Will Esser focuses his practice primarily on commercial litigation, bankruptcy and creditors’ rights, foreclosures, loan workouts, and loan sales. He has successfully represented lenders, loan servicers, landlords, municipal governments, creditors’ committees, receivers, and investment companies in federal and state court lawsuits, bankruptcies, arbitrations, and restructurings. He has a particular emphasis on matters involving real estate, including mortgage servicing litigation, title insurance claims, lease and development disputes, and appraisal issues, among others.
Will is certified by the North Carolina Dispute Resolution Commission (NCDRC) as a Superior Court mediator. He also serves as a co-chair of Parker Poe’s financial services litigation team and head of Parker Poe’s North Carolina foreclosure practice.
Will is admitted to the United States Supreme Court, the United States Courts of Appeals for the Fourth, Tenth, and Eleventh Circuits, as well as the federal district and bankruptcy courts for the Eastern, Middle, and Western Districts of North Carolina.
Prior to joining Parker Poe, he served as a law clerk for the Honorable Paul J. Kelly on the United States Court of Appeals for the Tenth Circuit.
Will is a passionate believer in pro bono work and is a member of Parker Poe’s Pro Bono Committee. Much of Will’s pro bono practice is focused on appellate advocacy, including filing amicus briefs in First Amendment cases before the United States Supreme Court and representing the Guardian ad Litem in dozens of appeals before the North Carolina Supreme Court and North Carolina Court of Appeals. Will served as Chair of the Pro Bono Committee from 2013 through 2017, during which time, he and the firm were recognized through the following awards:
- 2014 N.C. Bar Association Large Law Firm of the Year Pro Bono Award
- 2014 Mecklenburg County Bar’s Outstanding Collaborative Project Pro Bono Award (in conjunction with Duke Energy and Legal Aid)
- 2016 Outstanding Individual Pro Bono Service Award (Legal Aid of North Carolina)
- 2017 N.C. Bar Association William Thorp Award (individual award for attorney who has presented exemplary pro bono legal services to low-income North Carolinians)