Joseph M. Lischwe is of counsel in Nelson Mullins Riley & Scarborough's Raleigh office and practices in the areas of bankruptcy and creditors' rights, general corporate, and lodging and leisure.

He is admitted to all North Carolina state and federal courts and the Fourth Circuit Court of Appeals and is a former member of the Panel of Standing Trustees for the U.S. Bankruptcy Court of the Middle District of North Carolina.

Mr. Lischwe formerly served as executive vice president and general counsel of an international hotel developer and management company with 52 operating hotels and as many as 15 under development in 13 states and Canada. There, he established the company's first legal department and was responsible for all legal matters of the company, including the development, acquisition, and sale of hotel properties that included a $500 million portfolio sale of 20 Marriott branded hotels in five states. He also oversaw the organization and creation of legal entities and business matters including the real estate syndication processes to complete ownership of limited liability companies and limited partnerships; led the finance group of the company; negotiated and reviewed franchise agreements with international companies; drafted and negotiated hotel management and technical service agreements; advised and consulted on human resources matters; and oversaw litigation in numerous states.

He also has served as assistant general counsel for a global manufacturer and developer of polymers with approximately $800 million in annual sales. He was previously a shareholder at another Raleigh law firm where he focused on bankruptcy and creditor rights for 10 years.  Mr. Lischwe began his legal career as a law clerk to U.S. District Judge Terrence W. Boyle of the Eastern District of North Carolina.

Mr. Lischwe is a former member and chair of the Wake County Social Services Board; a former member of the Wake County Human Services Board, a former vice chairman of the Cary Chamber of Commerce Board of Directors and member of the Economic Development Committee, a former chair of the Town of Cary Utility Board of Adjustment, a charter member and co-founder of Crimestoppers of Cary, Inc., and served as chairman of the St. Andrews Catholic Church Parish Council.   

He earned his Juris Doctor, cum laude, in 1985 from the St. Louis University School of Law, where he was a member of the St. Louis University Law Journal. He earned an A.B. in History and Education from the University of Notre Dame.