Paul K Sun Jr

Practice Areas

Commercial Litigation

Career

One of the founders of Ellis & Winters LLP, Paul Sun is a trial lawyer focusing primarily on business litigation, employment litigation, and appeals. He has substantial experience handling litigation involving trade secrets and unfair competition, business and healthcare fraud, employment law issues, intellectual property rights, consumer claims, premises and product liability, and contract disputes. Over the course of his career, Paul has tried civil cases in areas as varied as breach of contract, employment discrimination, misappropriation of trade secrets, healthcare fraud, product liability, wrongful death, and First Amendment violations. He has argued cases in the North Carolina Court of Appeals and North Carolina Supreme Court, and the United States Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit, successfully representing clients both as appellants and appellees.

Paul also has substantial experience as a criminal defense lawyer, representing individual and corporate clients from pre-indictment investigations through trial and appeals. He has defended clients charged with Medicare and Medicaid fraud, mortgage fraud, securities fraud, federal programs bribery, theft of government property, robbery, narcotics trafficking, firearms offenses, and immigration offenses. Paul serves on the Criminal Justice Act Panels for the Eastern District of North Carolina and the Fourth Circuit Court of Appeals, representing indigent criminal defendants at trial and on appeal.

Paul believes that litigation is a client-service business. To deliver the most effective client service, Paul believes in knowing his cases and his clients thoroughly, while being reliable, flexible, and responsive to client needs.

Paul approaches cases with a focus on trial, developing a theme and building the evidence and legal strategy necessary to successfully try the case. Although most cases do not proceed to trial, Paul believes that litigating with trial in mind maximizes the opportunities for a favorable pretrial outcome through motions practice or settlement, while also ensuring that the case is trial-ready if it proceeds to that stage. Paul’s willingness to take a case to trial also gives clients confidence and creates leverage in pretrial settlement negotiations.

Before he entered into law practice, Paul graduated magna cum laude from Wittenberg University, and received his M.B.A. from Vanderbilt University, where he was the Founder’s Medalist. Paul then worked for Genesco, Inc., serving as marketing manager for the Johnston & Murphy and Wrangler shoe brands. Paul’s background in accounting and finance, and practical experience in business, enable him to better understand and serve business clients.

After his employment with Genesco, Paul received his J.D. degree with highest honors from Duke University School of Law, where he served as Articles Editor for the Duke Law Journal. Paul subsequently served as a law clerk to the Honorable J. Dickson Phillips, Jr., of the United States Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit from 1989-1990.

Professional Memberships

Fellow, American College of Trial Lawyers

American Law Institute, Employment Law Consultative Group

American Bar Association

North Carolina Bar Association

Lung Transplant Foundation

Board of Directors

Legal Counsel