Shatilla Shera (Tillie) Cairns is an experienced business law, civil, and appellate litigation attorney. She represents founder-led companies and business entities and provides executive-level counseling and management before and during litigation on an extensive scope of legal matters involving contract and transactional disputes; employment law, policies, and compliance (including, wage and hour, classification, and termination issues); construction law, defects, and liens; corporate governance and liability; litigation risk mitigation; and other complex commercial, business, and legal issues. In addition to handling and arguing cases before state and federal courts, Tillie also counsels and represents clients before various alternative dispute resolution forums, such as mediation and arbitration.
Recognized for her dedication and diligence, Tillie incorporates into her practice the importance of serving as an enduring resource for her clients and of striving to elicit positive and practical results and solutions in the midst of any type of dispute or issue.
Prior to graduating from law school, she gained invaluable insight into appellate courtroom practice during her judicial internship under the guidance of The Honorable Roderick L. Ireland, former Chief Justice at the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court.
Tillie began her post-law school career in the area of veterans’ disability law at a Providence, Rhode Island-based law firm, where she passionately advocated on behalf of hundreds of disabled military veterans and their families pursuing VA compensation benefits. Then, at a Boston, Massachusetts-based law firm, Tillie realized her interest and enthusiasm for assisting and representing local, closely-held, and family-owned businesses, many within the retail, construction, and service industries. Continuing with her work, Tillie has also practiced as outside general counsel to a variety of start-up and scaling businesses while at a nationwide law firm.
Tillie has spent over a decade cultivating her legal craft and continues to employ her skills for the benefit of providing comprehensive and sound guidance and building a strong foundation for advocacy, negotiation, and strategy development - whether outside or within the courtroom.
Although a recent transplant from Foxborough, Massachusetts (with a love for all things New England), Tillie is nevertheless excited for this next journey of exploring with her husband and two children all that North Carolina has to offer.
Accomplishments
•Selected to the Massachusetts Super Lawyers Rising Stars list in the area of Construction Litigation (2022)
Most Recent Posts
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North Carolina Business Court Finds Personal Jurisdiction Over TikTok and ByteDance
In October of 2024, the State of North Carolina filed a lawsuit against ByteDance LTD., the parent company that owns...
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Worker Classification: Employees vs. Independent Contractors (Part III)
Correctly classifying workers as employees or independent contractors is essential not only for complying with wage and hour laws under...
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Worker Classification: Employees vs. Independent Contractors (Part II)
Classifying a worker an “employee” versus an “independent contractor” is not as simple as checking whether they receive a W-2...
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Worker Classification: Employees vs. Independent Contractors (Part I)
Is Your Worker an Employee or an Independent Contractor? Determining whether a worker is an employee or an independent contractor...
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Cranfill Sumner Staffs Pro Bono Empower Hour
Cranfill Sumner LLP attorneys and summer clerks volunteered for the North Carolina Bar Foundation pro bono clinic the Empower Hour on June 3. ...
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Shatilla Shera Cairns Presents for Holly Springs Chamber of Commerce Business Education Series
On Feb. 11, Shatilla Shera Cairns presented “Crafting Effective Contracts” as part of the Business Education Series for the Holly Springs Chamber of Commerce. This is the first session of the series that Tillie will be presenting throughout 2025....
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Shatilla Shera B. Cairns Elected to Holly Springs Chamber of Commerce Board of Directors
Shatilla Shera (Tillie) B. Cairns has been elected to serve on the Board of Directors for the Holly Springs Chamber of Commerce. Her term begins in January 2025 and continues through December 2027....
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No Second Bite at the Arbitration Apple: How the Fourth Circuit Appeals Court Steadfastly Affirms the Recognition & Enforcement of Foreign Arbitral Awards
Companies that are successfully expanding their business beyond the United States or aiming to grow their business globally may find...
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Cranfill Sumner Participates in NCBF Empower Hour
On May 30, the attorneys, staff, and summer clerks of Cranfill Sumner LLP joined forces with the North Carolina Bar Foundation to host the Empower Hour, a pro bono legal advice clinic....
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What Is the Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Act and How Could It Affect Your Business?
The Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Act, Public Law No. 117-78 (“UFLPA”), is a federal law that became effective on June...
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Shatilla Shera Cairns Joins Cranfill Sumner LLP
Cranfill Sumner LLP today announced that Shatilla Shera (Tillie) Cairns has joined the firm’s Raleigh office as Of Counsel. She focuses her practice in business law and civil and appellate litigation....
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respected by their peers for high professional achievement and ethical standards.
Notable: This rating indicates that the lawyer has been recognized by a large number of their peers for strong ethical standards.
