Michel C. “Mike” Daisley
Litigation Attorney & Certified Civil Trial Mediator
Michel C. (Mike) Daisley has practiced law in the Charlotte region throughout his entire 27-year legal career. Focusing his practice in civil litigation, insurance claims and injury law, he has represented a wide diversity of clients — from indigent and working families and community charities, to Fortune 500 corporations and major insurance companies. For the last decade, he has added to his skills in order to serve as a Certified Mediator in North Carolina’s Superior Courts, assisting in the resolution of more than 300 civil cases.
Born in Columbia, South Carolina in 1955, Mike grew up in Greenville, SC and first arrived in North Carolina in 1974, as a freshman entering Davidson College . He received his Bachelor of Arts in Public Policy from Davidson in 1978 from the college’s Center for Interdisciplinary Studies. While at Davidson, he played junior varsity basketball, and elected to Who’s Who In American Colleges and Universities. (In the fall of 1976, he took a semester off to work on the national staff of the Carter-Mondale presidential campaign.)
Following graduation, Mike went to work for Richard Riley (later Secretary of Education in the Clinton Administration) on his first gubernatorial campaign in South Carolina. He later accepted a position with an Atlanta ad agency (Austin Kelley) before returning to his alma mater, as staff director for Davidson’s Office of Corporate Programs.
In his late-twenties, Mike left the administration at Davidson College, to follow his dream to study and practice law. After earning a Juris Doctor from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill in 1985, he accepted a position with the Charlotte law firm of Erwin, Beddow & Reese, which merged one year later with one of North Carolina ‘s largest firms, Weinstein & Sturges. By the end of his first three years of practice, Mike had tried four civil trials to verdict, and argued before the North Carolina Supreme Court twice.
In 1993, Mike joined Royal Insurance in its national headquarters in Charlotte , as Chief Counsel to the Major Claims Unit. He returned to private practice, this time on the plaintiff’s side, in 1995. He joined forces with Jameson Wells to form Wells & Daisley in 1997, where Chet Rabon joined to form WELLS DAISLEY RABON, PA in 2005.
The firm of DaisleyLaw, PLLC was launched in September 2011 so that Mike could expand his legal services and provide more intensive and personal attention to clients needs. Mike is closely affiliated with his friend and legal colleague, F. William (Bill) Powers, one of the most esteemed criminal defense and DWI attorneys in the State. The close combined efforts of Powers McCartan, PLLC and DaisleyLaw, PLLC will provide clients with ready access to a wealth of legal knowledge and courtroom experience.
Special Emphasis Assisting Victims of Drunk Drivers
Mike has been an active member in Charlotte ‘s political scene for decades. In 1996, he won the Democratic Primary for U.S. Congress, before losing to the Republican incumbent in the general election. He was a founding member of Charlotte’s Uptown Democratic Forum, had a year-long stint as a guest columnist for the Charlotte Observer , and is a frequent guest as a legal and political analyst on Charlotte ‘s largest news-talk radio station, WBT 1100 , as well as commentator on WCNC-TV’s Flashpoint. He frequently serves as counsel to the Mecklenburg County Democratic Party.
Numerous professional and community organizations benefit from Mike’s involvement and leadership. In addition to his memberships in the North Carolina Advocates for Justice, the American Bar Association , and American Association for Justice , Mike is immediate past president of the Mecklenburg Trial Lawyers Association (METLA), having spent 3 years as the head of that organization.
For more than twenty-five years, he has served the local chapter of National Multiple Sclerosis Society as a Trustee. In that role, he helped organize the first The Great Gatsby Gala to raise funds for MS research and programs, an annual event that is now in its third decade. He currentlyalso serves on the Board of Directors for The Choir School at St. Peter’s (Episcopal), and the Board of Advisors for WDAV Classical Public Radio . Mike is an active parishioner at Christ Episcopal Church in Charlotte , where he serves as a Sunday School teacher, and graduated from the four-year Education For Ministry program for laypersons. He is an avid Davidson Basketball fan, and part-time Y-rat.
Mike and his wife of 24 years have a teenage son.
Areas of Practice:
Civil Litigation
Insurance Claims
Injury Law
Bar Admissions:
North Carolina, 1985
U.S. District Court Western District of North Carolina, 1985
Education:
University of North Carolina School of Law, Chapel Hill, North Carolina, 1985 J.D.
Honors: University of North Carolina Mock Trial Team, 1984-1985
Davidson College, Davidson, North Carolina, 1978 A.B.
Honors: Director of Corporate Programs
Major: Public Policy
Education for Ministry (EFM) - University of the South, Sewanee, Tennessee (1995-1998)
Professional Associations and Memberships:
North Carolina Advocates for Justice
Member
American Bar Association
Member
American Association for Justice
Member
Mecklenburg Trial Lawyers Association (METLA)
Member
Past Employment Positions:
Erwin, Beddow & Reese
Weinstein & Sturges
Royal Insurance, Chief Counsel
Pro Bono Activities:
Board of Advisors, Dowd YMCA
Active Parishioner, Christ Episcopal Church
Mecklenburg County Democratic Party, Counsel
National Multiple Sclerosis Society, Trustee
The Choir School at St. Peter’s (Episcopal), Board of Directors
WDAV Classical Public Radio, Board of Advisors
