Association elects new slate of officers

A veteran litigator was elected to lead the North Carolina Association of Defense Attorneys at the group’s meeting earlier this month in Asheville.

J.D. Keister will serve as the group’s 47th president, a news release says.

Keister practices at McAngus Goudelock & Courie in Raleigh, specializing in civil and complex litigation, including construction and insurance defense. He graduated from Ohio Northern University Pettit College of Law.

He leads a slate of one reelected and three newly elected officers. They are:

• President-elect: George Simpson IV, founder of Simpson Law in Raleigh. Simpson graduated from the University of North Carolina and the UNC School of Law.
• Executive vice president: Erin McNeil Young, who manages litigation for Extended Stay Americas and is a UNC Law graduate. The office positions her to serve as the association’s president in 2026-27.
• Secretary: Nicole B. Slaughter. A partner at Hamlet Law, her practice focuses on commercial litigation, construction law and insurance defense. She graduated from the University of Tennessee School of Law and served three years on the association’s board of directors.
• Treasurer: Daniel M. Nunn, who was elected for a second term. A graduate of the University of Miami School of Law and a partner at Caudle & Spears, his practice includes construction defect and insurance defense litigation.

Christopher R. Kiger, a partner at Smith Anderson, transitioned to immediate past president after his term. His practice focuses on product liability, mass tort, and commercial litigation.

The association also elected five new members to three-year terms on its board of directors, the release says. They are:

• Ryan Bostic of Cranfill Sumner, Wilmington.
• Christy Dunn of Young Moore & Henderson, Raleigh.
• J.D. McAlister of McAngus Goudelock & Courie, Charlotte.
• Adam Peoples of Hall Booth Smith, Asheville.
• Robert Young of Carruthers & Roth, Greensboro.

The association’s meeting was held June 13-16.

The North Carolina Association of Defense Attorneys is a professional organization of more than 800 attorneys and paralegals who focus on civil litigation defense. It also serves as a resource for civil defense trial attorneys statewide.

For information, contact 919-239-4463 or go to ncada.org.