Norris A. Adams

Norris Adams is a civil litigator with a practice emphasis on ERISA litigation. He regularly represents clients in ERISA matters at both the administrative level and in federal court, including short- and long-term disability benefit claims, retirement and pension benefit claims, all levels of health benefit coverage denial claims, life insurance claims, accidental death and dismemberment claims, breach of fiduciary duty claims, and other employee benefit matters.

Norris is a frequent speaker and lecturer on ERISA and related issues at continuing legal education conferences all across the country. He has also written numerous articles and book chapters for a wide range of professional publications on various ERISA topics.

Norris’ practice also focuses on appellate advocacy, class actions, construction litigation, catastrophic personal injury and wrongful death, labor and employment, and general business litigation. He has successfully tried numerous bench and jury trials, and regularly appears in all state and federal courts, both at the trial court and appellate levels.

Norris also serves as General Counsel to the North Carolina Fraternal Order of Police (NCFOP). The NCFOP is comprised of over 6,000 law enforcement officers and 57 lodges from across the state, and is the largest law enforcement organization in the State of North Carolina.

Prior to joining Essex Richards more than a decade ago, Norris served as a law clerk for the Honorable Judge Stephen C. St. John, Chief Judge of the United States Bankruptcy Court for the Eastern District of Virginia in Norfolk, Virginia.

Before that, he received his juris doctorate from Wake Forest University School of Law in Winston-Salem, North Carolina, where he was a member of the Moot Court Executive Board and received the Order of the Barristers upon graduation.

Norris received his Bachelor of Arts from Campbell University in Buies Creek, North Carolina, where he double majored in Political Science and History and received the Sarah Virginia Hackney Award of Excellence upon graduation.

EDUCATION :

• Wake Forest University School of Law, Juris Doctorate
• Campbell University, Bachelor of Arts

Bar Admissions:

• North Carolina (2004)
• U.S. Court of Appeals
• U.S. District Court
• U.S. Bankruptcy Court

Professional Associations:

• American Bar Association
• North Carolina Bar Association
• Mecklenburg County Bar
• North Carolina Advocates for Justice
• Mecklenburg County Trial Lawyers Association