Gardner Skelton

Chief Executive Partner: Nicole Gardner

Chief Operating Partner: Fred Parker

Founded: 2008

Number of Attorneys: 15 (6 Partners, 9 Counsel/Associates)

Partners by Practice Area:

-Nicole Gardner (Employment Law Advice to Companies and Executives)

-Heather Skelton (Healthcare Law/Representation of Medical Practices)

-Jared Gardner (Employment Litigation/Business Litigation)

-Fred Parker (Corporate Counsel/Tax Law)

-Jon Carroll (Construction Law/Construction Litigation, Business Litigation)

-Mark Pincus (Employment Litigation/Business Litigation, Employment Law Advice to Companies and Executives)

Gardner Skelton PLLC is a Charlotte, North Carolina-based boutique law firm focused on employment law, employment litigation, health care law, business litigation, construction litigation, corporate transactions, and tax law. The firm's clients include Fortune 500 companies, local businesses, independent medical practices, executives, and professionals. Combining the legal sophistication of a larger firm with the personal attention and value of a small firm, the firm is passionate about delivering the highest level of service and cultivating deep, long-lasting relationships with our clients.

Employment Law Advice to Companies and Executives: Gardner Skelton has multiple institutional relationships and provides advice to company legal departments, human resources departments, and management on a wide range of employment issues. Also, C-Suite executives frequently hire the firm to advise and negotiate for them when they join a new company or leave their employment. These engagements often include negotiating high-value employment or severance agreements, understanding complex equity grants, assessing restrictive covenants, and negotiating pre-litigation settlements.

Healthcare Law/Representation of Medical Practices: Gardner Skelton focuses on meeting the legal needs of independent medical practices and physicians in North Carolina. The firm advises physicians on medical-specific legal issues concerning patient privacy, patient relations, billing and documentation, patient access to medical records, and compliance with federal law/state law/medical board guidance. We also provide business- and employment-related advice to independent medical practices, including on issues involving vendor relationships, staff relationships, partner relationships, and business disputes.

Business Litigation/Employment Litigation: The firm maintains an active litigation practice, frequently representing companies and executives in federal court, the North Carolina Business Court, and the North Carolina Superior Court. Among the firm's employment litigation focuses are trade secrets, restrictive covenants (non-competes, non-solicits), employment-related contract disputes, and defense of discrimination/retaliation claims. As for general business litigation, the firm has litigated a wide range of contract disputes, corporate governance disputes, shareholder/member/partner disputes, franchisor/franchisee disputes, claims under the North Carolina Unfair & Deceptive Trade Practices Act, and disputes concerning business acquisitions.

Construction Law/Construction Litigation: Gardner Skelton litigates construction and design defect disputes, advises owners/developers in drafting AIA construction agreements with design professionals and general contractors, prosecutes critical path delay claims and liquidated damages claims, identifies design and construction deficiencies, works with design professionals to prepare Code-compliant repairs, perfects mechanical liens, and advises owners, general contractors, subcontractors, and design professionals on risk management.

Corporate Counsel/Tax Law: Gardner Skelton advises companies on corporate structure, entity formation, corporate governance and compliance, contract negotiations, business succession planning, mergers/acquisitions, regulatory compliance, business tax planning, employee benefits, nonprofit tax planning, tax planning/compliance, and tax controversies, audits, and appeals involving the IRS, state departments of revenue, and local taxing authorities.

Charlotte Office

Gardner Skelton PLLC

505 East Boulevard

Charlotte, North Carolina 28203

(704) 335-0350