Addie K. S. Ries

Addie Ries is a litigation attorney who focuses her practice on toxic tort, products liability, mass tort, and negligence cases involving catastrophic personal injury, wrongful death, and property damage.  Versed in the nationwide landscape and science of asbestos, benzene, PFAS, and other toxic tort litigation, she regularly serves as primary counsel and national counsel defending her clients against cases filed as individual actions, class actions, and as part of the nation’s largest PFAS multi-district litigation (MDL). Addie is co-chair of the firm’s PFAS Team and regularly advises clients regarding PFAS litigation and counseling. She also has significant experience in breach of contract disputes, corporate governance/shareholder litigation, and franchise disputes. She has represented clients from a broad range of industries, including the aviation, automotive, chemical, financial, hospitality, pharmaceutical/medical device, manufacturing, real estate, utilities, professional sports, and transportation industries.

Addie has represented clients in such litigation matters through jury and bench trials before state and federal courts in North Carolina, South Carolina, and other jurisdictions nationwide. She has also appeared before the American Arbitration Association in national and international arbitration matters.

Addie is dedicated to meeting her clients’ needs with experience and efficiency. In addition to vigorously defending her clients’ interests in litigation, she regularly counsels clients in anticipating and resolving disputes before they reach litigation.

Based on reviews from her peers, Addie has been honored by The Best Lawyers in America© for Commercial Litigation and awarded an "AV Preeminent" rating in Litigation, Commercial Law, and Aviation and Aerospace by Martindale Hubbell. She enjoys serving her profession and her community and previously served on the Board of Directors for Children’s Flight of Hope and currently serves on the North Carolina Bar Association’s Litigation Section Council.

Recognition

• The Best Lawyers in America®
  • Commercial Litigation (2019-2025)
  • Product Liability Litigation - Defendants (2022-2025)
• Benchmark Litigation
  • North Carolina Litigation Star (2023-2025)
  • Top 250 Women in Litigation (2022-2024)
  • North Carolina Future Star (2022)
• North Carolina Super Lawyers Rising Star (2016-2018)
• Martindale-Hubbell "AV Preeminent" rated in Litigation, Commercial Law, and Aviation and Aerospace
• N.C. Journal of Law and Technology, Editorial Board
• University of North Carolina Chapter of The Order of the Coif

Education

• University of North Carolina, J.D., 2003
  • Order of the Coif
• University of Georgia, B.A., cum laude, 2000

Bar & Court Admissions

• North Carolina Bar Association, Litigation Council
• North Carolina Association of Defense Attorneys
  • Vice Chair, Products Liability Group
  • Past Member, Diversity Committee
• Legal Aid of North Carolina, Volunteer Lawyers Program
• American Bar Association
• Wake County Bar Association

• Nationwide defense of chemical manufacturer in thousands of PFAS litigation claims filed in state courts and federal multi-district litigation (MDL) alleging personal injuries, property damage, and environmental contamination from alleged release of PFAS compounds.
• Defense of national manufacturers/retailers of asbestos-containing products in toxic tort suits, including successful representation through trial and Daubert motions and hearings.
• Defense of national retailer of wood products in toxic tort litigation involving claims of sino-nasal cancer from exposure to wood dust.
• Defense of national chemical company in toxic tort litigation involving claims of leukemia from exposure to benzene-containing solvents.
• Defense of large corporations against product liability claims involving motor vehicles, pharmaceutical products, and medical and surgical devices.
• Defense of a closely-held corporation and its shareholders in a shareholder derivative lawsuit through a multi-week bench trial before the North Carolina Business Court.
• Defense of an international business and its founder before numerous federal and state courts, as well as arbitration, in suits arising out of the business break-up of a North Carolina company.
• Defense of motor vehicle manufacturers in a variety of franchise disputes before the North Carolina Commissioner of Motor Vehicles and North Carolina courts.
• Defense of a publicly-traded company in a series of complex breach of contract, breach of fiduciary duty, negligent misrepresentation, and unfair and deceptive trade practices cases.
• Defense of a franchised restaurant and its president through a multi-week jury trial in a premises liability/inadequate security case.
• Defense of aviation and trucking carriers against negligence-based claims for personal injuries and wrongful death.
• Defense of companies and individuals in professional malpractice cases involving alleged medical malpractice, legal malpractice and real estate appraisal malpractice.
• Representation of a wide variety of businesses as plaintiffs and defendants in breach of contract, fraud and unfair trade practices cases before the North Carolina Business Court and other state and federal courts.
• Represented commercial landlord in response to allegations of mold contamination.