James F. Wyatt III

James F. Wyatt, III is recognized as one of the nations leading trial lawyers. He is a member of the International Academy of Trial Lawyers, the American College of Trial Lawyers, the Best Lawyers in America, has a Band 1 Ranking with Chambers and Partners, and has been named on numerous occasions as the best white collar defense and civil trial lawyer in both Charlotte and the State of North Carolina.

In 2025, for the sixth straight year, James was selected by Super Lawyers as the Number One Lawyer in North Carolina, regardless of specialty or field. This ranking was obtained based on peer nominations, research by Super Lawyers and a Blue Ribbon review process.

In 2021, Super Lawyers published a feature cover story on James.

James was also recently featured in an article that focused on the James Slim Bouler federal criminal trial involving NBA star Michael Jordan, as mentioned in The Last Dance (ESPN television series). The Charlotte Observer article can be accessed here.

James is a member of Business North Carolinas Power List. This magazine lists the most powerful individuals in the state, and focuses mainly on those chosen for leadership positions by their peers. He was inducted into the Power List Hall of Fame in 2022.

James attended Vanderbilt University, graduating in 1978 with a degree in Economics with highest honors. He graduated in 3 years, was the Salutatorian of his graduating class, and was a member of Phi Beta Kappa and many other honorary societies. James obtained his Certified Public Accountant (CPA) certificate after graduating from college. James graduated from Duke Law School in 1982, after being selected by his peers as the Executive Editor of the Duke Law Journal and as the Chairman of the Moot Court Board.

After graduating from Duke Law School, James clerked for United States District Court Judge Harold L. Murphy in the Northern District of Georgia. Judge Murphy was one of Georgias leading trial lawyers and legislators before he ascended to the federal bench. James then worked for three years with Bobby Lee Cook, Sr. of Summerville, Georgia. The television show Matlock is patterned after Mr. Cook. When working with Mr. Cook, James tried over 30 cases to verdict, ranging from criminal RICO and murder trials to diverse federal and state cases, both civil and criminal. James opened his own law practice in Charlotte in 1986, and has engaged in the trial of criminal and civil cases since then.

In 1991, at the age of 33, James received an AV Martindale Hubbell rating and was listed in Martindale Hubbells Register of PreEminent Civil and Criminal Trial Lawyers. The same year, he was selected to speak on the topic of closing arguments at the North Carolina Criminal Defense All Star Seminar. In 1992, he was named one of six top young attorneys in Charlotte by the Business Journal. In 1994, he was selected to be a member of the Best Lawyers in America. In 1999, he was selected as one of Charlottes Best Lawyers by Charlotte Magazine. In 2004, James was selected by Business North Carolina as the best criminal defense lawyer in North Carolina. James was selected by Best Lawyers as the White Collar Lawyer of the Year (2011); Banking and Finance Lawyer of the Year (2014); Criminal Defense: Non-White Collar Lawyer of the Year (2013-14); and Charlotte Criminal Defense White Collar Lawyer of the Year (2019). In 2020, James was first selected by Super Lawyers as the best lawyer in North Carolina, regardless of specialty or field, and has been elected to this position each of the ensuing five years.

Currently, James is listed in Best Lawyers in America in four separate categories: BetTheCompany Litigation, Commercial Litigation, NonWhite Collar Criminal Defense and White Collar Criminal Defense. He is also a Member of the American College of Trial Lawyers, an organization consisting of outstanding civil and criminal trial lawyers (with fewer than 1% of the lawyers in the United States and Canada becoming members of this organization after a thorough vetting process). He is currently the State Chair of the North Carolina ACTL fellows. Additionally, James was inducted into the International Academy of Trial Lawyers, whose membership is limited to 500 fellows from the United States who have achieved a career of excellence through demonstrated skill and ability in jury trials. He is a member of the Board of Directors of the IATL.

In addition to his representation of individuals and businesses in white collar and criminal defense matters, James has represented numerous parties in both class action litigation and qui tam lawsuits over the past 20 years. In qui tam litigation, James has represented physicians, medical billing and coding personnel and other employees of medical practices in qui tam whistleblower lawsuits filed under the federal False Claims Act, the AntiKickback Statute, the federal Physician SelfReferral Statute (or Stark Law), and the North Carolina False Claims Act. These cases have included issues of false and fraudulent billing, upcoding, improper referrals and illegal kickbacks. He has been cocounsel for the whistleblowers in two recent settlements of over $100,000,000 each, and a recent class action settlement exceeding $1 billion. He also handles numerous other types of complex civil litigation.

Email: jwyatt@wyattlaw.net

Awards/Honors:

Named to Business North Carolinas Power List 2021. This article lists the most powerful individuals in the state, and focuses mainly on those chosen for leadership positions by their peers. Selected to Power List’s Hall of Fame in 2022.

Super Lawyers feature cover story (‘Defending the Unpopular’) and named the top lawyer in North Carolina regardless of specialty or field (2021)

Ranked the Number 1 Lawyer in the State of North Carolina, regardless of specialty or field, by Super Lawyers from 2020 to the present (2020, 2021, 2022, 2023, 2024 and 2025). The ranking was obtained based on peer nominations, research by Super Lawyers and a Blue Ribbon review process.

Best Lawyers Lawyer of the Year Criminal Defense: White-Collar for Charlotte (2019) (awarded to the lawyer in a region and practice area who receives the highest rating from their peers)
Ranked in the Top 10 Lawyers in North Carolina by Super Lawyers, regardless of specialty or field (2017 to present)

International Academy of Trial Lawyers Member (2017-present); member of Board of Directors of IATL

Band 1 Ranking with Chambers and Partners: Litigation White-Collar Crime and Government Investigations (2016-present)

Best Lawyers: Banking and Finance Lawyer of the Year (2014)

Best Lawyers Charlotte Criminal Defense: Non-White Collar Lawyer of the Year (2013-2014)

Best Lawyers Charlotte Criminal Defense: White-Collar Lawyer of the Year (2011)

Listed by Corporate Counsel as one of the Top Lawyers in Bet the Company Litigation (2008-present)

Listed by Business North Carolina as North Carolinas Best Criminal Defense Lawyer in article entitled Legal Elite – Up On The Law (2005)

Listed by Charlotte Magazine as one of North Carolinas Superlawyers (2005-present)

Listed by Business North Carolina as one of North Carolinas best lawyers in article entitled Legal Elite (2004)

Listed by Charlotte Magazine as one of Charlottes best lawyers in article entitled These Are The Citys Best Lawyers (1999)

Best Lawyers in America (1994-present)

One of six lawyers profiled in an article published by The Business Journal in Charlotte entitled The Verdict Is In: Charlottes Top Young Attorneys (May 1992)

Listed in Martindale-Hubbells Bar Register of Preeminent Civil and Criminal Trial Attorneys and received Martindale Hubbells AV rating (1991-present)

Legal Community/Activities:

State Chairman, American College of Trial Lawyers (2023-2025); Vice Chair (2021-2023); and State Committee Member (2018-2025)
State Chairman, International Academy of Trial Lawyers (2020-present); Board of Directors Member (2024-present); and Admission Committee Member (2022-2025)

Chairman and Board member, La Escuelita Bilingual Preschool (bilingual preschool for Hispanic (and some non-Hispanic) students that prepares preschoolers for cultural, academic and language challenges they will face in kindergarten (2016 to present) (www.laescuelitabp.org)

Wyatt family founded and operates One By One Costa Rica, a 501(c)(3) charitable foundation that assists the Vuelo de Aguila church in San Jose, Costa Rica in reaching out to at-risk teens (www.onebyonecostarica.com)

Initial Chairman and Member of Board of Directors of Federal Defenders of Western North Carolina (20042015)

Chairman and Trustee McKnight Education Trust Foundation (2006 to present)

Board of Governors, North Carolina Academy of Trial Lawyers (1997-2000)

Criminal Law Section of the North Carolina Academy of Trial Lawyers (President 1994-1995, Vice President 1993-1994, Secretary 1992-1993, Chairman/Lawyers Assistance Committee 1991-1992)

Chairman and Member, Federal Bar Advisory Council (1996-2001)
Member of the Fourth Circuit CJA Appellate Panel Committee, appointed by the Fourth Circuit Court Judges (2007-2012)
Board of Directors, Davidson Habitat for Humanity (1991-1995)

Chairman of the Mecklenburg County Bars Habitat for Humanity Project (first Habitat House built solely by a bar association in the nation) (1991)

Speakers Counsel, Charlotte Habitat for Humanity

Education: Duke University (J.D., 1982); Vanderbilt University (B.S., Salutatorian, summa cum laude, 1978)

Admitted: 1986, U.S. District Court, Eastern, Middle and Western Districts of North Carolina and U.S. Court of Appeals, 4th Circuit; 1982, U.S. District Court, Northern District of Georgia and U.S. Court of Appeals, 11th Circuit