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Diane L. Parsons-Salem, Of Counsel, Real Estate

Diane L. Parsons-Salem’s practice concentrates in the business, franchise and commercial real estate areas with Ragsdale Liggett, PLLC as Of Counsel to the firm, representing buyers, sellers, landlords, tenants, lenders and developers in all types of real estate transactions, from sale leasebacks, § 1031 like kind exchanges, mergers and acquisitions, dispositions, student housing, office and apartment complexes, mixed use, shopping center and condominium projects.  A seasoned corporate lawyer, Diane is admitted to practice before the U.S. Supreme Court, the 2nd Federal District Court for the Commonwealth of Massachusetts and all Massachusetts, Missouri and North Carolina State Courts.

Diane’s prominent career includes in-house corporate counsel positions for Fortune 500 and Fortune 1000 companies. Prior to joining Ragsdale Liggett, Diane was vice president and general counsel of Panera Bread Company in Richmond Heights, Missouri. As chief legal officer, Diane had supervision of, and ultimate accountability for, all legal affairs of this fast-moving, growth-oriented publicly traded (PNRA) company and its wholly owned subsidiaries and divisions, including 18 fresh dough manufacturing facilities and over 600 company and franchise bakery-cafes in 35 states.

At NACCO Materials Handling Group, Inc. in Greenville, N.C., Diane was vice president and America’s counsel for the Americas Division, a worldwide manufacturer and distributor of Hyster® and Yale® industrial forklift trucks. Diane managed the legal affairs for the division headquarters of Hyster® and Yale® marketing companies, as well as for nine retail locations and eight manufacturing facilities in the United States, Canada and Latin America, which had annual sales of $1.2 billion.

In the past, Diane has held various senior management positions, including vice president and deputy general counsel, among others, with Hardee’s Food Systems, Inc. in Rocky Mount, N.C. At the time, Hardee’s was the second largest fried chicken chain and the fourth largest hamburger chain in the world, with sales of over $4 billion and approximately 4,000 company and franchise restaurants in 40 states and 11 foreign countries.

Early in her career, Diane practiced as one of two attorneys in a busy general civil practice firm, as well as with a large Boston law firm, with emphasis on the purchase and sale of businesses and real estate; land court title examination; lending, landlord and tenant matters; domestic relations; litigation; tax planning; and estate planning and administration. This background, along with Diane’s many years as corporate counsel, prepared her for the demanding negotiating skills required in the complex, multi-transactional deals she handles at Ragsdale Liggett.

Diane grew up in Lexington, Massachusetts and earned her Bachelor of Arts in History in 1967 at Boston University College of Liberal Arts. When Diane’s college adviser suggested she take the LSAT, she did and was accepted to law school at Suffolk University Law School in Boston, receiving her Juris Doctor in 1970. While at law school, Diane was invited to join Law Review and was on the Dean's List.  She is a member of the American Bar Association, Massachusetts Bar Association, Missouri Bar Association, North Carolina Bar Association and the Wake County Bar Association.

Diane resides in Raleigh and spends weekends on the Crystal Coast or in Pinehurst. Her grown daughter, Nicole S. Connell, and son-in-law, Jimmy Connell, live and work in Raleigh. Nicole is an Accountant Executive with Wells Fargo Home Mortgage and Jimmy is a Real Estate Broker with Hodge & Kittrell.