Rodney E. (“Rod”) Pettey

Position:

Partner

Senior Partner Rodney (“Rod”) Pettey has focused his practice on civil litigation for over thirty years. Mr. Pettey represents businesses, professionals and insurance companies in legal disputes involving products liability, personal injury, construction litigation, professional liability and trucking accidents. He also serves as part of the appellate practice group.

Legal Experience

Mr. Pettey joined Yates, McLamb & Weyher, LLP in 1991 after he completed a one-year clerkship with the Honorable Eugene Gordon, United States District Court Judge for the Middle District of North Carolina. In 1998, he became a partner and served on the firm’s management committee since 2010.

In 2023, Mr. Pettey along with his law partner Sean Partrick, started Pettey & Partrick, LLP where he continues representing corporations and insurance companies in litigation throughout all of the courts and counties in North Carolina.

Mr. Pettey has tried cases in Federal and state court. He successfully defended clients in lawsuits arising out of multi-million dollar construction projects and accidents causing traumatic brain injury, quadriplegic injury and wrongful death. Mr. Pettey’s litigation experience includes representing defendants in lawsuits resulting from two well-known plant explosions that occurred in Eastern North Carolina. He has represented corporations in class action suits, including claims arising out of the cutting of power lines to islands along the outer banks.

Mr. Pettey’s practice also includes representing transportation defendants, both trucking companies and brokers. He represents several road construction contractors, including one of the largest in the state.

Due to Mr. Pettey’s experience in handling high exposure cases, he was selected by two insurance companies to be part of their catastrophic injury and major case attorney panel. Mr. Pettey has been selected as a member of the American Board of Trial Advocates, which is comprised of both plaintiff and defense trial attorneys. Mr. Pettey is North Carolina’s representative for the Gavel, a national claims defense network of vetted attorneys and specialists.

Mr. Pettey frequently provides lectures regarding litigation strategy, accident investigation, mediation strategy, legislative and procedural updates and defending cases involving catastrophic loss and damages.

Awards and Recognitions

AV Preeminentrating by Martindale-Hubbell
Best Lawyers in America® since 2012
North Carolina Super Lawyer since 2009
North Carolina Legal Elite by Business North Carolina magazine in 2007
America’s Top 100 Attorneys– Lifetime Achievement Award

Education and Admissions

Bob Jones University (B.S., 1987)
Wake Forest University School of Law (J.D., cum laude, 1990)
North Carolina (1990)
United States District Court for the Eastern, Middle, and Western Districts of North Carolina
United States Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit

Meet The Team