Every community deserves a great team

Ms. McCarthy concentrates her practice on labor and employment law and has practiced law for over 26 years. She has advanced knowledge and experience advising in-house counsel, human resources administrators, C-level executives, and key stakeholders to resolve multi-faceted employment issues and mitigate risk. Ms. McCarthy regularly defends employers at the EEOC and Department of Labor level involving discrimination, harassment, retaliation, and wage and hour claims. She also drafts complex employment and separation agreements, reviews employment documents, policies and processes, handles independent internal investigations, and conducts trainings on a wide variety of employment issues. 

Ms. McCarthy’s practice began with a focus on civil litigation and employment law matters for a number of years with law firms in the Raleigh-Durham, NC area, including The Banks Law Firm where she served for 8 years as general employment counsel to public housing authorities across North Carolina and South Carolina until 2008. Ms. McCarthy then transitioned to a corporate role and served for 15 years as in-house employment counsel, during which she led corporate employment law teams in the legal departments of several large companies including those in the retail, insurance, property and casualty, and utility sectors. 

Theresa is best known for her collaborative work style and has been a trusted advisor to public and private company leaders across all functional areas. Ms. McCarthy’s combination of in-house corporate and law firm experience gives her a competitive edge over other employment lawyers. Her experience working in a corporate capacity gives her a range of perspectives and insight into the needs of her clients, and enables Ms. McCarthy to advise and assist them with an appreciation for their operational, strategic, and cultural requirements. Theresa believes the keys to a successful attorney-client relationship is to understand the company’s objectives and appetite for risk, to anticipate the needs of the business in light of the extensive legal challenges and developments in employment laws, and to respond to business needs efficiently within the client’s expectations.

• J.D., Syracuse University College of Law
• B.A., University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

North Carolina

United States District Court for the Middle District of North Carolina

North Carolina Bar Association, Labor & Employment Law Section

• North Carolina Center for Nonprofits – Pro Bono Volunteer
• Violinist – Meredith Philharmonic