Ellerbe Lawyers

Amelia joined Partin, Patton and Brown in August 2003 and became a partner in January 2009. Her practice focuses in the areas of Social Security Disability and Long Term Disability. Amelia is a North Carolina Board Certified Specialist in Social Security Disability Law. Amelia attended law school at Wake Forest University School of Law (2003) and joined Partin, Patton and Brown after her graduation. As a law student, Amelia was active in the Public Interest Law Organization and Guardian Ad Litem program. Amelia is a member of the North Carolina State Bar, North Carolina Bar...

Becoming a lawyer has been part of Julie Vergara Duque’s game plan since childhood. From the time she enrolled in law school, she knew she wanted to use her expertise to improve other people’s lives and help them navigate legal challenges. In 2024, she joined the Deuterman Law Group as an associate attorney in the workers’ compensation practice, working primarily out of the Winston-Salem office. As a native Spanish speaker, she will focus her practice on cases involving Spanish-speaking clients who have been injured on the job. Julie’s family immigrated from Colombia when she was a child, and an attorney’s work on...

Dr. Stanley Elliot After being married for 13 years, I was going through a rough separation. This was not easy for me and the separation also involved a custody battle for our child. I met with several attorneys and all of them were suitable. But I didn't just need a suitable attorney, I needed an experienced, litigation-savvy attorney. Richard Gantt was that attorney. When we met over lunch, he was informative, empathetic, and also ready to do battle in the courtroom. Richard was available to talk day and night. He has thought of innovative ways to proceed with all aspects...

John A. Price has over four decades of legal experience, including first chair trial experience on a variety of complex business and commercial litigation matters with special emphasis on the areas of antitrust and unfair/deceptive trade practices, business torts, securities fraud, intellectual property, minority shareholder, regulatory, products liability, environmental, and a wide spectrum of business disputes. He is ranked AV Preeminent with 5 out of 5 for legal ability and ethics by Martindale-Hubbell in a peer-reviewed rating. He is certified in civil litigation by the Texas Board of Legal Specialization, licensed to practice law in Kansas, Texas and...

Eleanor Panetti is a Winston-Salem lawyer who has been practicing family law for nearly three decades. Eleanor provides comprehensive legal counsel to men and women involved in family law disputes, to spouses creating and expanding families through adoption, and to those protecting and caring for children of family members. She is skilled and experienced in all matters related to divorce, custody and paternity, property settlement and support, the legal issues unique to the LGBT community, and those specific to senior populations.

Eleanor is passionate in her representation of people involved in family disputes, whether through divorce, supporting parents through child custody...

Keith Stroud is a 25+ year veteran of the practice of law. Keith supports businesses in the Triad, spouses going through a separation and divorce, individuals and couples through estate planning, executors and administrators handling the estate of a loved one, and seniors and their family members in long term care and asset protection matters. He provides a straightforward and comprehensive approach to legal representation, and offers unique solutions designed to meet the goals of his clients.

While Keith’s practice is structured to help his clients avoid litigation, he is first and foremost a trial lawyer. His civil and past criminal...

Billie Guthrie has spent more than 20 years working with people experiencing challenging life situations and fighting for social justice, first as a social worker and later as an attorney. Billie, who has a master’s degree in social work from the University of North Carolina, worked in the mental health field as an administrator and social worker. One of her primary roles was as a policy advocate, fighting for legal and systemic changes to improve outcomes for disabled adults and people dealing with persistent mental health issues and homelessness. As an attorney, Billie helps her clients navigate the complicated and often frustrating...

Steven maintains a varied practice focusing on representing workers who have been injured on the job and people who have been injured due to the negligence of others. His practice also includes representing consumers who have been harmed by unfair or deceptive business practices.

Steven started his legal career with the office of the North Carolina Attorney General, where he worked primarily defending the state of North Carolina in workers’ compensation cases, before deciding to join Martin & Jones out of a desire to help real people who have been injured or harmed. Steven understands how difficult it is for people...

Evan Horwitz was born in Raleigh, North Carolina. He received his undergraduate degree from Indiana University in 1997 and graduated from the Norman A. Wiggins School of Law at Campbell University in 2001. While in law school, Mr. Horwitz was the managing editor of the Campbell Law Review. After graduating, Mr. Horwitz served as a law clerk to Justice Robert F. Orr at the North Carolina Supreme Court.

Prior to joining Tharrington Smith in 2008, Mr. Horwitz spent almost six years as an associate at Manning, Fulton & Skinner, P.A., where he was a member of the firm’s litigation section practicing...

Upon graduation from law school in 1980, Doug Kingsbery joined the firm of Tharrington, Smith & Hargrove in Raleigh, North Carolina, where he worked as an associate in the areas of education law and criminal defense. He was made Partner in 1985, and has developed an extensive litigation and trial practice which includes trial and appellate work in civil, criminal and administrative law. Over the past 28 years, he has tried dozens of civil and criminal jury trials in numerous state and federal courts across North Carolina and he has received an AV rating from his peers as reported in...

It doesn’t take more than a phone call to learn that this Asheville native is a tenacious, straight-talking lawyer who won’t back down from your fight.

Kathleen has an uncanny ability to meld unembellished honesty with compassion. You will always know what to expect on the road ahead–and no matter the challenge–you’ll feel confident knowing Kathleen is on your team.

After graduating from Campbell University Law School, Kathleen worked alongside some of the most respected family law attorneys in the Triangle. Absorbing her colleagues’ tenured wisdom and meshing it with her own style, Kathleen has helped clients find hope–even when they had...

Mary Aiken Barrow, a Raleigh native and Broughton graduate, is a partner at Tharrington Smith. She is a Board Certified Specialist in Family Law.

Prior to joining Tharrington Smith in 2012, Ms. Barrow earned her undergraduate degree in psychology from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill in 2006 and subsequently received her law degree from the Norman Adrian Wiggins School of Law at Campbell University in 2012. During her time at Campbell Law School, Ms. Barrow served as a member and as submissions co-editor of the Law Review. Additionally, she was a family law research assistant for Professor Jean...

For all your Family Law and Criminal Defense needs, Call Jonathan! - (704) 873-5500

Since earning his law degree with honors in 2001, Statesville, North Carolina, attorney Jonathan D. Griffin has dedicated his professional energies to advocating vigorously for clients in Iredell County and the surrounding area. Today, our extremely active, thriving practice at Griffin Law, PLLC, is focused on divorce, child custody, criminal defense, DWI, and traffic law.

John Alan Jones is the founding member and managing partner of Martin & Jones, where he has worked since he began practicing law in 1982. John Alan handles both trial and appellate work in state and federal courts throughout North Carolina and around the U.S. He heads the firm's medical malpractice group, which is comprised of three attorneys and seven staff members. John Alan dedicates a large percentage of his practice to representing individuals catastrophically injured by medical negligence, defective pharmaceuticals, toxic substances or other negligence. He also devotes a significant amount of his work time to consumer...

Joel C. Harbinson attended the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and graduated in 1977 with an A.B. degree and from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill School of Law in 1979 with a J.D. degree. He has been self-employed since 1979 as a criminal, domestic, and personal injury attorney in Taylorsville. In addition, Joel is a certified mediator in Superior Court cases, receiving accreditation from the N.C. Dispute Resolution Commission in 1998, and is a certified arbitrator in District Court cases. Joel is the former President of the 22nd Judicial District Bar Association (1987-1988, 1999-2000) and a...

Community connections run deep for Angie, whose family has lived in the Yadkin Valley region for several generations. As a former prosecutor and founder of the Public Interest Law Foundation during law school, where she attended on a prestigious merit-based scholarship, Angie has a deep passion for protecting the most vulnerable in the community. That abiding sense of commitment, alongside her sharp legal judgment and astute attention to detail, makes her an effective legal advocate for her clients.

Raleigh corporate lawyer Bob Morton is a true business and civil litigation generalist. He has successfully tried multiple civil jury trials. He regularly assists his business clients with planning, litigation avoidance, employment matters and virtually all other legal matters that his business clients face.

Bob believes that providing personal service and going the extra mile for clients isn’t just a good way to do business — it’s the only way to do business.

He has been featured as a consumer advocate on ABC’s “Good Morning America,” has served Three Terms as Chairman of the local Better Business Bureau (BBB), been recognized as...

Len C. Mueller graduated in 1982 from North Carolina State University with a B. S. in English, and graduated in 1985 from The Campbell University School of Law with her J. D. She has been practicing domestic law in Wake County since that time. Ms. Mueller was certified as a specialist in the area of family law by The North Carolina State Bar in 1994. Ms. Mueller is also certified as a Family Financial Mediator. Ms. Mueller credits her former law partners, prominent local attorneys, Richard (“Rick”) Gammon and Russell W. DeMent, for her success as a trial lawyer. She...

Family Law and Divorce attorney with 16 years of experience. Lecturer for over 5 continuing legal education seminars teaching other attorneys about family law and divorce.

Attorney Rebecca A. Olla was raised in Austin, Texas. She obtained her undergraduate degree from Bryn Mawr College in Pennsylvania and her Law Degree from the University of Texas School of Law in Austin. Before joining The Bishop Law Firm, Rebecca worked for the Texas State Office of the Attorney General and the U.S. District Court of Southern New York. After working for the government (by the people), Rebecca refocused her practice to represent clients in federal appeals in U.S. District Court (for the people). Through her prior legal experience, Rebecca has learned that lawyers are needed to ensure positive outcomes for their...

Angela was born in Connersville, Indiana in 1970. She was admitted to the North Carolina bar in 2000. Angela practices law in the following areas: workers’ compensation and personal injury. She attended Ball State University (B.S., 1993); Thomas M. Cooley Law School (J.D., 1999) Memberships/Associations: North Carolina State Bar Association; Onslow County Bar Association; North Carolina Academy of Trial Lawyers and North Carolina Bar Association Workers’ Compensation Section.

Ana S. Nuñez practices in both our Criminal Defense and our Immigration practice areas. She was recruited from the Public Defender’s office in Wake County. Being an immigrant herself, she understands the importance of having an advocate in your corner when you need it the most. Fluent in Spanish, Ana serves on the Governor’s advisory council on Hispanic/Latino affairs, she has been named a Top 40 Under 40 Attorney by the National Trial Lawyers, and she was recognized with the Citizen Lawyer Award by the NC Bar Association for exemplary public service to her community. She is a graduate of...

Matthew Stauff believes the practice of law is a privilege that requires him to fight for those needing advocacy during life’s most trying times. He represents clients in divorce proceedings, child custody hearings, and defends those who have been wrongfully terminated from their jobs. During his nearly seven years with Legal Aid of North Carolina he developed extensive experience in family law, employment law, and civil litigation. While court is an option in many cases, Matthew believes that working matters out amicably through settlement leads towards a longer lasting outcome that is more cost-effective and efficient outcome.

Born and raised in...

Chad joined Partin, Patton & Brown in July 2004 and became a Partner in January 2009. His practice focuses in the areas of Social Security Disability and personal injury. Chad is a North Carolina Board Certified Specialist in Social Security Disability Law. Chad attended law school at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill (1999) where he was an Articles and Notes Editor for the North Carolina Banking Law Institute and Journal. Following law school, he clerked for the Honorable Robert F. Orr on the N.C. Supreme Court and served as an Assistant District Attorney...

Heather Fox is a highly skilled and dedicated criminal defense attorney based in the heart of Iredell County, North Carolina. With a passion for justice and a commitment to defending the rights of individuals facing legal challenges, Heather has earned a reputation as a tenacious advocate both inside and outside the courtroom. For Heather, every case is an opportunity to make a difference, protect rights, and seek justice. Heather was born and raised in Statesville, North Carolina. She is a double graduate from Liberty University, having completed her Bachelor’s degree in English in 2016 and her Juris Doctor in 2020. After...

Mr. Jacob Goad is a workers’ compensation and personal injury attorney with Law Office of Jacob Goad, PLLC. Mr. Goad graduated from the University of North Carolina (UNC) Chapel Hill where he majored in Spanish and minored in Social and Economic Justice. At UNC, Mr. Goad earned membership in Sigma Delta Pi, a Hispanic Collegiate Honor Society. After earning his undergraduate degree, Mr. Goad lived and worked in Peru, where he got involved with environmental advocacy and also coordinated international delegations. He accompanied CNN producers and Dr. Sanjay Gupta to the town of La Oroya where Mr. Goad introduced Dr. Gupta...

Originally from Poughkeepsie, NY, Tom now calls Charlotte, NC home with his wife and four kids. A seasoned criminal defense and family law trial attorney, Tom has made a name for himself in handling extremely contentious custody cases and high-level felonies. He has handled cases in both federal and state courts. Tom went to law school at Liberty University School of Law in Lynchburg, VA, where he graduated cum laude. While in school Tom interned at the United States Attorney's Office for the Western District of Virginia. While at the USAO, Tom helped prosecute all levels of criminal cases, from misdemeanor...

J. Michael Malone is a Raleigh, North Carolina lawyer that represents people injured as a result of someone's negligence or intentional acts. Mike represents injury victims across the State of North Carolina and has handled complex injury cases in most of the counties in North Carolina.

Mr. Malone focuses on complex personal injury cases including tractor-trailer wrecks motorcycle accidents, bicycle wrecks, car wrecks, burn injuries, insurance disputes, nursing home and assisted living abuse and mistreatment, pedestrian accidents, and virtually any other type of serious injury claim.

Mr. Malone also handles class action cases including insurance disputes and evacuation and...

Barri Hilton Payne was born in High Point, North Carolina and grew up in Davidson County. She attended the University of North Carolina at Charlotte where she majored in Religious studies and Sociology. Barri practiced for the last twelve years as a founding partner in the firm Brock, Payne & Meece, P.A. before opening her own solo law and mediation practice in 2013. Barri was involved with the Holderness Moot Court while in law school at UNC and earned her law degree in 1999. She has practiced in Durham, North Carolina since that time and concentrates her practice on...

I am a Board Certified Specialist in Immigration Law. I am fluent in Spanish. I assist families, businesses, and individuals in finding solutions to their immigration problems.

Attorney Thomas W. Pleasant is licensed to practice in North Carolina, Kentucky, Georgia, and Tennessee. He focuses his practice on helping victims of catastrophic injury and their families in wrongful death matters. He assists in complicated nursing home abuse and neglect cases as well as medical malpractice, birth injuries, and traumatic brain injury cases. He is AV Preeminent Rated by Martindale-Hubbell for his high standards of client care. He is also listed in Super Lawyers®, has years of experience in jury and medical trials, and is committed to doing everything he can to achieve full and fair compensation for all...

Ryan is a Raleigh-based criminal defense attorney with over 20 years of experience representing clients in North Carolina’s state and federal courts. He focuses on high-level felony cases, including drug trafficking, white collar crimes, violent offenses, and sex crimes. He has tried more than 35 cases to verdict and is known for securing acquittals in complex, high-stakes trials. Ryan has successfully defended clients accused of first-degree murder, armed robbery, felony assault, and second-degree rape. He also works behind the scenes to protect clients during investigations, often preventing charges from being filed or convincing prosecutors to dismiss weak cases. In federal matters, Ryan...

Sean is licensed to practice state courts in North Carolina and Washington State (currently on inactive status), and in the 4th Circuit Court of Appeals, the Eastern District of North Carolina, and Western District of Washington Federal Courts.

A graduate of Lewis & Clark Law School in Portland, Oregon, Cecil represented the law school in a national moot court competition at UCLA in 2005 after placing first in the intra-school competition. After law school, Sean's first job was as a public defender, there he realized a lifelong passion for helping the underprivileged and questioning authority. Attorney Cecil has been lead...

After training initially with one of the top biotech patent groups in the U.S. and practicing in large general practice firms for over 20 years, Carl has the experience to meet the intellectual property needs of startups, mid-size R&D companies, large biotherapeutic and pharmaceutical companies, and top tier, research-intensive universities. He enjoys doing single-project work, as well as comprehensive counseling and portfolio development for startups and growing companies.

Carl counsels scientific founders on initial protection strategies for their platform technology (timing, scope of disclosure, landscape analysis, ownership issues), develops licensing programs for biotechnology, and evaluates lifecycle management programs for marketed human...

Weede Law, PLLC is a criminal defense law practice that handles all types of state and federal criminal cases. We serve the Triangle area as well as surrounding communities.

Attorney Patrick B. Weede, a former state and federal prosecutor and an experienced trial attorney, is uniquely qualified to handle your case. He knows how to identify the key issues and how to think like a prosecutor.

As a prosecutor, Mr. Weede handled almost every type of case, including traffic, DWI, drugs, fraud, property crimes, firearm offenses, common law/armed robbery, and murder. In addition, he...

I practice personal injury law focusing primarily on motor vehicle accidents, motorcycle accidents, trucking accidents, construction accidents, and slip and falls. After many years of representing injured clients, I have have a unique understanding of the difficulties and stresses an accident and injury can place on a person's life. I am very passionate about helping my clients through these difficult times and I fight to ensure all of my clients are fairly compensated for their losses. My goal is to provide all of my clients with a boutique law firm experience - I purposefully keep my client list low so...

Matthew Burkert was raised in Durham, North Carolina, and still resides in the same area he grew up in. He is a graduate of East Carolina University, where he received a bachelor’s degree majoring in Criminal Justice in 2008. Matt then attended North Carolina Central University School of Law, earning his Juris Doctor degree in 2012. He passed the North Carolina Bar Exam in February, 2013, becoming a licensed attorney in the State. Matt joined the Constantinou Law Group, PA as a law clerk while in law school in 2010. He remained at the firm after passing the bar, becoming...

Forest has been practicing law for more than twenty-five years. He spent the first six years of his career as a partner with a large “defense” law firm mainly defending large corporations in civil lawsuits. Seeing the inequalities that existed in the justice system between wealthy and powerful companies and regular people, Forest was motivated to change his law practice, join Martin & Jones and help level the playing field for ordinary, hard-working men and women and their families.

As an injury attorney, he’s found a job that combines his passion for research and for helping people who have often been wronged by the system that is supposed to protect them.

Jack graduated summa cum laude from N.C. Central University with a double major in political science and criminal justice. He earned his juris doctor from the University of Alabama School of Law in 2016.

Originally from Basingstoke, England, Jack came to the United States on a tennis scholarship at N.C. Central. He started playing tennis at age 5 and was part of England’s national program as a junior.

While at...