Elam & Rousseaux, PLLC

William ("Bill") H. Elam

William (Bill) Elam is the founder and Senior Partner of Elam & Rousseaux, PLLC. Bill majored in Business at East Carolina University in Greenville, North Carolina, and graduated in 1967. He then attended the University of South Carolina School of Law in Columbia, South Carolina where he was awarded a scholarship and graduated with Honors in 1972. While at South Carolina, Bill was selected to be on the editorial board of the Law Review and published an article for that organization.

Bill is licensed in all Federal District Courts in North Carolina and the Fourth Circuit Court of Appeals (Federal Court of Appeals in Richmond, Virginia) as well as admitted to practice in the U.S. Supreme Court (which is a very unusual circumstance for many trial lawyers).

Bar Admissions:

• North Carolina, 1972
• U.S. District Court Eastern District of North Carolina
• U.S. District Court Middle District of North Carolina
• U.S. District Court Western District of North Carolina
• U.S. Court of Appeals 4th Circuit
• U.S. Supreme Court

Education:

• University of South Carolina School of Law, J.D., 1972
• East Carolina University, A.B., 1967

Professional Memberships and Achievements:

• American Association for Justice, Member
• North Carolina Academy of Trial Lawyers, Member
• Board of Directors, Mecklenburg County Bar Association, 2011
• Chair, Professional Negligence Section of North Carolina Advocates for Justice 1998-2001

William ("Will") R. Elam

Born and raised in Charlotte, ever since I was a child, I wanted to become a lawyer. I’m sure this was in part from growing up and seeing my father, Bill, practice law. One fond memory is during the summer break while in middle school getting to go to the Courtroom in Gastonia and see Bill in action trying a medical malpractice case (that he ended up winning). As I attended college at UNC-Chapel Hill, I found myself again being drawn to the law and after graduation, attended law school.

"Being in the courtroom with my father as a child foreshadowed another defining moment in my legal career many years later. In 2011, Bill and I tried our first case together in Marion, North Carolina. It was a proud moment for both of us to have the jury decide in our client’s favor on the first trial we had together."

- Will Elam

Bar Admissions:

• North Carolina
• South Carolina

Education:

• University of North Carolina School of Law, J.D., 2006
• University of North Carolina, B.A., 2003

Professional Memberships and Achievements:

• NC Academy of Trial Lawyers, Member
• Selected To Super Lawyers Rising Stars: 2013 - 2020

Michael J. Rousseaux

Michael was born in Madrid, Spain where he lived the first five years of his life. Following this, he lived in France, Canada, Pennsylvania, Illinois, North Carolina and Florida. He attended college and law school in North Carolina, and upon graduating in 1990 from the Norman Adrian Wiggins School of Law, he got married and decided to establish his personal and professional roots in the Charlotte Metro area.

Michael recalls first being drawn to the legal field when he participated in a mock trial in the sixth grade. As a teenager he became involved with the Boy Scouts of America’s Exploring Program which allowed him to learn more about the field of law through meeting members of the legal community. While studying accounting in college, he had his eyes set on law school the entire time. During Michael’s last year in law school, his father suffered the loss of an eye as a result of a medical error. Seeing firsthand the devastation that can result from medical malpractice became the catalyst for Michael’s career.

The first three years of his career were spent with a general practice firm, learning how to be an attorney, and being exposed to many different areas of practice. The next eight years he worked as insurance defense attorney learning how to be a trial attorney. Since 2002, Michael has leveraged his experience as a defense attorney and combined that with his passion for representing injured people, whether those injuries were caused by medical negligence like his father or motor vehicle negligence.

For the last 18 years, Michael has lived in Weddington, NC with his wife Cathy. Together they have two daughters, Alex and Maddy. He is a member of Carmel Baptist Church and an avid tennis player as a member of multiple USTA and Queen City teams.

At our firm, we are family and will treat you like family. Our team of Charlotte personal injury attorneys can ensure that you are well taken care of. Contact us today to learn more about how we can help! 

Bar Admissions:

• North Carolina
• U.S. District Court Western District of North Carolina
• U.S. Court of Appeals 4th Circuit
• U.S. District Court Eastern District of North Carolina

Education:

• Campbell University Norman Adrian Wiggins School of Law, J.D., 1990
• Gardner-Webb University, B.S., 1987

Professional Memberships and Achievements:

• Mecklenburg County Bar Association (1990 – present)
• North Carolina Bar Association (1990 – present)
• North Carolina Advocates for Justice (2002 – present)
• Volunteer, Facilitator for Special Olympics Tennis (2013 – present)
• Member, Personnel Committee - Carmel Baptist Church (2016 – Present)
• Rated AV® Preeminent™ in Martindale-Hubbell® Peer Review Ratings™