Craig Schauer helps clients identify and solve a wide variety of legal problems, ranging from small legal questions to large constitutional lawsuits. He assists clients in resolving issues with contractual disputes, franchise and distributor relationships, unfair competition, mergers and acquisitions, and government regulations. Craig also works with clients on questions concerning permissible political activity, election laws, and First Amendment rights.
Craig works with clients to resolve their most important legal disputes. Depending on the situation, his approach spans from collaborating with the other side on a pre-trial resolution to zealously pursuing justice through the courts. Craig has represented businesses of all sizes in state and federal courts and various regulatory agencies in disputes regarding antitrust law, unfair and deceptive trade practices claims, non-competition agreements, subpoenas, and other related issues. He has worked with clients in a variety of sectors, including healthcare, construction, professional sports leagues, franchises, automobile dealerships, nonprofit, financial services, and local and state government.
Craig helps clients confidently express their political voice by ensuring that their political conduct complies with the law. He advises corporations on how to form entities that will be politically active, either directly or indirectly, and helps craft company policies on political activity and lobbying practices. He represents clients before the Board of Elections in regulatory proceedings and confidential investigations. He also assists local and state governments in ensuring compliance with federal and state elections law, including the Voting Rights Act and other constitutional requirements.
Craig not only assists clients with political activity, but also helps them navigate other free speech and First Amendment issues within the public sphere.
Selected by his peers for inclusion in Business North Carolina's "Legal Elite" in the Young Guns category (2019)
Recognized by North Carolina Super Lawyers (Thomson Reuters) as a "Rising Star" in Civil Rights Law (2018); Business Litigation (2019)
Ruling Elder, Midtown Community Church (2015-present)
Board of Directors, Greater-Raleigh Young Life Committee (2011-present)
I believe that relationships matter — we were not created to live in isolation. I invest in the relationships in my life, and I prioritize my family and local community. But I also believe that relationships matter to my clients: Businesses, just like people, do not exist in a vacuum — they depend on relationships. Unfortunately, all relationships, whether personal or business, are prone to breaking down. In my personal life, I seek to foster and restore relationships as a ruling elder in our church and by being involved in local ministries. In my professional life, I use the law and the courts to help my clients build and defend their most important relationships.
