Brian Clarke

Brian Clarke is a partner at Van Kampen Law in Charlotte, North Carolina, and an employment attorney representing workers in disputes with employers. He brings experience as an employer-side lawyer, law professor, and former administrative judge to employment litigation. His work draws on knowledge of discrimination, harassment, wage and hour disputes, restrictive covenants, and employment agreements, including how employers investigate claims and defend decisions in court. Before changing sides, he advised major employers about hiring practices, compensation issues, contract restrictions, and defense of discrimination claims.

Brian received a B.A. in History from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill in 1995 and a Juris Doctor from Washington and Lee University School of Law in 1999. He graduated magna cum laude and was inducted into the Order of the Coif. His legal training was followed by extensive litigation experience, academic teaching, and judicial work, giving him perspectives on how employment disputes are argued and decided.

Brian began his career representing employers and later worked at Littler Mendelson on discrimination, harassment, compensation, wage, noncompete, and trade secret cases. He litigated matters in North Carolina state and federal courts and handled appellate proceedings. After practicing law, he taught civil procedure and employment law at Charlotte School of Law. In 2018, he became an administrative judge with the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission and decided more than 500 cases.

Brian Clarke has served as chair of the North Carolina Bar Association’s Labor and Employment Law Section and received Legal Elite, Super Lawyers, and Charlotte Business Journal 40 Under 40 recognition. His scholarly writing on employment law and litigation has appeared in multiple law reviews. His combined experience representing employers, teaching legal procedure, and deciding discrimination cases informs his advocacy for employees facing workplace disputes. He continues teaching an intensive course in restrictive covenant and trade secret litigation at the University of South Carolina law school.

Law Office Affiliations

• Partner, Van Kampen Law
• Member, The North Carolina State Bar
• Chair, North Carolina Bar Association’s Labor & Employment Law Section
• Chair, Charlotte-Mecklenburg Historic Landmarks Commission

Licensed State

• North Carolina

Education

• Washington & Lee University School of Law
  Juris Doctor (JD)
• University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
  Bachelor of Arts (BA) in History

Awards & Badges