Robert A. Mays

Rob joined The Van Winkle Law Firm in 2010 after practicing for five years in Washington, D.C. with the law firm WilmerHale. In Washington, Rob represented large and small clients in a variety of criminal and civil matters from internal investigations to government inquiries, trials and appeals. Before joining WilmerHale, Rob clerked for the Hon. Gerald B. Tjoflat, U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit.

Practice Highlights

• Successfully defended a privately owned, multinational pharmaceutical company against qui tam claims under the federal False Claims Act.
• Successfully defended an indigent client, pro bono, against federal bankruptcy fraud charges.
• Successfully defended an accounting-firm partner against an investigation by the Securities and Exchange Commission.

Professional Affiliations

• 28th Judicial District Bar
• North Carolina State Bar
• American Bar Association

Court Admissions

• North Carolina
• U.S. District Court
  • Western District of North Carolina
• U.S. Court of Appeals
  • Eleventh Circuit

Recognitions

• Editor-in-Chief, Law & Contemporary Problems

After five years in Washington, D.C., Rob and his wife, Katie Moore Mays, returned to North Carolina where they both attended law school. Rob grew up on a blueberry farm in the lovely Ozark Mountains. His primary avocation is wrangling his two boys, Lucas and Rhett. When the boys (occasionally) nap, he also enjoys working on their house in the Montford Historic District in Asheville and exploring the Blue Ridge Mountains. Rob’s identical twin brother, Rhett, is a local physician – so don’t be upset if someone who looks like Rob fails to recognize you in the hardware store.

Favorite Food
Muscadines (Rob claims to have proven that there is no toxic oral dose of muscadines)­­­­

Favorite Artist
B. Ryan Mays (Sculptor and Rob’s brother)

Favorite Music
Hayes Carll (A college friend)

Favorite Book
The Way West by A.B. Guthrie­­