Joel R. Rhine

Lead Attorney for LRR Complex Civil Litigation Team
Catastrophic Personal Injury and Wrongful Death
Construction Accidents
Construction Law
Product Liability
Insurance Litigation
Business Torts
Corporate Litigation
Mass Torts and Class Actions
Wage and Hour (FLSA) litigation

Biography:

Joel Robert Rhine leads Lea, Rhine & Rosbrugh's complex civil litigation team. In addition to overseeing our practice, Mr. Rhine stays "in the trenches" and personally handles most of our largest and complex cases. Mr. Rhine has tried multi-million dollar cases to verdict and has obtained millions of dollars in recoveries for our clients, either through trial, arbitration, settlement or alternative dispute resolution.

Mr. Rhine is an experienced trial attorney, who has attained an AV rating by Martindale-Hubbell, has been named a "Super Lawyer" and has repeatedly been selected to Business North Carolina magazine's "Legal Elite". Rhine is a frequent speaker at Continuing Education Seminars for attorneys, real estate professionals, property management groups and builders. The following is a partial list of the Continuing Legal Education (CLE) classes, seminars and speaking engagements at which Mr. Rhine has made presentations:

North Carolina Bar Association, "Adding Tools to the Construction Lawyer’s Tool Belt".  Hot Topics in Construction Law. 2010 Construction Law Winter Program. Issues Involving Chinese Drywall Litigation
Raleigh, NC
February 25, 2010

Lorman CLE Seminar, "Condominium Construction Issues in North Carolina" (speaker)
Raleigh, NC
Jan. 23, 2008

"Contracts for Construction Lawyers: How to Get the Party Started" (speaker)
Greensboro, NC
Sept. 29, 2006

Construction Law Section CLE (speaker)
Grandover Resort
Greensboro, NC
Sept. 29-30, 2006

Mealy's Annual Convention, "Construction Defect & Mold Litigation Conference" (speaker)
Phoenix, AZ
Nov. 7, 2005

AEI-Brookings Joint Center Judicial Education Program (speaker)
Judicial Symposium on "Critical Issues in Construction Defects Litigation"
Washington, DC
Jan. 27-28, 2005

Mealy's Annual Convention, "Construction Defect & Mold Conference" (speaker)
Las Vegas, NV
Dec. 9-10, 2004

CAI's 25th Annual Community Association Law Seminar (speaker)
"Toxic Mold: A Legal Primer"
Las Vegas, NV
Feb. 20-21, 2004

Lorman, "Handling Toxic Mold Disputes: A Guide to Recent Developments and Effective Litigation Strategies" (speaker)
Raleigh, NC
Sept. 16, 2003

Lorman, "Solving Water Intrusion and Mold Problems in North Carolina" (speaker)
Raleigh, NC
July 23, 2003

Mass Torts Made Perfect, "Securities, Drug & Environmental Litigation" (speaker)
Chicago, IL
June 19-20, 2003

Harris Martin, "Harris Martin: Mold Litigation - Beyond the Basics II" (guest speaker)
New Orleans, LA
June 12-13, 2003

CAI's 52nd National Conference & Exposition (speaker)
Dallas, TX
May 1-3, 2003

Lorman, "Solving Water Intrusion and Mold Problems in North Carolina" (speaker)
Greenville, NC
Feb. 26, 2003

Lorman, "Advances in Environmental Mold Issues in North Carolina" (speaker)
Raleigh, NC
Feb. 20, 2003

Mass Torts Made Perfect, "Strategies on Water Intrusion and Mold Litigation for Plaintiffs' Firm Retreat" (speaker)
Las Vegas, NV
Jan. 16-18. 2003

Lorman, "Solving Water Intrusion and Mold Problems in North Carolina" (speaker)
Raleigh, NC
July 30, 2002

Synthetic Stucco: Trial and Beyond," NCBA, May 1999

Education and Publications:

Mr. Rhine received his Juris Doctor degree from Wake Forest University in 1988, where he was elected to the Wake Forest University Law Review and received the Wake Forest Law Review award in recognition of his publications. In fact, Mr. Rhine was published twice in the Wake Forest Law Review while a student at Wake Forest. His publications include:

Note, "Employment Discrimination - The Fourth Circuit Court of Appeals Finds Title VII Not to be the Exclusive Remedy Available to State and Local Government Employees, - Keller v. Prince George's County Department of Social Services," 23 Wake Forest Law Review 343, 1988; and

Note, "Domestic Relations - The North Carolina Supreme Court Revokes the Marital Presumption and Adopts the Analytic Approach to the Classification of Personal Injury Settlements - Johnson and Johnson," 22 Wake Forest Law Review 931, 1987.

Mr. Rhine has continued to write since leaving law school. For example, during his tenure with Hunton & Williams, Mr. Rhine contributed to Douglas' Forms, Civil Litigation, a publication recognized as a standard reference manual for North Carolina attorneys.

Mr. Rhine received his undergraduate degree, cum laude, from the University of Tampa in 1985, where he received an academic scholarship, was inducted into four honor societies, was on the Dean's List from 1982 through 1985, was awarded the Political Science Graduate Award for attaining the highest GPA among Political Science graduates and was a letterman on the varsity baseball team.

Mr. Rhine attended Charlotte Latin School, in Charlotte North Carolina and was elected President of the Student Body, received 9 varsity letters, was Captain of the baseball and football teams and was the Junior Class President.

Admitted:

1988, North Carolina Bar Association

Member:

New Hanover County Bar Association(President, 1997-1998; Vice President, 1996-1997; Secretary-Treasurer, 1995-1996); North Carolina Bar Association (Construction Law section); North Carolina State Bar; American Association for Justice (Insurance Section); North Carolina Advocates for Justice. Mr. Rhine is a has participated in executive boards and leadership positions in many of these organizations and his participation in various sections changes based upon his current caseload and whether pressing issues about which he is interested are being dealt with by these sections.

Born:

New York, New York, November 13, 1962

Personal:

Mr. Rhine is a devoted family man. While he works extremely long hours, he spends his leisure hours with his wife, Alice and their two children.