We dedicate ourselves to helping our clients and our community.  It’s that simple.

Essex Richards offers a 40-year history of serving our community, making us one of the oldest firms in the Charlotte area. Since our doors opened in 1976, our lawyers have provided an unwavering commitment to professional ethics, personal service, and delivering the highest level of legal advice to our clients. Our lawyers dedicate themselves to being more than legal counsel; we have built our firm around the idea that we are here to truly help the clients we represent, because our clients are people, not just cases.

While we offer knowledgeable representation in a number of legal areas, our main practice areas include Bankruptcy and Debtor/Creditor Relations, Business Law, Copyright and Trademark, ERISA and Long-Term Disability, Estate Planning and Administration, Family Law, Labor and Employment, Litigation, Media and First Amendment, Mergers and Acquisitions, Personal Injury and Wrongful Death, and Tax Planning.

In addition to focusing on their legal practices, our lawyers and staff follow the firm’s long tradition of giving back to the community in which they live and work. Whether through pro bono representation, charitable contributions, leadership roles, event sponsorship, or employee participation, Essex Richards supports initiatives that improve the quality of life in our community.

John Daniel has been a trial lawyer for more than 35 years. John represents businesses and individuals in a wide range of legal disputes with a concentration in business, commercial, and building construction matters.

John is a Charlotte native. He graduated from Myers Park High School in 1972 and from Rhodes College with Honors in 1976. He earned his M.S. and law degrees from American University in Washington, D.C. Following service as an Asst. District Attorney in Charlotte, he has been a general civil litigator for his entire career.

John has served on various local Bar committees. He was the Chairman of the Mecklenburg County Bar Law Library Committee. He has been a member of the Superior Court Civil Rules Committee and the Civil Litigation Section. He has been a member of the Permanent Judicial Commission of the Presbytery of Charlotte and an Elder at First Presbyterian Church of Charlotte. John has served the Charlotte area YMCA as Board Chairman of the Johnston Memorial Branch and as a member of the Metropolitan Community Development Committee. He is the past President of the Board of Directors of Presbyterian Psychological Services.

John has been recognized by his peers as a top lawyer in the fields of Commercial Litigation, Business Litigation, and Litigation – Construction by inclusion in The Best Lawyers in America and North Carolina Super Lawyers. He has the highest rating offered by the Martindale-Hubbell Legal Directory. Currently best lawyers and super lawyers: Business North Carolina’s Legal Elite.

John enjoys fishing, golf, lap-swimming, hiking, and just about any sporting activity. He has hiked the Appalachian Trail through North Carolina and is currently focusing on other trails located in western North Carolina. John and his wife Susan have three children.