Robert, a native of Portland, Maine, came to North Carolina in 1982 to attend Duke University. He graduated from Duke with a Bachelor’s Degree in 1986, and then enrolled in Columbia University in New York, where he earned a Master’s Degree in 1987. He then worked in Maine and North Carolina for several years, soon deciding to attend law school. He earned his Juris Doctor degree from Campbell University in Buies Creek, North Carolina in 1994, and immediately passed the North Carolina bar exam.

His first job was as a law clerk to a United States Magistrate Judge in New Bern, and the judge retired from the bench at the end of his term. He and Robert went into practice together, offering representation in criminal cases, civil matters, admiralty cases, and appeals. As they worked through those difficult first years, they grew the practice such that, in 2002, there were five lawyers in the firm, with quite a few support staff. Robert then decided to go out on his own, and started his own law firm, McAfee Law PA, concentrating in criminal defense, domestic cases, and appeals.

After 10 years in practice, and following a particularly challenging defense in a terrorism case, he accepted an offer to join the District Attorney’s Office as a prosecutor handling cases for the State in Superior Court. He remained there for eight years, and in 2020, returned to solo private practice, where he is today.

The website domain, ncdirigo.com, is based on the Maine state motto: “Dirigo”, meaning “I lead” or “I direct”. Robert has strong roots in Maine, but is a contended "exile” living in North Carolina with his wife, Tammy, and near his children and grandchildren.