Conner Montgomery

Conner Montgomery began his legal career by watching cases unfold from both sides of the aisle, first with a public defender’s appellate office and then in a prosecutor’s office. That experience taught him to anticipate the arguments his clients will face before they’re made. As an associate in Hedrick Gardner’s Charlotte office, he brings that perspective to North Carolina workers’ compensation, helping employers and insurers handle claims from the initial filing through hearings before the North Carolina Industrial Commission. 

Conner enjoys the uniqueness of each claim and the chance to build an argument tailored to the client’s situation. He developed that instinct on the Trial Advocacy Board at the University of Kentucky Rosenberg College of Law. There he argued for the defense and placed second in both the 1L and 2L competitions. He also values the relationships the work creates, with clients, colleagues, and the broader legal community. 

Conner spent the summer after his first year of law school as a legal intern in the Appeals Office of the Kentucky Department of Public Advocacy. There he met with clients, conducted legal research, and observed oral arguments. The following summer, he clerked for the Horry County Solicitor’s Office in Conway, South Carolina. He reviewed discovery, drafted research memos, and attended plea proceedings, bond hearings, and trials. During law school, he also worked as a research assistant for Professor Joshua Douglas, studying why voter turnout in the United States lags behind other democracies. 

Conner’s path to the law began in the sciences. He earned his Bachelor of Science in Biological Sciences, with a minor in Political Science, magna cum laude from the University of South Carolina, where he was a Palmetto Fellow. As an undergraduate, he co-authored a peer-reviewed study on secondary school athletic trainers’ practices, published in the International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health. That scientific foundation serves him well in a practice where many questions turn on medical evidence. 

Outside the office, Conner can be found on the golf course enjoying the game he played competitively in high school. He also enjoys exploring Charlotte with his girlfriend. While he earned his undergraduate degree in Columbia, on game day his loyalty belongs to the Kentucky Wildcats.