FHS LITIGATION - Key Persons
In Winston-Salem, Andy worked for about 6 years at Womble Carlyle, then the largest firm in the state. At Womble, Andy tried numerous jury trials ranging from business litigation, personal injury, construction, and insurance coverage. He also worked on complex cases and learned about complex litigation. He left Womble in 2009, and since 2015 he has been the sole owner of Fitzgerald Litigation in Winston-Salem.
Andy has filed numerous class actions under ERISA law on behalf of 401(k) participants who have been charged excessive fees by their employers.
Andy was a high school All American swimmer at North Allegheny, where his team won the PIAA state championship in 1994. He is married to the love of his life, Abby. Abby and Andy have four kids. He spends his free time chasing his kids around. Andy also regularly competes in obstacle course races and triathlons. Occasionally, Andy can be found practicing yoga or riding his mountain bike with his son.
Douglas Hanna is a veteran trial lawyer with over 30 years of experience in state courts, federal courts, and military courts-martial.
Doug is proud to have started his career as a Navy Judge Advocate. The discipline and work ethic instilled in him during his time in the Navy are traits that clients rely upon in navigating their litigation issues. After serving six years on active duty, Doug spent more than three years working at the North Carolina Attorney General's Office in the areas of insurance and condemnation.
Following his government service, Doug joined North Carolina's largest law firm (Womble Carlyle) and focused his practice on business litigation, insurance litigation and complex tort cases. After making partner, Doug and a few of his colleagues founded a Raleigh-based litigation boutique (Graebe Hanna & Sullivan, PLLC) with an emphasis on providing extraordinary client service. Doug's results-oriented approach and fierce dedication to his clients earned him recognition in the peer-selected North Carolina Super Lawyers.
Having tried more than 30 jury trials to verdict, Doug has the experience and judgment necessary to handle a wide range of complex litigation matters. In 2019, Doug was recognized as having obtained one of the Top 50 Jury Verdicts (Commercial Litigation) in the United States. Doug recently joined forces with attorney Andy Fitzgerald to form the litigation boutique known as Fitzgerald Hanna & Sullivan, PLLC.
Todd has a niche practice focusing on employee departures and defections, including litigation of injunctions and trial work in non-compete, trade secret misappropriation, employee raiding and unfair competition cases.
His clients are companies and key employees seeking his experience and counsel in the retention and separation process. He routinely analyzes, drafts, and negotiates employment agreements and key employee retention and separation agreements. Todd has litigated more than 100 employee defection matters in federal and state trial and appellate courts and arbitrated employment cases before FINRA, the AAA, and JAMS. Todd served as lead defense counsel in one of the most significant broker defection cases ever arbitrated before FINRA and also as lead plaintiff's counsel in one of the largest-ever trade secret misappropriation cases in North Carolina.
Todd has consistently been elected by his peers as a North Carolina Super Lawyer and has been named by Business North Carolina as one of its Legal Elite, as well as being regularly identified as one of the Best Lawyers in America for employment litigation. He has co-taught the Pre-Trial Litigation course at Duke Law School and he writes and presents frequently on employer/employee disputes involving departures and allegations of unfair competition by former employees. He has represented a number of lower-paid departed employees pro bono when they are threatened with non-compete litigation and has been recognized by the North Carolina Bar Association for his pro bono activities on behalf of non-profit entities.
Todd is a long-time resident of downtown Raleigh and an avid bluegrass music fan. He was formerly an NCAA Division III lacrosse player and regularly loses money playing golf. He maintains a home library dedicated to periodicals and original texts of libertarian history and philosophy.