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Meet Our Professionals

Nicholas H. Lee

Partner
Charlotte | 704.335.9876
Fax | 704.334.4706

Nicholas Lee is a litigator in Parker Poe’s Charlotte office focusing his practice on complex commercial litigation. He represents plaintiffs and defendants in a variety of matters, including cases related to trade secrets and other intellectual property, securities fraud, corporate governance, construction litigation, white collar criminal defense, internal investigations, and foreign trade zones. He handles cases in state and federal courts and also conducts arbitrations. Nicholas is also a member of Parker Poe’s Manufacturing & Distribution Industry Team and Sports & Entertainment Industry Team.

Nicholas completed a federal clerkship with the Honorable Robert J. Conrad Jr. in the Western District of North Carolina. Prior to becoming an attorney, he worked for eight years in the construction industry marketing and selling commercial heating, ventilating, and air conditioning equipment.

Nicholas is admitted to practice in North Carolina as well as the United States District Courts for the Western, Middle, and Eastern Districts of North Carolina, the United States Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit, and the Supreme Court of the United States.

Representative Experience

  • Philips Medical Systems Nederland B.V. v. Transtate Equipment Company, Inc. Served as lead trial counsel in four-week federal jury trial in the Western District of North Carolina, which included successful defense of trade secrets claim and alleged $400 million claim under Digital Millennium Copyright Act, and obtained counterclaim verdict for unfair and deceptive trade practices. This case was featured in Law360 and other news outlets.
  • Merrell, et al. v. Smith, et al. Won summary judgment in the North Carolina Business Court for founder and CEO of major North Carolina bottling company defeating $20+ million claims of breach of fiduciary duty, fraud, and securities fraud. This case was featured in the Charlotte Business Journal and other news outlets.
  • DSM Dyneema, LLC v. Thagard and Honeywell International Inc. Won summary judgment in the North Carolina Business Court for Dr. Thagard defeating $80+ million claim in lawsuit alleging that Dr. Thagard and his employer Honeywell misappropriated trade secrets when Honeywell hired Dr. Thagard, who previously worked for a competitor, and subsequently obtained a contract to supply the Enhanced Combat Helmet to the U.S. military. This case was featured in Reuters.
  • Reetz v. Aon Hewitt Investment Consulting, Inc. Represented financial services company as local counsel in class action ERISA litigation challenging the inclusion of proprietary investment options in a company’s in-house 401(k) plan, resulting in a no liability judgment in favor of our client after a week-long bench trial in federal district court for the Western District of North Carolina. The judgment subsequently was affirmed by the Fourth Circuit Court of Appeals. This case was featured in Law360, Bloomberg Law, and other news outlets.
  • ZF Transmission v. Sustained Quality, LLC. Represented ZF Transmission, an international manufacturer in the automotive industry, bringing breach of contract and negligence claims in arbitration related to the operation of ZF Transmission’s foreign trade zone. Negotiated a confidential settlement.
  • O’Malley, et al. v. Polypore International, Inc. Represented Polypore International, a global technology company in the battery manufacturing industry, defending against breach of contract and North Carolina Wage and Hour Act claims related to executive compensation issues. Negotiated a confidential settlement.
  • Smith v. Pulte Home Corporation. Represented national home builder defending against water runoff and nuisance claims related to subdivision development. Negotiated a confidential settlement.
  • Composite Resources, Inc. v. Combat Medical Systems, LLC and Alphapointe. Served as local counsel representing nonprofit manufacturer of medical tourniquets in the Western District of North Carolina defending against claims of alleged infringement of a patent for tourniquets. We obtained summary judgment of non-infringement.

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Honors & Awards

  • The Best Lawyers in America in Commercial Litigation, 2024-2025; "Ones to Watch" in Commercial Litigation and Criminal Defense: White Collar, 2021-2023
  • North Carolina Pro Bono Honor Society, 2018, 2019, 2021, 2022, 2023
  • Charlotte Pro Bono Triage Program Champion, 2019-present
  • Parker Poe Pro Bono Leadership Award, 2024
  • Safe Alliance Men for Change Committee, 2018-present
  • Editor-in-Chief of the Regent University Law Review