Hannah Kays
Counsel
Hannah Kays helps businesses manage litigation risk and resolve complex commercial disputes and products liability claims in state and federal courts throughout North Carolina and South Carolina.
She represents clients in matters involving contract disputes, business torts, industrial accidents, health care investigations and regulatory matters. Her experience includes working with businesses across a range of industries, including manufacturing and health care. Hannah's courtroom experience includes proceedings in both state and federal courts.
Hannah takes a practical, risk-focused approach to counseling clients. She helps clients assess potential outcomes and exposure early, giving them the information they need to make informed business decisions while developing strategies aligned with their goals.
Having tried cases to verdict, Hannah works closely with clients from the earliest stages of a dispute through trial, providing clear guidance, thoughtful legal analysis and advocacy focused on advancing their business objectives.
Experience
- Secured a unanimous jury verdict for a national client following a multi-day trial in North Carolina state court involving complex claims and counterclaims. Serving as first-chair trial counsel, recovered the client's claimed damages and defeated the opposing party's claims in their entirety.
- Advised a medical practice on regulatory issues arising during a private equity acquisition, including audit findings and potential Medicaid overpayment liability identified through due diligence. Developed strategies to address those issues and help facilitate the successful sale of the practice.
- Obtained dismissal of the most significant citation items in an OSHA enforcement proceeding arising from a workplace fatality involving a construction company. After directing the client's response to the Department of Labor investigation and developing key defenses, secured deletion of three of five alleged serious violations and nearly a 50% reduction in proposed penalties.
- Defeated all claims against a financial institution in complex federal litigation seeking multimillion-dollar damages. Also secured an award of attorneys' fees and helped facilitate restructuring of the underlying lending relationship that returned the borrower to repayment compliance.
- Excluded and disqualified the plaintiff's lead expert witness in complex federal litigation involving significant exposure for a national client shortly before trial. The ruling materially impaired the plaintiff's case and contributed to a favorable resolution representing only a small percentage of the damages claimed.
- Obtained legislative changes to North Carolina's health care regulatory framework that distinguished home assistance services from licensed home care services. The changes enabled a technology-enabled provider of non-medical support services to operate under a separate regulatory framework.
- Achieved favorable resolutions for international luxury vehicle manufacturers in complex products liability matters involving substantial claimed damages. Through strategic litigation management and advocacy, resolved the matters for a small fraction of the alleged exposure while protecting the clients' financial and business interests.
- Obtained a unanimous jury verdict for a national institution in a complex South Carolina breach of contract case. Serving as first-chair trial counsel, directed all aspects of the litigation through trial and secured a complete victory that protected the client's contractual and business interests.
- Served as first-chair trial counsel for a mother in a highly contested international child custody dispute brought under the Hague Convention on the Civil Aspects of International Child Abduction. Following extensive litigation and a multi-day trial, the court rejected the petitioner's claims, affirming the mother's position and allowing the child to remain in North Carolina.