David Sherlin

I grew up in Raleigh with parents who taught me the most important thing in life is family.  Whether attending church, school activities, or simply eating dinner together, their commitment to family always was front and center.  The values my parents taught me are ones my wife, Lise, and I try to instill in our daughter, age eighteen, and our son, age fifteen.

As an attorney, I have represented families and individuals who never imagined they would find themselves needing to file a lawsuit. These individuals and families are faced with difficult legal decisions due to someone else’s negligence.  Whether it’s a family dealing with a loss caused by a drunk driver, or an individual facing a lifetime of medical needs because of someone else’s mistake, I strive to achieve the best result possible for my clients knowing the incredible responsibility I have been given.

I attended the Wake County Public Schools.  I then attended Appalachian State University for two years before transferring to the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.  After college, I worked in Washington, D.C. before returning home to attend law school at North Carolina Central University.

In 2005, I began my legal career as an assistant district attorney with the Wake County DA’s office.  I prosecuted numerous cases involving death by vehicle, and I handled hundreds of drunk driving cases.  My experience as a prosecutor includes jury trials involving drunk driving, first-degree murder, armed robbery and drug trafficking charges.  In 2007 and 2008, I assisted with the prosecution of government officials who violated campaign finance laws. I feel extremely fortunate to have had the opportunity to work for Wake County’s District Attorney Colon Willoughby, as well as with members of the law enforcement community.

In 2011, I left the District Attorney’s office to join the law firm of Kirby & Holt, LLP.  Our firm represented individuals who suffered catastrophic injuries and families who lost loved ones due to the negligence of others. In early 2013, I attended a United States Supreme Court oral argument involving a child Mark Holt represented since her birth in 2000.  Because of this child’s severe injuries at birth, she will never eat, walk or talk on her own.  The U.S. Supreme Court ruled in the child’s favor, proving that even those who cannot speak for themselves may still have a powerful and lasting voice in our legal system.

From 2013 through September of 2021 I was law partners with Mark Holt at Holt Sherlin LLP.  During my time at Holt Sherlin I continued to represent people who were injured due to no fault of their own.  Some of the cases I worked on at Holt Sherlin include representing the estate of a man who was killed while riding a motorcycle, a family who was injured when they were hit by an impaired driver, a woman who was sexually assaulted while inside a fraternity house and a child who suffered serious injuries after being attacked by dogs. 

I am extremely fortunate to have been mentored by incredible attorneys, including my former law partner, Mark Holt.  One thing I have learned from my mentors is there is no substitute for hard work, the importance of being organized in a trial, and that attorneys must uphold the highest ethical and moral standards. 

My mentors also taught me that attorneys have an obligation to give back to the community whenever they can.  In this spirit, I have been fortunate to have had the opportunity to be involved with the following organizations and to be recognized as follows:

• Super Lawyer Plaintiff Personal Injury (2018, 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022, 2023, 2024)

• Named by NC Lawyers Weekly to the Power List of Personal Injury Attorneys

• Past-President, Wake County Bar Association

• Commissioner, North Carolina Alcoholic Beverage Control Commission

• Board of Governors, North Carolina Advocates for Justice

• Member, The National Crime Victims Bar Association

• Tenth Judicial District/Wake County Bar Association Board of Directors

• Chair, Wake County Bar Association Nominations Committee

• Chair, Wake County Bar Association Building Committee

• Vice-Chair, Wake County Bar Association Bar Awards

• Tenth Judicial District/Wake County Bar Association Professionalism Committee

• Chair, Tenth Judicial District/Wake County Bar Association Grievance Committee

• North Carolina Bar Association Local Bar Outreach Committee

• Past-President, Theatre in the Park Board of Directors

• North State Bank Downtown Advisory Board

• Needham B. Broughton Capital Foundation

• Past-President, The Lacy Elementary School Foundation

• Hayes Barton United Methodist Church Staff-Parish Relations Committee

• Camp Sea Gull/Camp Seafarer Board of Directors

• YMCA Y-Guides Board of Directors

• Camp Sea Gull William J. Adams IV Endowment Committee