Attorney
Gary Jackson*
Gary has the breadth and depth of experience whistleblowers want on their side. His tenacity and litigation skills make a formidable combination when fighting corporate fraud against the government.
Gary Jackson has been a tireless advocate for courageous whistleblowers. With more than 40 years of experience as a successful litigator1 trying multiple multimillion dollar cases, he is a recognized name throughout the legal community of North Carolina and beyond. And in North Carolina, there are not many lawyers who have as much experience handling whistleblower/qui tam cases as Gary.
Fighting the good fight
Gary’s vast experience in qui tam cases5 includes filing claims for alleged fraud involving:
- Medicare, Medicaid, and TRICARE claims and billing abuse
- Improperly stored medication sold to the government by a big box retailer’s pharmacies
- Tampering of medical products’ expiration dates for sale to Medicare and Medicaid participants by a distributor
- Misuse of Title IV federal student aid funds by a university
- Construction company kickbacks and use of sham corporations to win contracting bids with the government
Please visit our past successes page for more details on these and other whistleblower cases that our firm has successfully settled.1
Gary is also a member of Taxpayers Against Fraud (TAF), a national nonprofit whistleblower organization dedicated to combating fraud against the government and the American taxpayer. In addition to working with his whistleblower clients, Gary is frequently asked to speak throughout the country at educational programs for lawyers, and he regularly authors articles addressing current legal trends and developments.
An attorney recognized (over and over) for his dedication and skill
Gary has won many awards and accolades over his career. Super Lawyers magazine has designated Gary a North Carolina “Super Lawyer”4 every year since 2006 for Class Actions and Mass Torts. From 2020-2022, he was named to the “Best Lawyers in America”4 list by Best Lawyers for Litigation. In 2013, 2014, and 2015, he was designated one of the “Top 100 Lawyers in North Carolina”4 by Super Lawyers magazine and in 2013 and 2015 among the “Top 25 Lawyers in Charlotte”4 by the same publication. Gary was recognized by Business North Carolina as a “Legal Elite”4 in 2003, 2004, 2008, and 2013. He is a charter fellow of the Litigation Counsel of America and holds an AV “Pre-eminent” rating (their highest peer-review rating) from Martindale-Hubbell.4 His many awards include the North Carolina Advocates for Justice (NCAJ) Kelly Crabtree Award, the NCAJ Ebbie Award, and the North Carolina Open Government Coalition’s Sunshine Award for Advocacy. He is a Fellow of the American Bar Foundation, a recognition reserved for the top 1% of attorneys.4
Practicing law from coast to coast
Gary grew up in Louisiana but matriculated in North Carolina, obtaining both his undergraduate degree and J.D. at Duke University. After law school, he accepted a position with a large law firm on the West Coast and then clerked for a federal judge. The AmLaw 100 firm Baker & McKenzie hired him away from California and sent him to the prestigious Harvard Negotiation Program and then on to their New York offices.
Gary eventually tired of the northern winters and returned to practice law in North Carolina. In addition to practicing on both coastlines, the breadth of his experience includes litigating for corporate clients, as well as for individual plaintiffs, and he has also been involved in pro bono efforts to help families of 9/11 victims seek recovery through the federal Victims’ Compensation Fund. He currently applies his considerable skills and experience towards helping whistleblowers fight to try to right the wrongs committed against the government, and ultimately, against taxpayers.
Gary works hard to earn the trust and respect of his clients. He fights the good fight because it feels right to him. “At the core, law is about representing people, helping people, understanding people, and having empathy. And that’s what is so gratifying to me.”
*Of counsel
5 For information regarding the standards for inclusion for “Super Lawyers,” “Top 100 Lawyers in North Carolina,” and “Top 25 Lawyers in Charlotte,” visit www.superlawyers.com. For information regarding the standards for inclusion for Business North Carolina’s “Legal Elite,” visit businessnc.com. For information regarding the standards for inclusion in Martindale Hubbell peer review ratings, visit www.martindale.com. For information regarding the American Bar Foundation’s 1% of lawyers licensed to practice in each jurisdiction, visit www.americanbarfoundation.org/fellows. For information regarding the standards for inclusion for the “Best Lawyers in America” list, visit www.bestlawyers.com.
Licensed In
North Carolina
New York
Education
Duke University School of Law
1979 J.D.
Duke University
1976 B.A. in History, magna cum laude
Post-Graduate Education
Harvard School of Law, Visiting Researcher, 1984-1985
Gerry Spence Trial Lawyers College Graduate, 2012
Admitted to Practice
U.S. Court of Appeals for the 9th and 4th Circuits
U.S. District Court for the Eastern, Middle, and Western Districts of North Carolina
U.S. District Court for the Eastern, Northern, Central, and Southern Districts of California
U.S District Court for the Southern and Eastern Districts of New York
Memberships
Taxpayers Against Fraud
National Association of Consumer Advocates
Public Justice Foundation
American Association for Justice
Construction Defects Litigation Group Co-Chair, 2002-Present
Public Affairs Committee Member, 2006-2008
Publications Committee Member, 2007-2009
Business Torts Section
North Carolina Advocates for Justice
President, 2011-2012
Executive Committee, 2007-2013
Vice President at-Large, 2010-2011
Education Vice President, 2007-2010
Board of Governors, 2006-2013
Consumer Areas of Practice Litigation Group Chair, 2003-2005
Professional Negligence, Consumer Areas of Practice Sections
Southern Trial Lawyers Association
Board of Governors, 2006-Present
North Carolina Bar Association
Litigation Section Chair, 2002-2003
International Section Chair, 1994-1995
Tort Reform Task Force Member, 2003-Present
Tort Reform Task Force Co-Chair, 2005-2007
American Bar Association, Litigation Section
Durham County Bar Association
Master, William Bobbitt Inn of Court, Program Chair, 2003-2005
Honors/Awards/Accomplishments
“Best Lawyers in America” list5 by Best Lawyers in America for Litigation, 2020 -2022
North Carolina Pro Bono Honor Society Inductee, 2020
Mass Tort MDL Program Certificate, Duke University School of Law, Bolch Judicial Institute, 2019
Super Lawyers magazine’s North Carolina “Super Lawyers”5 list for Class Actions/Mass Torts, 2006-2022
Super Lawyers magazine’s North Carolina “Top 100 Lawyers” list,5 2013-2015
Super Lawyers magazine’s North Carolina “Top 25 Lawyers in Charlotte” list,5 2013 and 2015
North Carolina Open Government Coalition, Sunshine Award for Advocacy, 2015
Business North Carolina’s “Legal Elite” list,5 2003, 2004, 2008, 2013
American Bar Foundation, Fellow5
Litigation Counsel of America, Charter Fellow
Martindale-Hubbell AV “Pre-eminent” Rating5
Who’s Who in American Law
North Carolina Advocates for Justice Kelly Crabtree Award, 2011
North Carolina Advocates for Justice Ebbie Award, 2009
Clerkships/Teaching
Duke University School of Law, Senior Lecturing Fellow, 2002
U.S. District Judge Robert P. Aguilar (N.D. Cal.), Law Clerk, 1980-1981
Classes/Seminars
“lncivility: I Know It When I See It – Double Standards that Plaintiff Lawyers Face,” STLA Presentation, Speaker, New Orleans, LA, February 2019
“The Strategies Defense Lawyers Use to Rattle Your Cage and Sabotage Your Premises Liability Case,” Connectionology Seminar, Speaker, Charlotte, NC, June 2018
“Courthouse Lockout: The Indomitable March of Compulsory Arbitration,” STLA Annual Meeting, Speaker, New Orleans, LA, February 2013
“Adapt or Perish: Seizing New Opportunities in Challenging Times,” Alabama Association for Justice Mid-Winter Conference, Speaker, Birmingham, AL, January 2013
“Expert Witnesses: Competing Views from the Plaintiff and Defense Lawyers’ Perspectives,” NCBA Annual Meeting, Speaker, Wilmington, NC, June 2010
Civil Master’s Program, NCAJ Annual Convention, Chair, Wilmington, NC, June 2010
“Business Court: A Primer for Trial Lawyers,” South Carolina Association of Trial Lawyers, Speaker, Hilton Head, SC, August 2008
“Civility Is Not a One Way Street,” Ohio Association for Justice Annual Meeting, Speaker, Columbus, OH, May 2008
“Incivility: I Know It When I See It – Double Standards that Plaintiff Lawyers Face,” AAJ Convention, Speaker, San Juan, PR, January 2008
“A Steep Uphill Battle: Representing Homeowners, Consumers, and Policyholders in North Carolina,” NCATL Annual Convention, Speaker, June 2007
“Litigation Incivility: I Think I Know It When I See It,” Litigation Counsel of America Annual Meeting, Speaker, New York, NY, June 2007
“Litigating Complex Cases in the NC Business Court” All-Star Panel, NCBA Antitrust Annual Meeting, Panelist, May 2007
“Litigating Construction Defect Cases,” PESI Absolute Business Torts Litigation Conference, Speaker, Las Vegas, NV, March 2007
“Successful Prosecution of Construction Defect Cases in the Age of Tort Reform,” AAJ Annual Convention, Speaker, Chicago, IL, 2007
“Prosecuting Class Actions in Arbitration,” Litigation at Sunrise ATLA Annual Convention, Speaker, Seattle, WA, July 2006
“North Carolina’s Predatory Lending Laws: An Introduction,” NCATL Annual Convention, Moderator, June 2006
“If You Build It They Will Come: Litigating Construction and Mold Cases,” STLA Annual Conference, Speaker, New Orleans, LA, February 2006
“Construction Defects in a Nutshell,” Academy of Florida Trial Lawyers Workhorse Seminar, Speaker, Orlando, FL, February 2006
“How to Spot the Sick Building Case: A Primer in Contamination and Defect,” ATLA Mid-Year Convention, Speaker, Orlando, FL, February 2004
“Evaluating Toxic Mold Cases: A Primer,” NCATL Mountain Magic, Speaker, October 2003
“Professionalism, Civility and the Practice of Law: Are They Related?,” ATLA Annual Convention, Speaker, San Francisco, CA, July 2003
“Bad Buildings and Mold – Tying It All Together,” ATLA’s Litigating Toxic Mold Cases, Speaker, Chicago, IL, June 2003
“Construction Defects in 2002,” Mealey’s Conference, Speaker, Atlanta, GA, October 2002
“Roundtable Discussion with Superior Court Judges,” NCBA Annual Meeting, Program Planner, June 2002
“Analyzing and Proving Construction Damages in North Carolina,” Lorman Education Series, Speaker, May 2002
“The Nuts and Bolts of Products Liability Litigation,” NCATL, Speaker, May 2002
“Toxic Mold: A Legal Primer,” Community Associations Institute’s National Conference, Speaker, Dallas, TX, May 2002
“Toxic Mold and Construction Defects,” NCATL, Program Planner and Speaker, March 2002
“Alternative Dispute Resolution,” NCATL, Speaker, March 2002
“When Bad Houses Make Good Cases,” Litigation at Sunrise ATLA Mid-year Convention, Speaker, Miami, FL, February 2002
“Synthetic Stucco Litigation,” Litigation at Sunrise ATLA Annual Convention, Speaker, San Francisco, July 1999
“Advanced Synthetic Stucco: Trial and Beyond,” NCBA, Speaker, May 1999
“Synthetic Stucco Litigation from the Plaintiff’s Perspective,” NCBA, Speaker, April 1998
“Synthetic Stucco Class Action: Opt In or Opt Out,” NCATL, Speaker, September 1997
“The Recognition and Enforcement of Foreign Judgments,” NCBA, Speaker, February 1993
Publications
“Adapt or Perish,” Trial, October 2010
“Managing Co-Counsel Relationships,” Trial, October 2009
“Do Business Courts Really Mean Business?” Trial, June 2006
“The Economic Loss Principle in Construction Defect Litigation,” The Litigator, June 2005
“Home, Bitter Sweet Home,” Trial, February 2005
“Mold Liability – Mixed Signals,” Realtor Magazine, December 2004
“Arbitration of Business Disputes: Friend or Foe?” Business North Carolina, June 2004
“Synthetic Stucco: Litigation Alert,” Realtor Magazine, January 2004
“Business Plaintiffs: Not an Oxymoron,” Business North Carolina, July 2003
“When Bad Houses Make Good Cases,” Trial, November 2002
“Immediate Appeal of Class Certification Orders – Should North Carolina Follow the Federal Lead?,” North Carolina State Bar Journal, Winter 2001
“Evaluating and Prosecuting the ‘Bad House’ Case,” Mealey’s Construction Defects Litigation Report, September 2001
“North Carolina’s New International Arbitration Act,” Campbell Law Observer, February 1992
The Charlotte Observer, Monthly Editorial Guest Columnist, 1998
Community/Civic Activities
Winston-Salem YMCA Board of Directors Chair, 1993-1995
Forsyth County Democratic Party Chair, 1991-1993
East Winston-Community Development Corporation Board of Directors Member, 1993-1995
North Carolina Institute of Political Leadership Fellow, 1990
YMCA of Greater Charlotte Public Policy Committee Member, 1996-1998
Contact the Carolina
Whistleblower Attorneys
If you’re wondering if it’s a good idea to speak with a whistleblower lawyer about what you know, let us set the record straight.
- Corporate ethics hotlines can be risky and may lead to termination. If you’ve already done this, call us immediately.
- Your coworkers could be aware of the fraud – or complicit in it – and you should not talk to them about it.
- The first claim to be filed under the False Claims Act can proceed – if you’re not first, you’re at a serious disadvantage and may get nothing (another reason not to speak to your coworkers about it).
- A confidential discussion costs you a few minutes, but could save you time, stress, and money.
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