Aaron Lay Email & Phone Number

I joined HSSM in 2008 as an associate attorney in HSSM’s litigation practice group. Although I have experience in a broad range of civil litigation matters, my practice primarily focuses on business litigation and construction litigation. I serve as primary counsel for clients, ranging from large corporations, developers, contractors and suppliers to small businesses and individuals, throughout the various stages of litigation in state and federal courts in North Carolina, including appeals. I have successfully litigated claims and defended appeals involving involving tens of millions of dollars in both simple and complex, multi-party cases through jury trial and served both as lead counsel and first chair in construction defect litigation involving dozens of parties in both the capacity of defense counsel and plaintiff’s counsel. I am licensed to practice law in both North Carolina and Tennessee.I have been recognized by my professional peers and members of the North Carolina Bar for my skills, knowledge and judgment as a litigator. Business North Carolina named me the top attorney under 40 in North Carolina - I received the most peer votes in the Legal Elite "Young Guns" (Under 40) category for 2016. (http://businessnc.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/01/legalelite2016.pdf). I have received an AV® Preeminent™ (4.5 - 5.0) Martindale-Hubbell Peer Review Rating. According to Martindale-Hubbell, “An AV® certification mark is a significant rating accomplishment - a testament to the fact that a lawyer's peers rank him or her at the highest level of professional excellence.” Super Lawyers magazine named me a “Rising Star” in business litigation in its 2014 - 2020 editions and a Super Lawyer in its 2021 edition. I am a graduate of the 2015 class of the prestigious Mecklenburg County Bar Leadership Institute.

I assisted in planning and implemented one of the largest grassroots operation in North Carolina political history within a multi-million dollar campaign budget; contacting over 140,000 households with a team going door-to-door throughout North Carolina. I personally recruited, hired, and managed a team of 70 field representatives and managers. As part of the implementation of this plan, I setup and directly managed a campaign headquarters and five field offices. In addition to my field supervision duties, I oversaw communications with media, including press releases and interviews. Moreover, I created, researched, and edited detailed policy proposals and white papers for the candidate covering topics such as immigration and health care reform

As a political director and later, a deputy campaign director, I successfully assisted our campaign team in the election of Congressman Patrick McHenry. During the 2004 campaign cycle, I assisted our campaign team in the development and execution of an innovative grassroots campaign strategy that was profiled in several national political publications. I personally prepared speeches, press releases, memos and campaign promotional materials and acted as the personal aide for the congressman on his campaign travels. During the summer of 2005, I oversaw daily operations of a congressional campaign with a staff of 25. The Congressman has now risen to the position of Republican Majority Whip, the third ranking position in the United States House of Representatives.

London, Gb

Doctor Of Jurisprudence, Advocacy Concentration

Bachelor Of Arts, Magna Cum Laude, Political Science; Public Administration