Lawyer Bio : Keith W. Vaughan

 

Keith Vaughan has been Chairman of the firm since 2002. Keith believes his key responsibility to clients is to ensure that Womble Carlyle attorneys deliver on the promise to be “Innovators at Law” – with client service, integrity and respect for the individual being uncompromising long-held tenets of the firm. 

 

Keith was an early advocate of the Association of Corporate Counsel’s “Value Challenge” at its inception in Fall 2008, and has been a faculty member in the roll-out of that program, which seeks to reconnect value with the cost of legal services. As such, he is a champion of Alternative Fee Arrangements (AFAs) and other components of “the new normal” in the practice of law, with AFAs accounting for more than 25% of the firm’s annual revenues.

 

Under his leadership, the firm has maintained its status as a forerunner in the utilization of technology, legal process outsourcing, collaboration among law firms serving the same client, and other value drivers. For example, Keith has led and encouraged the development of value-oriented ancillary services at Womble Carlyle such as the Case Management Facility (CMF), FirmLogic (medical litigation support), Document Review Team, and Womble Carlyle Ecology Innovations LLC (WCEI). These services benefit clients by delivering cost effective solutions to traditionally expensive legal challenges.

 

Keith has demonstrated his commitment as a leader in law firm diversity by spearheading the funding of more than 50 diverse law students through the Womble Carlyle Scholars Program which has to date funded nearly $400,000 in scholarships. Under his leadership, the firm promotes active involvement in the community through supporting charities, nonprofit Board memberships and pro bono services. Keith was recently recognized by the legal profession in a survey of large law firm managing partners as one of the 10 “most admired leaders.”

 

Keith serves as Chair of the Managing Partner’s Committee of Lex Mundi, the world's leading association of independent law firms (17,000 lawyers practicing in 160 elite law firms). Womble Carlyle's international work for clients is facilitated by the firm’s membership in Lex Mundi as lawyers at member firms communicate with one another for advice on local law and share information about the business and investment climates in their countries.

 

Over the past 30 years, Keith has tried numerous jury and bench trials, handled various administrative proceedings and argued a wide range of matters in appellate courts in matters involving business, product liability, toxic tort and environmental issues. He has served as national coordinating counsel for a Fortune 500 company’s product liability litigation, and was class counsel in a series of class action lawsuits.

 

Prior to assuming his current management role, Keith served for 10 years as the firm’s Litigation Practice Group Leader.