Judge Frank W. Bullock, Jr. (Ret)

Hon. Frank W. Bullock was appointed to the federal bench in 1982 by President Ronald Reagan, becoming one of the youngest federal judges in the country. He served 24 years as a United States District Court Judge in North Carolina, including seven years as Chief Judge. In that role, he revamped the civil case management structure for his district, reducing the backlog and time-to-trial statistics to among the best in the country.

During his time on the bench, Judge Bullock had three significant civil rulings affirmed by the U.S. Supreme Court, including his decision in the landmark Brooke Group antitrust case. In addition to numerous antitrust and environmental cases, Mr. Bullock presided over many cases of national significance, including class action lawsuits, product liability matters, aviation disasters, federal securities law litigation, employment discrimination, and patent and trademark disputes.

He frequently sat by designation on the United States Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit, where he authored opinions in a wide variety of cases, including those dealing with civil rights, campaign finance and attorneys' fees.

Judge Bullock practiced law with Douglas, Ravenel, Hardy, Crihfield & Bullock from 1973-1982 and with Maupin, Taylor and Ellis from 1964 to 1968. He was Assistant Director, Administrative Office of the Courts, Judicial Department of the State of North Carolina from 1968-73, and the law clerk for Hon. Algernon L. Butler, U.S.D.C, E.D.N.C., from 1963 to 1964.

He was a member of the Standing Committee on the Rules of Practice and Procedure of the Judicial Conference of the United States, 1996-2003 and is a former chair of Continuing Legal Education Programs for Judges in the Fourth Circuit. He is a member of the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators and the International Institute for Conflict Prevention & Resolution Panel of Distinguished Neutrals.

Judge Bullock is a graduate of the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill (L.L.B., 1963, B.S. in Business Administration,1961) and is a member of the bar of North Carolina.

Selected cases:

Smith v. McDonald, 562 F. Supp. 829 (M.D.N.C 1983), aff'd, 737 F.2d 427 (4th Cir. 1984) (holding qualified immunity protection for those criticizing public officials), aff'd 472 U.S. 479 (1985).

Terry v. Teamsters Union, 676 F. Supp. 659 (M.D.N.C. 1987) (permitting jury trial of union members' claim against union), aff'd, 863 F.2d 334 (4th Cir. 1988), aff'd, 494 U.S. 558 (1990).

Brooke Group Ltd. (Liggett Tobacco) v. Brown & Williamson Tobacco, 748 F. Supp. 344 (M.D.N.C. 1990) (antitrust case involving pricing of cigarettes), aff'd, 964 F.2d 335 (4th Cir. 1992), aff'd, 509 U.S. 209 (1993).

Delaney v. Bartlett, 370 F. Supp. 2d 373 (M.D.N.C. 2004) (North Carolina statute requiring unaffiliated candidates to submit petition with signatures equal to 2% of registered voters in order to be placed on general election ballot violated their constitutional rights by requiring more signatures than required for candidates representing new political parties).

Alliance for Legal Action v. U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, et al., 314 F. Supp. 2d 534 (M.D.N.C. 2004) (challenge to environmental permits issued pursuant to the Federal Water Pollution Control Act allowing construction of Federal Express cargo hub at Piedmont Triad International Airport).

United States v. Duke Energy Corp., 278 F. Supp. 2d 619 (M.D.N.C. 2003) (emissions test for coal-fired electrical generating plants in North and South Carolina), aff'd 411 F.3d 539 (4th Cir. 2005), reversed _ US _ (2007).

Chris v. Tenet, 221 F.3d 648 (4th Cir. 2000) sitting by designation on the Court of Appeals (federal district court's jurisdiction to hear actions brought under Title VII of the 1964 Civil Rights Act not extend to independent actions to recover attorney's fees and costs incurred in administrative proceedings).

R.J. Reynolds Tobacco Co. v. Philip Morris, Inc. 199 F. Supp. 2d 362 (M.D.N.C. 2002) (tobacco company's retail marketing program not an unreasonable restraint of trade nor monopolistic), aff'd 67 Fed. Appx. 810 (4th Cir. 2003).

In re Cree, Inc. Securities Litigation, 333 F. Supp. 2d 461 (M.D.N.C 2004) (allegations of securities fraud insufficient under Private Securities Litigation Reform Act). See also 2005 WL 1847004 ( M.D.N.C 2005) (allegations in amended complaint insufficient under PSLRA), aff'd, _ F.3d _ (4th Cir. 2007).

Professional Activities

Standing Committee on the Rules of Practice and Procedure of the Judicial Conference of the United States, 1996-2003

Former Chair, Continuing Legal Education Programs for Judges in the Fourth Circuit

Admitted to bar, 1963, North Carolina.

Member, Chartered Institute of Arbitrators; International Institute for Conflict Prevention & Resolution Panel of Distinguished Neutrals.

Prior Legal Experience

District Judge, U.S. District Court, Middle District of North Carolina, 1982-2006 (Chief Judge, 1992-99);
Douglas, Ravenel, Hardy, Crihfield & Bullock, 1973-82;
Assistant Director, Administrative Office of the Courts, Judicial Department of the State of North Carolina, 1968-73;
Maupin, Taylor & Ellis, 1964-68; Law Clerk, Hon. Algernon L. Butler, U.S.D.C, E.D.N.C., 1963-64.

Education

B.S. in Business Administration, 1961,
LL.B., 1963, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill