profile

CHRISTOPHER
P. RAAB

SHAREHOLDER

Practice Areas:

  • Business Litigation
  • Appellate Litigation
  • Employment Law

Biography

Chris is a Shareholder at Caudle & Spears.  His practice focuses on business litigation, appellate litigation, and employment law.  Chris is licensed in North Carolina and South Carolina.

Chris advocates for clients in both state and federal court, and he regularly represents clients before the North Carolina appellate courts.  He is experienced in all aspects of the litigation process, from commencement of suit through appeal, and has tried multiple cases to jury verdict, including in the North Carolina District and Superior Courts, the North Carolina Business Court, and the United States District Court for the Western District of North Carolina.  Chris also frequently represents clients in binding arbitration proceedings.

Chris represents a range of clients including businesses, insurance companies, municipalities, and individuals.  He assists clients in cases dealing with:

 

  • Covenants not to compete or solicit; 
  • Business torts such as breach of contract, tortious interference, fraud, misappropriation of trade secrets, and unfair and deceptive trade practices; 
  • Executive compensation;
  • Breach of fiduciary duty and corporate governance issues; 
  • Disputes between shareholders or LLC members; 
  • Automobile dealership law; 
  • Defense of municipalities and their employees against federal civil rights claims; and
  • Defense of businesses against employment discrimination and wage and hour claims.

 

In addition to his litigation practice, Chris also advises businesses on human resources and employment law matters, and he represents executives and professionals in negotiating employment and separation agreements.

Chris possesses an AV Preeminent® Peer Review Rating from Martindale-Hubbell, which is given to attorneys who are ranked at the highest level of professional excellence for their legal expertise, communication skills, and ethical standards by their peers.  For each of the past nine years, Chris has also been recognized by North Carolina Super Lawyers magazine as a Rising Star among North Carolina litigators.


Education

  • Duke University School of Law, Durham, North Carolina
    • J.D. - 2007
    • Honors: cum laude
  • Bob Jones University, Greenville, South Carolina
    • B.A. - 2004
    • Honors: summa cum laude
    • Major: Pre-law

Bar Admission

  • North Carolina, 2007
  • South Carolina, 2010
  • U.S. District Court Western District of North Carolina, 2007
  • U.S. District Court Eastern District of North Carolina, 2010
  • U.S. District Court Middle District of North Carolina, 2010
  • U.S. District Court District of South Carolina, 2010
  • U.S. Court of Appeals Fourth Circuit, 2014
  • U.S. Supreme Court, 2018

Published Works

  • Fighting Terrorism in an Electronic Age: Does the Patriot Act Unduly Compromise Our Civil Liberties?, 2006 Duke L. & Tech. Rev. 3.
  • Cunningham v. California, 3 Duke J. Const. L. & Pub. Pol'y Sidebar 85 (2007).

Representative Cases

  • North Carolina Farm Bureau Mut. Ins. Co. v. Smith, et al., 743 S.E.2d 647 , 2013, N.C. Ct. App.
  • Corporate Fleet Services v. West Van, Inc., 3:08-cv-00413, 2009 WL 753432, 2009 WL 5211428 (W.D.N.C. 2009).
  • Abdelaziz v. Asmar, No. COA13-1424, 761 S.E.2d 754 (N.C. Ct. App. May 20, 2014) (unpublished), discretionary review denied, 763 S.E.2d 388 (N.C. Oct. 9, 2014

Honors

  • Martindale-Hubbell AV Preeminent® Peer Review Rating
  • North Carolina Super Lawyers - Rising Star (2013-2021)

Classes & Seminars

  • Bad Faith and Unfair Claims Settlement Practices in North and South Carolina, EMC Insurance Co., February 5, 2013

Professional Associations

  • North Carolina Bar Association
  • South Carolina Bar Association
  • North Carolina Association of Defense Attorneys

Current Employment Position

  • Shareholder