J. Blakely Kiefer

Bio

Blakely is in the firm’s Commercial Litigation, Government Contracting, and Healthcare sections and serves as the chair of the firm’s Appellate Litigation Practice Group. 

Blakely’s litigation practice focuses on prosecuting and defending complex litigation cases, including commercial and healthcare-related matters.  Blakely represents clients in trial and appellate courts in disputes involving contracts, business torts, unfair and deceptive trade practices, breach of fiduciary duty, trade secrets and intellectual property, products liability, certificate of need, and Medicaid regulation.  She has tried non-jury cases and has argued before various North Carolina courts, including the North Carolina Supreme Court.  Blakely’s government contracting and healthcare practices focus on assisting clients in internal and government-initiated investigations and advising on compliance with federal laws and regulations.   

Blakely regularly counsels clients on a wide variety of private party and government contracts, federal and state laws and regulations, and government investigations and inquiries.  Her clients range from local companies to international entities spanning numerous substantive areas, including the healthcare, biotechnology, biopharma, manufacturing, and agricultural industries. 

Blakely is admitted to practice in North Carolina, California, and Louisiana, including all state and federal courts in North Carolina and Louisiana, the Northern District of California, the United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit, and the United States Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit. Blakely received her B.A. in Political Science from Furman University.  She received her J.D. from Loyola University School of Law in New Orleans, where she was a Legal Research and Writing Teaching Assistant and a member of Moot Court and of the St. Thomas More Inn of Court.

Practice Areas

Appellate Litigation

With a dedicated team focused on appellate litigation, our Appellate Litigation practice group represents individuals and businesses in all types of appeals, including corporate, family law, estates, torts, healthcare, contracts, and administrative cases. Our approach combines solid research, creative thinking, and strong written and oral advocacy to create compelling arguments to best position our clients for success in the appellate courts.

Commercial Litigation

Every successful business will encounter legal disputes and related challenges. Our Commercial Litigation practice group strives to handle such disputes in the most strategic and efficient manner possible to achieve a positive result for our clients.

Government Contracting

Our firm is one of the few firms in North Carolina that provides full-service legal representation in government contracting matters. The head of our Government Contracting practice group, Ben Thompson, has 43 years of experience in handling government contracting matters.

Healthcare

Our Healthcare practice group provides an extensive range of services to providers and other entities within the healthcare industry, including hospitals, physician groups, long-term care facilities, diagnostic centers, and surgery centers. We also represent medical billing companies, clinical research organizations, site management organizations, practice management organizations, pharmaceutical and medical device manufacturers, and other healthcare-related entities.