Legal Practice Hall of Fame Class of 2023: Fenton T. Erwin Jr.
Fenton T. Erwin, Jr. was born in Knoxville, Tennessee on July 30, 1941, and grew up in Asheville, North Carolina. In 1963, he graduated from East Carolina University with an A.B. degree. In 1966, he graduated from the University of North Carolina School of Law. After graduation from law school, he moved to Charlotte where he met and married Jane Morris. Fenton and Jane have five children and are proud grandparents of eight grandchildren.
Fenton focused his practice on business disputes, construction matters, and serious personal injury cases. But he is admired for his breadth of knowledge on all legal subjects. He served for many years as North Carolina counsel for the American Subcontractors Association of the Carolinas and participated in the drafting of North Carolina Prompt Pay Law and the North Carolina statute rendering “pay when paid” clauses unenforceable. He has represented several clients whose cases have reached the Supreme Court of the United States, the Supreme Court of North Carolina, and the Court of Appeals of North Carolina, some of which established valuable precedents in the law. In 2009, Fenton received the Evelyn M. Coman Distinguished Service Award from the North Carolina Bar Association’s Construction Law Section to commemorate his outstanding service and contributions in the field of construction law. Fenton is highly sought after for his wisdom and guidance in counseling clients through all types of dispute resolution.
Outside of his legal practice, Fenton is a member of Rotary International, a Paul Harris Fellow and served as the president of the Dilworth Southend Rotary Club. Fenton has been an active volunteer in his Church, and through the years has been a Deacon, a Church Councilman, and an Elder. Fenton was a founding member of the Renaissance Club where its members learn from experts in their respective fields. Fenton enjoys playing golf and spending time with his grandchildren.