Keith Vaughan consults with law firms on issues of significant importance in a transformative era. A successful and highly recognized trial lawyer, he was the the Chairman and Managing Partner of Womble Carlyle (now Womble Bond Dickinson) from 2002 through 2015 and served on the management committee of the firm for 26 years. Keith retired from the firm on January 1, 2018, concluding almost 43 years in the practice of law – all at Womble. During this period, Keith assumed numerous leadership roles within the firm, the legal profession, and his community, ultimately earning high praise for his leadership and dedication to the organizations he served. Along the way, he developed a keen understanding of the short-term and long-term forces impacting the legal profession as well as expertise in strategic planning, branding, business development, expansion and leadership training.

During his legal career, Keith tried numerous jury and bench trials, handled various administrative proceedings and argued a wide range of matters in appellate courts involving business, product liability, toxic tort and environmental issues. He served as national coordinating counsel for a Fortune 500 company’s product liability litigation and was class counsel in a series of class action lawsuits on behalf of Federal retirees, state retirees, and intangible taxpayers. These lawsuits resulted in recoveries for the classes totaling approximately $1.25 billion and the elimination of the offending tax practices prospectively.

Keith is a Fellow in the American College of Trial Lawyers and served as North Carolina State Chair for two years (2015-2017). He is also a Fellow of the American Bar Foundation and a Permanent Member of the Fourth Circuit Judicial Conference. During his career, Keith was consistently listed in Chambers USA; The Best Lawyers in America (in the fields of “Bet-the-Company,” Commercial, Products Liability and Personal Injury Litigation), and North Carolina Super Lawyers. He was highlighted in Law Dragon in two categories -- “500 Leading Litigators” and “100 Managing Partners You Need to Know” -- and was a “Master of the Bench” in the American Inns of Court.

Womble: Keith was a member of Womble’s management committee for 26 years, including 20 years on the Executive Committee, 14 years as Managing Partner, and 10 years as the Firm’s Litigation Practice Group Leader. During that period the Firm:

• Expanded its 3 offices in one state and opened 11 more offices in six states and DC -- 5 by merger and 6 by opportunistic hires of highly regarded groups
• Increased in size from approximately 100 attorneys to more than 500
• Tripled gross revenues and net income per equity partner
• Developed and implemented 5 strategic plans
• Led the legal industry in establishment of successful marketing and business development programs
• Created and implemented innovative programs which substantially reduced clients’ legal expenses
• Achieved national recognition for its leadership, diversity, military support, and client service initiatives

Lex Mundi: Lex Mundi is the world’s leading association of independent law firms (21,000 lawyers practicing in 160 elite law firms in more than 100 countries). In 2011 Keith was elected to the Board of Directors of Lex Mundi and shortly thereafter to the Executive Committee of the organization. He was Chair of Lex Mundi during the 2014-2015 year. He also served as Chair of the Managing Partners Committee from 2010-2013. During the period that Keith held leadership roles in the organization, Lex Mundi developed and implemented two strategic plans, including the establishment and enhancement of state of the art client service, leadership and business development programs

Community: Keith has been actively involved in community and professional programs and has served as Chair of the following organizations:

• North Carolina Partnership for Economic Development
• Piedmont Triad Partnership
• United Way of Forsyth County Foundation
• Wake Forest University Board of Visitors
• Wake Forest University Forsyth County “Wake Will Lead” Campaign
• Winston-Salem Chamber of Commerce
• Winston-Salem Downtown Rotary Club
• Winston-Salem Heart Ball
• Smith-Shaver Law School Scholarship Fund
• 50th Anniversary of the University of Georgia Law Review Celebration Committee
• Thurgood Marshall College Fund Annual Dinner
• Thurgood Marshall College Fund Professional Institute and Exhibition

He also chaired a successful United Way of Forsyth County Campaign in 2009, served two terms on the Board of Trustees of Winston-Salem State University (where he chaired several committees and served on the Executive Committee) and was a member for 15 years of the Winston-Salem Alliance Board (WS CEOs)

• Triad Business Leader of the Year (2011)
• Business Leader’s “Legend of the Year”(2012)
• Establishment by Womble of “Keith W. Vaughan Award for Leadership” And First Recipient of the Award (2015)
• United Way of Forsyth County Tocqueville Leadership Society Award (2018)