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The Banks Law Firm Announces Addition of Chuck Watts

Bookmark and Share Durham, NC - March 27, 2012 -

Sherrod Banks, CEO of The Banks Law Firm, announced the addition of Charles D. Watts, Jr. to the Firm as a Principal. Mr. Watts graduated from University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, in 1977 with a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Economics. He also received a Masters of Business Administration with a concentration in Finance from Indiana University in 1979, and a Juris Doctor Degree from the Howard University School of Law in 1985 where he was editor-in-chief of the Howard Law Review.

Mr. Watts has practiced law in large and smaller firm settings, has worked in governmental and corporate settings, and has also worked in academic settings since finishing law school. Chuck clerked for the Honorable Lawrence W. Pierce on the United States Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit in New York, New York. He went on to practice at one of the largest Washington, D.C. law firms, Covington and Burling, where he participated in a broad corporate practice. He then joined the faculty of the Vanderbilt University School of Law, in u, TN, where he taught courses in the corporate and commercial law curriculum and did research and writing in areas ranging from corporate legal theory and corporate governance to critical race theory. Upon returning to North Carolina, Mr. Watts practiced law with firms in Charlotte, Chapel Hill and Durham and taught at the NCCU Law School before joining the North Carolina Mutual Life Insurance Company as Senior Vice President -- General Counsel & Corporate Secretary. At NCM, he had responsibility for all legal matters as well as managing the company’s real estate portfolio, its human resources department, and participated in its acquisitions work and its five person management team.

Until joining the Firm in March of 2012, Mr. Watts had been practicing in his own law firm where he had recently been selected as Investment Counsel by the North Carolina Department of the State Treasurer to negotiate pension fund investments in private equity, hedged and real estate investment funds.

Mr. Watts’s interest in corporate practice, governance and law has combined with his interest in public service to result in him serving on numerous non-profit boards and committees on which he has served in leadership roles including: the North Carolina Museum of Life and Science (chair). St Joseph's Historic Hayti Heritage Center (chair), Downtown Durham, Inc.(executive committee), the YMCA of the Triangle (chaired Durham YMCA prior its merger with the Capitol Area YMCA), the Parrish Street Advocacy Committee (chair), the North Carolina Board of Transportation (sub-committee chair), Durham County ABC Board (chair), the UNC Board of Visitors (sub-committee chair), the UNC School of Nursing Foundation Board (executive committee), and the Durham Committee on the Affairs of Black People (executive committee). Mr. Watts also has participated in the Broadening Corporate Board Diversity Program Sponsored by the UNC School of Law Director Diversity Initiative in 2011.

Mr. Watts is admitted to practice before the United States Court of Appeals, Fourth Circuit and the United States District Court, Middle and Eastern Districts of North Carolina. He is currently a member of the North Carolina State Bar; Fourteenth Judicial District; and Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity, Inc.

“Chuck brings a wealth of experience and skill to our team at The Banks Law Firm,” said Sherrod Banks, CEO of The Banks Law Firm. “I am thrilled to have him join the Firm.”

For more information, visit www.bankslawfirm.com or contact Sherrod Banks at 919-474-9137 or by email to sbanks@bankslawfirm.com.

Press Contact

Contact: Sherrod Banks
Email: sbanks@bankslawfirm.com
Phone: 919-474-9137