Legal Elite – Corporate Counsel 2013

ROBERT WICKER, General Parts International Inc., Raleigh

When I arrived at UNC Chapel Hill, I was a very poor reader. Fortunately, my faculty adviser encouraged me to take a speed-reading class. It dramatically enhanced my reading speed and comprehension. I became excited about reading, rather than struggling with it. Taking the class saved my undergraduate career, and of course, law school otherwise never would have happened. My broad-based liberal-arts education expanded my knowledge about people, cultures, governments, institutions and systems, giving me a better understanding of the ideological, historical, political and other forces that influence them and helped me develop the reading and writing skills and critical thinking required in law school.

Vita: Born Oct. 18, 1944, in Sanford; bachelor’s, law degree and executive-education diploma from UNC Chapel Hill; wife, three children and one grandchild.
What she’d be if not a lawyer: I would probably work at or own a small business — perhaps an importing business.
Memorable case: Burlington Industries Inc. v. Ellerth in 1998. I managed the litigation, was on the brief and attended oral arguments in this U.S. Supreme Court decision, which established the parameters of an affirmative defense for employers in sexual-harassment cases.
Passions: Family, friends, reading and travel.
Favorite places: Wrightsville Beach, Atlantic Beach and Blowing Rock.
Recent reading: I just finished The Swerve: How the World Became Modern by Stephen Greenblatt. My book club is about to discuss Destiny of the Republic by Candice Millard.
Don’t ask her to: Sit quietly by when there is an interesting subject to debate, particularly societal or political.

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CORPORATE COUNSEL

Robert Wicker, General Parts International Inc., Raleigh;
Tarek Azhari, Laboratory Corp. of America Holdings, Burlington;
John W. Babcock, Wall Esleeck Babcock LLP, Winston-Salem;
Tem Blackburn, Variety Wholesalers Inc., Henderson;
Frank Brown, Rexam Beverage Can Co., Charlotte;
D. Scott Coward, K&L Gates LLP, Raleigh;
Joseph B. Dempster, Poyner Spruill LLP, Raleigh;
James Randall Forrest, Forrest Firm, Durham;
Chris Fox, Hanesbrands Inc., Winston-Salem;
Gregory H. Gach, Gach Law Firm PLLC, Charlotte;
Karen A. Gledhill, Robinson, Bradshaw & Hinson PA, Charlotte;
Douglas Gunson, Nucor Corp., Charlotte;
Kenneth Hammer, Toshiba Global Commerce Solutions Inc., Research Triangle Park;
Randall A. Hanson, Womble Carlyle Sandridge & Rice PLLC, Winston-Salem;
Martin L. Holton III, Reynolds American Inc., Winston-Salem;
Howard V. Hudson Jr., BB&T Corp., Winston-Salem;
Frederick D. Hutchison, Hutchison Law Group PLLC, Raleigh;
Gene Jones, Morningstar Law Group, Morrisville;
Shirley J. Linn, FairPoint Communications Inc., Charlotte;
Richard L. Magee, EnPro Industries Inc., Charlotte;
Merrill Mason, Smith, Anderson, Blount, Dorsett, Mitchell & Jernigan LLP, Raleigh;
Chris Matton, Bandwidth.com Inc., Cary;
Jeffrey D. Miller, Highwoods Properties Inc., Raleigh;
Arthur E. Morehead IV, The Duke Endowment, Charlotte;
Claire L. Moritz, WakeMed Health and Hospitals, Raleigh;
John B. Morris, Novant Health Inc., Winston-Salem;
Michael Q. Murray, Sealy Corp., Trinity;
John B. Orgain IV, Alex Lee Inc., Hickory;
Corie Pauling, TIAA-CREF, Charlotte;
Meredith O. Priestley, CT Management Inc., Claremont;
Walter N. Rak, Lowe’s Cos., Mooresville;
Mark Reeth, Salix Pharmaceuticals Ltd., Morrisville;
Donald R. Reynolds, Wyrick Robbins Yates & Ponton LLP, Raleigh;
Jennifer Schenk, OrthoCarolina PA, Charlotte;
J. Troy Smith Jr., Ward and Smith PA, New Bern;
Andrew Spainhour, Replacements Ltd., Greensboro;
Michael A. Springs, Bank of America Corp., Charlotte;
Cynthia L. Turco, CarolinaEast Health System, New Bern;
Reich L. Welborn, Moore & Van Allen PLLC, Morrisville;
James M. Yates Jr., Wyrick Robbins Yates & Ponton LLP, Raleigh.