Tony Lathrop focuses his practice at the intersection of transportation, land use, and public-sector strategy, advising clients on how to navigate complex infrastructure initiatives and the governmental processes that shape them. As chair of the North Carolina Board of Transportation and a former leader in Charlotte land use and planning, he provides strategic counsel on transportation and public mobility planning, funding, and finance, as well as on zoning, land use, and economic development connected to major transportation corridors.
Tony regularly represents local governments, real estate developers, manufacturers, energy companies, and other clients in high-stakes projects. He helps private-sector partners structure and advance successful public‑private initiatives. His work is informed by deep experience as a trial lawyer, certified mediator, and public‑sector leader, positioning him to guide clients through the policy, regulatory, and political considerations that influence their long-term goals.
For public agencies, infrastructure sponsors, and companies tied to transportation corridors, Tony’s practice is multimodal, involving air, motor, and rail transportation. He handles both commercial and regulatory issues with a focus on litigation, insurance, technology, government relations, and strategic planning. He has represented international and domestic clients in product liability disputes, insurance coverage issues, catastrophic accidents, and municipal easement and right‑of‑way negotiations for public works and transportation infrastructure.
Tony has extensive experience with municipal planning, zoning, entitlement, and related development regulations. His years leading the Charlotte‑Mecklenburg Planning Commission give him an inside view of how planning and zoning agencies operate, which he uses to help clients move projects forward and address community and regulatory concerns. He has particular experience with residential, commercial, and industrial development, city planning, transit‑oriented development, and opportunities for regional collaboration.
Tony’s experience also spans a wide range of complex business and real estate disputes in state and federal courts, before mediators and arbitrators, and in North Carolina administrative forums.
Tony is a recipient of The Order of the Long Leaf Pine, which North Carolina's governor presents for exemplary service that has strengthened the state. Through long-standing service in the legal, transportation, and planning communities of North Carolina, he has regular and significant interaction with local, state, and federal elected officials; governmental agencies; trade organizations; stakeholder groups; and industry professionals on policy, advocacy, project planning and management, funding, economic development, public‑private partnerships, and broader business development efforts.