Matt Joyner is the founder of Counsel Plus and its primary provider of services.  With twenty years professional experience in multinational manufacturing corporations and private commercial litigation practice, Mr. Joyner is an insightful, versatile leader who initiates and delivers with diligent professionalism. He has extensive experience in the areas of:

  • commercial law
  • contracts
  • human resources and employment law
  • regulatory compliance
  • acquisitions and divestitures
  • employee benefits management
  • international law
  • litigation.

As General Counsel and Vice President-Administration of Yorkshire Americas, Inc., the American subsidiaries of a mid-sized international manufacturer, Mr. Joyner handled the subsidiaries’ entire legal portfolio and managed non-lawyers in the U.S. company’s Human Resources and Environment, Health & Safety departments.  Mr. Joyner successfully:

  • integrated merged organizations
  • led proposed acquisitions and due diligence
  • orchestrated and executed corporate reorganizations
  • managed employee benefit plans, including self-funded medical plan and 401(k) plans
  • planned and implemented regulatory compliance programs
  • reduced corporate liability exposure
  • implemented international growth strategies.
“Matt’s vast skills are unprecedented combining the best in education and training coupled with real live “hands on” experience.  He is very comfortable and proficient in such areas as legal, environmental, administration, human resources, and business management.  Matt is a leader and an initiator.”    (Click here to read full quote)

–Stephen R. Holland, Former President, Yorkshire Americas, Inc.

Prior to his General Counsel and Vice President roles Mr. Joyner was Senior Counsel  for a major division of a large multinational manufacturer, Crompton & Knowles Corporation, acting as primary legal counsel for a  business with facilities in five States and two European nations.   Key achievements in this capacity included:

  • reducing outside counsel expenses through centralization of division legal purchasing
  • managing legal aspects of site contamination and remediation activities in the U.S. and Europe
  • negotiating de minimis settlements of wrongful death, personal injury, product liability and commercial claims 
  • drafting corporate business ethics policies
  • investigating internal purchasing fraud resulting in employee termination.  

In previous private practice Mr. Joyner litigated contracts, corporate reorganizations, franchises, unfair trade practices, employment policies, securities arbitrations, joint ventures, trademarks, environmental, negligence, personal injury, real property and Uniform Commercial Code disputes.

Mr. Joyner is admitted to practice law in North Carolina and is a member of the American Bar Association, the North Carolina Bar Association and the Mecklenburg County Bar Association.

Education & Clerkship
Law Clerk to Hon. J. Dickson Phillips, Jr.
United States Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit
1984 - 1985

University of Pennsylvania Law School, J.D
Editor, University of Pennsylvania Law Review
1984
           
Dartmouth College, BA
Magna Cum Laude, History
Phi Beta Kappa           
1981

Professional
Chair, Corporate Counsel Section
North Carolina Bar Association
2004 - 2005

Chair, Corporate Counsel Section
Mecklenburg County Bar Association
2002 - 2004
           
Board of Directors
North Carolina Manufacturers and Chemical Industry Council
2001 - 2004

Community
Charlotte Rotary Club
Rotary Youth Exchange Foreign Student Counselor
AWANA Sparks Team Leader
Adult Bible Study Leader