Four Attorneys Join Smith Anderson in Q1, Bolstering Litigation and Tech Transactions Practices

Raleigh, N.C.—Smith Anderson announces the arrival of four attorneys in the first quarter of 2025—Michael Anderson, Jim Dougherty, John Gibbons and Samantha Taylor—each bringing valuable experience from national or international law firms, corporate legal departments or the federal government. Their varied backgrounds in business litigation, life sciences and regulatory compliance further strengthen the firm’s capabilities in key areas, particularly Litigation and Technology Transactions.

Michael Anderson joins the firm’s Business Litigation practice. He most recently served as Chief of the Civil Division for the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of North Carolina where he oversaw investigations and litigation of a wide range of civil matters, including False Claims Act cases, Controlled Substances Act enforcement, employment discrimination, torts and bankruptcy. His work spanned numerous federal districts and heavily regulated industries, including healthcare, pharmaceuticals, financial services, cybersecurity and government contracting. Michael brings valuable insight into internal and government investigations, federal regulatory scrutiny and high-stakes litigation.

Jim Dougherty joins the Technology Transactions practice with extensive in-house and cross-border legal experience in the life sciences and AgTech sectors. His prior roles include serving as in-house counsel for a global life sciences company and as Assistant General Counsel at a St. Louis-based agri-food startup that reached a $1.3 billion valuation. Jim also led the North American crop protection licensing business for a global life sciences company and leverages that experience to advise on licensing and collaborations, product commercialization, technology development and compliance. With career experience spanning Canada, France and China, he brings a global perspective to legal strategy and business growth.

John Gibbons, a former federal prosecutor with substantial appellate and trial experience, joins the Litigation team, focusing on complex commercial disputes, regulatory matters and multi-state litigation. During his tenure as Assistant U.S. Attorney in the Appellate Division of the Eastern District of North Carolina, John argued appeals before the Fourth Circuit and handled high-stakes matters involving fraud, healthcare enforcement and constitutional issues. His broad litigation background includes defending companies in class actions, consumer protection claims, product liability cases and appellate matters. He has represented clients in both federal and state courts, tackling constitutional challenges, government investigations and mass-tort litigation. John’s background as a federal prosecutor enables him to assess risk and strategy from both sides of a dispute.

Samantha Taylor joins Smith Anderson’s Litigation team, representing companies in a wide range of business litigation matters, including contract disputes, tort and statutory claims. She advises clients on compliance issues—including data privacy and cybersecurity—and has experience with internal and regulatory investigations. Samantha has appeared in state, federal and North Carolina Business Court in high-stakes matters involving professional malpractice and product liability, and has also advised global corporations on regulatory inquiries and complex commercial disputes. Samantha earned her law degree with honors from the University of North Carolina School of Law.