Rich Dietz focuses his practice on appellate and complex business litigation.
Mr. Dietz has represented corporate clients in dozens of cases in state and federal appeals courts across the country. He is frequently appointed by federal appellate courts to argue cases on behalf of indigent criminal defendants. Mr. Dietz also represents clients in civil litigation involving issues of constitutional law and federal jurisdiction. He has successfully challenged state laws on preemption, commercial free speech, and dormant commerce clause grounds, and has litigated complex constitutional issues in various forums including the original jurisdiction of the South Carolina Supreme Court. Mr. Dietz also represents trade associations and interest groups desiring to appear as amicus curiae in pending appeals.
Before joining the firm, Mr. Dietz practiced at a large international law firm in Washington, D.C. and served as a research fellow in comparative law at Kyushu University in Japan.
Mr. Dietz has been recognized as a 2012 North Carolina “Rising Star” in the area of Appellate Law by North Carolina Super Lawyers magazine.
Professional & Community Activities
North Carolina Bar Association, Appellate Rules Committee, Member
Education
- Wake Forest University School of Law, J.D. (2002)
magna cum laude
- Shippensburg University of Pennsylvania, B.S.B.A. (1999)
summa cum laude
Bar Admissions
- North Carolina (2002)
- District of Columbia (2007)
Court Admissions
- U.S. Court of Appeals for the First Circuit
- U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit
- U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit
- U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit
- U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit
- U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit
Clerkships
- U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit — Honorable H. Emory Widener, Jr.
- U.S. District Court for the Western District of Virginia — Honorable Samuel G. Wilson
