Kerry Shad is a National Top 50 Labor & Employment Litigator According to Benchmark Litigation 

Kerry Shad has been recognized by Benchmark Litigation in its inaugural list of the Top 50 Labor & Employment Litigators - the only attorney in North Carolina honored this year. The publication refers to its Top 50 Labor & Employment Litigators List as “an elite group of lawyers who have been recognized by peers and clients alike for their exceptional reputations and achievements in labor and employment.”

Kerry holds key leadership roles in the firm, including as an elected member of the Management Committee and co-chair of the Diversity & Inclusion Committee. She also co-leads Smith Anderson’s Employment Litigation practice and is a member of the firm’s Litigation team that has been honored as the “North Carolina State Firm of the Year” by Benchmark for four consecutive years (2020-2023). Benchmark has also recognized Kerry individually as a Labor & Employment Star since the release of its first guide in 2018 and in the 2023 guide, she was additionally recognized in the publication’s business litigation rankings as a Litigation Star. Among her many other accolades, Kerry is also ranked by Chambers USA: America’s Leading Lawyers for Business in the North Carolina Labor & Employment category.

Kerry’s practice focuses on representing employers in all types of employment related litigation. She advises companies of all sizes, including global companies, on a wide variety of employment law issues across a range of industries, including healthcare (insurers and hospitals), pharmaceutical, technology, hospitality and manufacturing. She regularly defends employers against EEOC charges and lawsuits in federal and state courts in jurisdictions across the country.

Benchmark Litigation is the definitive guide to the leading litigation law firms and lawyers around the world. Since its inception in 2008, Benchmark has grown dramatically and garnered industry-wide accolades as the hub for in-depth analysis of the players shaping the practice of litigation. Each year, the Benchmark team sets out to identify leading lawyers and their firms through extensive research that involves analyzing submitted casework, interviews with the market for peer review, and client feedback analysis. The growth of the brand has driven demand for its expansion to service other markets beyond the U.S. including, Canada, Latin America, the Asia-Pacific region and Europe. Additional details about Benchmark Litigation’s voting methodology can be viewed here.