares some perspective on the question of who will call the shots for the future of the farming and food system in the United States and beyond. The book is an Amazon best seller and has been nominated for a Pulitzer Prize.
In private practice for several years, Ray has taught numerous agricultural and food law courses. He has a bachelor’s degree in agricultural education from North Carolina State University and a law degree from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. He grew up on a Century Family Farm in southeastern North Carolina and credits that experience as having more to do with his career path than any other influence or opportunity. His parents continue to farm, as does his eldest brother. Starling was a National FFA Officer and is a former 4-H member.
Partner, Nelson Mullins
Martin is a North Carolina Board Certified Appellate Practice Specialist who practices in the areas of business and consumer financial services litigation. He has represented diverse clients from a variety of industries, including healthcare, regulated utilities, local government, retail, banking, investment, and insurance.
Curtis "Trey" Allen was born in Robeson County to Curtis and Elaine Allen. He obtained a bachelor's degree from UNC Pembroke and a law degree from UNC Chapel Hill.
Trey began his legal career as a judge advocate in the United States Marine Corps. He spent most of his time in the USMC overseas, and his military service included a deployment to Iraq during Operation Iraqi Freedom. As a judge advocate, Trey advised commanding generals and subordinate commanders on military justice and operational law matters, prosecuted violations of the Uniform Code of Military Justice, and helped fellow Marines resolve personal legal issues.
After being honorably discharged, Trey completed a clerkship with Justice (now Chief Justice) Paul Newby of the NC Supreme Court. He then practiced education law and became a partner at Tharrington Smith LLP in Raleigh. While in private practice, Trey successfully litigated cases involving constitutional and other claims before administrative agencies, federal and state trial courts, and appellate courts, including the NC Supreme Court. In 2013 he joined the faculty at UNC Chapel Hill, where his research, writing, and teaching focused on local government law. Trey was named Coates Distinguished Term Associate Professor of Public Law and Government for 2020-2022.
Following Paul Newby's installation as Chief Justice in January 2021, Trey was appointed General Counsel for the NC Administrative Office of the Courts. In that capacity, he provides legal guidance on a broad range of subjects to court officials across the state.
Trey is married to Teryn Melissa Smith Allen, another Robeson County native. Together they have five (awesome) children, all of whom they homeschool. Church activities, sports, and Scouting take up much of the family's free time.
Shareholder, Baker Do`nelson
John is a complex-problem solver and seasoned litigator who has successfully represented clients in a wide range of commercial litigation matters for almost 20 years. He frequently advocates for clients in cases involving contract and corporate ownership issues, real estate and eminent domain disputes, and claims of unfair competition or fraud. John regularly practices in federal and state trial and appellate courts throughout North Carolina, including the North Carolina Business Court. He has been admitted pro hac in a number of states in the South and the Midwest, and he handles binding arbitrations before the American Arbitration Association and other quasi-judicial bodies. In addition to his advocacy work, John serves as a trusted advisor for his clients, providing strategic, solution-oriented advice both before and after disputes arise.
John also maintains an active constitutional and political law practice. His clients have included multiple presidential, senatorial, and congressional campaigns; gubernatorial and other statewide candidates and campaigns; legislative, judicial, and local candidates; and national- and state-level political party committees. He has represented legislative officers in multiple states and defended state agencies' actions when challenged on constitutional or statutory grounds. John previously served as General Counsel for the North Carolina Republican Party and as both chairman and a member of the North Carolina State Board of Ethics and Election Enforcement.
John also counsels his clients on various employment and education law issues, including discrimination and wage and hour claims, as well as school choice and charter school issues.
After law school, John served as a law clerk for the Honorable Glen M. Williams, Senior U.S. District Judge for the Western District of Virginia. He has lived in Raleigh since completing his clerkship.
Deputy Chief Counsel, U.S. Chamber Litigation Center, U.S. Chamber of Commerce
Jennifer B. Dickey is deputy chief counsel at the U.S. Chamber Litigation Center, the litigation arm of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce. Dickey handles a variety of litigation matters for the Chamber.
Dickey joined the Chamber following her service as Acting Assistant Attorney General and Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General in the Civil Division at the U.S. Department of Justice. She also previously served as Deputy Associate Attorney General, providing strategic oversight of the Civil Division, Civil Rights Division, and Foreign Claims Settlement Commission, as well as Special Assistant to the President and Associate Counsel to the President. In the latter capacity, she provided legal advice on a wide array of executive actions and rulemakings, civil litigation, and judicial nominations.
Dickey also practiced law at Kirkland & Ellis LLP before her government service. She was a commercial and appellate litigator, representing businesses in federal and state courts.
Earlier in her career, Dickey served as a law clerk for the Honorable Clarence Thomas of the Supreme Court of the United States and the Honorable William H. Pryor Jr. of the United States Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit.
Dickey earned her law degree magna cum laude from Duke University School of Law, where she was an Executive Editor of the Duke Law Journal, and her undergraduate degree magna cum laude from Dartmouth College.
Partner, Fox Rothschild LLP
Matt is Co-Chair of the firm’s Appellate Practice Group and leads a national team that serves clients before the U.S. Supreme Court, every federal circuit court and the state appellate courts.
Widely recognized for his work as a litigator and strategist, Matt is often hired to handle appeals in cases that met with unfavorable results in the lower courts. He centers his practice on helping businesses navigate complex state and federal litigation and appeals, including bet-the-company and other high-stakes litigation.
Matt co-authored a comprehensive legal treatise, North Carolina Appellate Practice and Procedure, that discusses in depth the constitutional provisions, statutes, rules, cases and customs governing North Carolina appellate law. He is a Board Certified Specialist in Appellate Practice by the North Carolina State Bar. In 2022, Matt was one of only four lawyers ranked in Band 1 by Chambers & Partners for Appellate Litigation in North Carolina. He was also inducted into Business North Carolina magazine’s Legal Elite “Hall of Fame” for appellate practice.
Matt’s clients range from large health systems and private equity firms to small businesses and individuals.
He regularly helps clients with:
Businesses facing litigation in North Carolina for the first time often look for a legal team with an established reputation and comprehensive knowledge of local customs and practices. Matt takes the time to listen to a client’s overall business and litigation goals, and then builds the right team to advance a strategic plan to meet those goals. Cases and appeals are won or lost on those careful, strategic decisions, in conjunction with excellent persuasive writing and oral advocacy.
Clients value Matt’s business sense and his ability to translate complex legal issues. In fact, Matt is often hired by lawyers in other firms to provide strategic guidance or to represent them in complex litigation where the firms themselves are parties.
Matt’s experience includes:
Matt regularly appears on behalf of clients in North Carolina's specialized Business Court and served on that court’s inaugural Rules Advisory Committee.
Matt previously served as Managing Partner of the Raleigh Office and on Fox Rothschild’s Executive Committee.
Matt is a founder and regular writer for the North Carolina Appellate Practice Blog, NCAPB.com, which provides news, information, tips and resources for practicing law in North Carolina's state and federal appellate courts.
Partner, Brooks Pierce
Craig Schauer is a trusted litigator who advises and advocates for clients. He has been fortunate to counsel clients through a wide variety of disputes and legal problems, ranging from business disagreements, to regulatory battles, to constitutional lawsuits.
Craig has represented businesses of all sizes—from small partnerships to Fortune 100 corporations—in state and federal courts, arbitration proceedings, and various regulatory agencies with disputes regarding contractual relationships, constitutional rights, class actions, unfair competition claims, government regulations, defamation, and other commercial issues. He has worked with clients in a variety of sectors, including healthcare, construction, professional sports, nonprofit, franchises, energy, financial services, public utilities, and local and state government.
Senior Associate, Freeman Chair in China Studies, Center for Strategic & International Studies
From March 2018 to July 2021, Ivan Kanapathy served on the White House’s National Security Council staff as director for China, Taiwan, and Mongolia and deputy senior director for Asian affairs. In this capacity, he staffed and advised the president and national security advisor and led U.S. government interagency policy development and implementation on relations and engagement with China and Taiwan—including shepherding the most comprehensive and significant U.S. policy shift toward the People’s Republic of China in four decades. From 2014 to 2017, Ivan worked at the American Institute in Taiwan, representing U.S. interests and advising on military and security issues in Taipei. Earlier in his career, Ivan spent a year studying in Beijing and traveling throughout China, Taiwan, and Southeast Asia as a U.S. Marine Corps foreign area study fellow; he later led the development and implementation of the service’s global security cooperation strategy and policies at the Pentagon. As a naval flight officer, Ivan accumulated 2,500 flight hours, served three years as a F/A-18 weapons officer and tactics instructor at the U.S Navy Fighter Weapons School (better known as TOPGUN), and deployed to the Middle East and Western Pacific five times, earning several combat awards and decorations. He holds a MA (with distinction) in East Asia security studies from the Naval Postgraduate School, a BS in physics and economics from Carnegie Mellon University, and an AA and diploma (with highest honors) in Chinese – Mandarin from the Defense Language Institute.
Former US Executive Director, World Bank
DJ Nordquist is the executive vice president of the Economic Innovation Group, a bipartisan policy incubator dedicated to forging a more dynamic, entrepreneurial, and innovative economy. She also holds positions at ClearPath, the University of Virginia Darden School of Business, Sunlight Financial, Big Sun Holdings, the Special Competitive Studies Project, the Krach Institute for Tech Diplomacy at Purdue University, and the Center for Energy and Conservation at the Independent Women’s Forum. Previously, she represented the United States on the board of directors of the World Bank Group after being confirmed unanimously by the U.S. Senate. She helped steer the World Bank's Covid response and worked on the Debt Service Suspension Initiative, climate policy, technology procurement, the UN Sustainable Development Goals, and women’s rights. Prior to the World Bank, Ms. Nordquist served as chief of staff at the White House Council of Economic Advisers and a host of other prominent leadership roles, including at the Brookings Institution and U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. She began her career working in both the U.S. House and Senate. She has been published in the Wall Street Journal, Foreign Affairs, The Hill, Fortune, U.S. News & World Report, and RealClear. She holds a BA from Stanford University and an MS from Northwestern University. She received the Distinguished Service Award from the U.S. Department of the Treasury and was named Stanford associate by the board of governors. She is a life member of the Council on Foreign Relations, Extraordinary Women on Boards, and the National Association of Corporate Directors.
Chair, International Trade & National Security Practice Group, Buchanan Ingersoll & Rooney
Mr. Pickard counsels U.S. and international clients on the laws and regulations governing international trade, with particular emphasis on import remedy, anti-bribery, national security, and export control issues. He represents and advises clients in matters related to trade remedy investigations (including antidumping, countervailing duty, and safeguard cases), U.S. economic sanctions, export controls, anti-boycott measures, and the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act (FCPA). Mr. Pickard provides comprehensive international trade law compliance guidance, including assessing and resolving sensitive national security matters; developing corporate compliance programs; establishing compliance with the National Industrial Security Program (NISP) and mitigating Foreign Ownership, Control, or Influence (FOCI) issues; conducting internal investigations relating to potential violations; and appearing before the relevant agencies in connection with investigations, licensing, and enforcement actions. He also teams with the firm’s Election Law & Government Ethics Group to provide guidance pertaining to the Foreign Agents Registration Act (FARA).
Mr. Pickard represents clients before the U.S. International Trade Commission (ITC), the U.S. Department of the Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC), the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ), the U.S. Department of State’s Directorate of Defense Trade Controls (DDTC), the U.S. Department of Commerce’s Bureau of Industry and Security (BIS) and International Trade Administration (ITA), the U.S. Department of Defense’s Defense Security Service (DSS), the Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States (CFIUS), the U.S. Court of International Trade, and the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit.
Partner, McGuireWoods LLP
The Honorable Susan C. Rodriguez was sworn-in as a U.S. Magistrate Judge in the Western District of North Carolina on April 3, 2023. She was selected through a Merit Selection Panel, comprised of both attorneys throughout the district and community representatives. Judge Rodriguez was previously a partner at the law firm, McGuireWoods LLP, where she was the co-leader of the firm’s financial institutions industry team. Her private practice experience focused on government investigations and white-collar matters. She has represented clients in numerous government investigations by the U.S. Department of Justice, U.S. Department of Homeland Security, Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB), and the Federal Trade Commission (FTC), among others. She was recognized for her outstanding work for clients through Chambers rankings in both 2022 and 2023 for Litigation: White-Collar Crime & Government Investigations in North Carolina and nationally for Fintech Legal: Corporate, Securities & Financing. Susan also was named to “North Carolina Rising Stars,” Government Relations, Super Lawyers, 2017-2019.
Before joining McGuireWoods in 2011, Susan served as a legal policy advisor at the Department of Homeland Security. Susan also served as federal law clerk for the Honorable Frank D. Whitney, U.S. District Court Judge for the Western District of North Carolina, handling both civil and criminal matters. Prior to that, she was a presidential appointee, serving as a staffer in the White House Counsel’s office from 2005-2006, handling management of judicial nominations and assisting with responses to congressional investigations.
Judge, United States District Court for the Middle District of North Carolina
University of Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music; B.S., Business Administration, Kansas University (1981); J.D., Notre Dame Law School (1984). Editor-in-Chief, Notre Dame Law Review. Law clerk, Honorable George E. MacKinnon, U.S Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit.
Private practice of law for over 22 years with Am Law 100 firm, handling litigation and trials involving a variety of business and product liability matters, many in the capacity as national counsel in litigation pending in state and federal courts throughout the country.
Took oath of office as U.S. District Judge in 2008.
Member, American Law Institute. Senior Lecturing Fellow (periodically), Duke University Law School. Member, North Carolina Bar Association (former Vice President and co-chair of Bench/Bar Liaison Committee); Winston-Salem Downtown Rotary Club; Board of Directors, Chief Justice Joseph Branch American Inn of Court (President 2016-18); Board of Directors, Notre Dame Law Association (President 2021-23) .
Appointed by Chief Justice John G. Roberts, Jr. to serve on the Federal Rules of Evidence Advisory Committee of the United States Judicial Conference (2017-2023); chaired subcommittee on amendments to Rule 702.
Member, Federal Judicial Center and National Academies of Sciences’ Committee on Emerging Areas of Science, Engineering, and Medicine for the Courts: Identifying Chapters for a Fourth Edition of the Reference Manual on Scientific Evidence – a Workshop (2020-21); Member, Committee on the Development of the Fourth Edition of the Reference Manual on Scientific Evidence (current).
Judge, United States Court of Appeals, Sixth Circuit
Amul R. Thapar serves as a judge on the United States Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit. His judicial career began in 2007 when President George W. Bush nominated him to serve on the Eastern District of Kentucky, making him the first South Asian Article III judge in American history. In 2017, he became President Donald J. Trump’s first appellate court nominee.
Before joining the bench, Judge Thapar served as the United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Kentucky. While United States Attorney, Judge Thapar worked on the Attorney General’s Advisory Committee (“AGAC”) and chaired the AGAC’s Controlled Substances and Asset Forfeiture subcommittee. He also served on the Terrorism and National Security subcommittee, the Violent Crime subcommittee, and the Child Exploitation working group.
Judge Thapar has worked in private practice, at Williams & Connolly in Washington, D.C., and Squire, Sanders & Dempsey in Cincinnati, Ohio. He also served as an Assistant United States Attorney in both the Southern District of Ohio and the District of Columbia.
Judge Thapar received his undergraduate degree from Boston College and his law degree from the University of California, Berkeley. After graduating, Judge Thapar worked as a law clerk to the Honorable S. Arthur Spiegel of the United States District Court for the Southern District of Ohio, and the Honorable Nathaniel R. Jones of the United States Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit.
Judge Thapar has also published in the Yale Law Journal, Michigan Law Review, and Catholic University Law Review. He teaches courses on originalism, the Federalists and Anti-Federalists, and legal writing at Notre Dame Law School, the University of Virginia School of Law, and Vanderbilt Law School.
The Economic Power Play: Examining China's Coercive Tactics
Ivan Kanapathy, DJ Nordquist, Daniel B. Pickard
In recent months, there has been a notable escalation in China’s economic coercion of various...
The Economic Power Play: Examining China's Coercive Tactics
Ivan Kanapathy, DJ Nordquist, Daniel B. Pickard
In recent months, there has been a notable escalation in China’s economic coercion of various...
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Washington, DCPanel Three: The Present and Future of the North Carolina Supreme Court
Raleigh, NCInterview with Senator Phil Berger
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Lunch and Keynote Address
Raleigh, NC