Four Oaks Lawyers

Who am I? I am a lawyer who has been practicing for almost 24 years. For that entire period of time, I have only handled personal injury cases, nothing else. I understand that the important things in life are not things at all...but integrity, values and loved ones..family and friends alike. I do not represent corporations and I sure don’t represent insurance companies. I represent ordinary people. Why? Well, when I was about 22 years old, I was working on an oil rig in the Gulf of Mexico as a roustabout and later a part-time roughneck on a drilling floor. I...

With an engineering degree and MBA, I started my career as an in-house consultant in the aerospace industry. After a few years I transitioned to engineering and consulting positions in other industries. Eventually I returned to college for a law degree and have been a courtroom lawyer for more than 20 years.

I concentrate in the areas of Local Government Law, Foreclosures, Civil Litigation, Document Preparation, and Business Law, and I am available to assist with most matters other than domestic disputes, criminal cases, disability, workers compensation, bankruptcy, or tax law.

With a focus on personal injury litigation, Ms. Schertzinger is a member of the American Bar Association, North Carolina Bar Association, and the North Carolina Advocates for Justice and is a valued member of the legal team at the law offices of Riddle & Brantley.

Kevin E. Heckart was born in Des Moines, Iowa in 1961. After graduating from Wentworth Military Academy he enlisted in the U.S. Marine Corps Reserves in the Spring of 1979. Kevin then continued to serve in the USMCR achieving the rank of Corporal while attending Drake University (B.A. – 1983). Before graduating from college, Kevin was accepted into the PLC program for prospective Marine Officers, completed the training and was Commissioned a 2nd Lieutenant in May, 1983.
After college Kevin attended Drake Law School (J.D. – 1985) and, upon graduation, the Basic School for Marine Officers in Quantico, Virginia and further...

David B. Collins, Jr. grew up all over North and South Carolina, mostly in Charlotte and Myrtle Beach. He attended the University of North Carolina at Charlotte where he graduated cum laude with a bachelor's degree in Biology in 1986. In 1993 Mr. Collins graduated with a Juris Doctor and Master of Business Administration from the University of South Carolina at Columbia and was admitted to practice law in North Carolina and South Carolina and Federal Courts.

Mr. Collins has been licensed to practice law in both North and South Carolina since 1993. In 1995, he moved to the Wilmington...

L. Bryan Smith’s primary practice areas are family law, criminal defense, and personal injury. He is proud of his dedication and responsiveness to clients. Bryan attended Francis Marion College in Florence, South Carolina, earning a degree in political science. He then matriculated to Campbell University Norman Adrian Wiggins School of Law for his juris doctor which he earned cum laude. After law school, Bryan was the founding member of a local law firm until he joined The Law Group as a partner.

Christian was born and raised in Indiana and attended Indiana University in Bloomington where he received a degree in Philosophy and Political Science. During college, Christian worked as a wildland firefighter for the U.S. Forest Service and the Bureau of Land Management in the summers. Christian then attended the University of Montana School of Law in Missoula. While attending law school, Christian interned with Justice Goff of the Indiana Supreme Court and the Federal Defenders of Montana. It was both of these experiences that inspired Christian’s passion for criminal defense. Upon receiving his J.D., he moved to Wilmington and began...

I have my Bachelor of Business Administration from the University of Miami, and my Juris Doctor from Thomas Cooley Law School where I was on the Dean's List, Honor Roll, and made the Law Review. I am a veteran from the United States Army. I worked for Liberty Mutual Insurance Company as a Senior Claims Adjuster handling Workers' Compensation, automobile and motorcycle accidents, and other insurance claims.

In-house general counsel for local development company, also providing outside general counsel services for builders, contractors, developers, equipment & material suppliers, livestock traders, real estate firms, real estate investors, restauranteurs and homeowners associations, among others. Advising clients involved in business, construction, development, real estate and investment deals and disputes, and negotiating, drafting and reviewing business transactional documents and agreements, including, but not limited to: Business organization documents, individualized new construction purchase contracts and builder warranties; employment contracts, independent contractor and subcontractor agreements, letters of intent, confidentiality and non-disclosure agreements, non-compete agreements, business purchase agreements, membership interest purchase agreements, stockholder agreements,...

Tyler Brooks represents clients throughout the United States in cases involving free speech, religious liberty, and individual rights. He also represents clients in complex business litigation, employment disputes, and bankruptcy matters, as well as in business transactions and estate planning. Before starting his own practice, Tyler worked for six years, first as an associate attorney and then partner, at a civil litigation firm based in Raleigh, North Carolina, where he primarily represented railroads and other clients in the transportation industry. Much of this work focused on wrongful death and serious personal injury cases as well as employment law,...

I began my legal career in private practice in Eastern North Carolina, where I represented both individuals and businesses in various areas including civil litigation, family law, fiduciary litigation, and criminal defense. I later moved my practice to Raleigh, North Carolina, and took on the role of a Post-Conviction Attorney with North Carolina Prisoner Legal Services, Inc. Subsequently, I served as an Assistant Public Defender at the Guilford County Public Defender’s Office in Greensboro, North Carolina. In this capacity, I represented clients in both District and Superior Courts, focusing on providing client-centered criminal trial-level defense. In May 2018, I was appointed as...

Drew Brown founded this law firm in 2006. He believes strongly that his first and foremost role as an attorney is to advocate for his clients. At age 42, he is already an experienced trial lawyer who has appeared on behalf of clients in contested hearings in over 50 different courthouses throughout the Carolinas. In an era where cases often settle before litigation or at mediation, Drew Brown has repeatedly taken personal injury and business disputes to trial. Brown distastes wasted legal time in hourly matters as he believes reducing the attorney fee burden on the client can be as...

Phyllis (PJ) Lile-King is a lawyer in Greensboro, North Carolina, licensed for 25 years and engaged in a civil rights practice, including police misconduct and discrimination cases. She has lectured and written in the areas of discrimination, medical malpractice and drug overdose cases. PJ is on the faculty at Duke Law School. For several years, PJ's practice included medical malpractice, wrongful death and drug overdose cases. She grew up in Hopkinsville, Kentucky, and graduated from Georgetown College with a B.A. and the University of Virginia School of Law with a J.D. PJ clerked for the Honorable Pierce Lively...

Clients often ask me about the "boutique" nature of my practice which I have limited to immigration matters only. There are several reasons why my practice is limited to only immigration matters.

First, all areas of law have become complicated. Government regulations, constantly revised administrative guidelines and rules, and many court cases impact any area of law practice. I think it is difficult to be a "general practice" lawyer in 21st century America. I am not comfortable "shooting from the hip" in my legal practice. Rather than be a "jack of all trades" I'd rather...

David Gross graduated from Lakeview High School in St. Clair Shores, Michigan in 1992 where he was on the football and swimming team. David graduated Summa Cum Laude from Mount Olive College in Mount Olive, N.C. with a B.S. in Criminal Justice. David attended the University of North Carolina School of Law in Chapel Hill where he was a member of the International Law Journal. After serving in both the Air and Army National Guard, David became a Rocky Mount N.C. Police Officer in 1998. David Gross performed all aspects of law enforcement including writing traffic citations,...

Kelly L. Greene was born in Raleigh, North Carolina. Kelly attended high school at Woodberry Forest School in Virginia. He attended Wake Forest University where he earned a B.A. in English in 1996. He attended law school at Campbell University and received a J.D. in 1999. Kelly was admitted to the North Carolina State Bar in 1999. Kelly is a member of the Craven County Bar Association, serving as its President in 2003-2004. He is a member of the United States Eastern District of North Carolina, Fourth Circuit Court of Appeals, the North Carolina Bar Association, and North Carolina Advocates for...

Attorney Van Apeldoorn majored in Trust and Wealth Management Pre-Law at Campbell University and graduated in 2018. After receiving her bachelor’s degree, she stayed to attend Campbell Law School and was active in several organizations, including the Christian Legal Society, Women in Law, and the Re-Entry Project. During law school, she was an Honor Court Justice, interned at the Craven County District Attorney’s office for two summers, and also had an externship with Judge Flanagan at the United States District Court for the Eastern District of North Carolina. After graduating from law school, Attorney Van Apeldoorn passed the bar exam...

Annie Edmond is licensed to practice law in Florida and North Carolina. She is committed to the idea that no one should be lost in the shuffle of justice and continuously strives to advocate for her clients. Ms. Edmond is continuously involved in the community by assisting in pro bono efforts through Legal Aid, Justice Mattes and Wills for Heroes. Ms. Edmond received her Juris Doctor from North Carolina Central University School and her Bachelor of Arts in Criminology from the University of Florida. While in law school, she was an active member of the Public Interest Law Organization,...

Hi - I'm Kevin Ginsberg. I have been licensed to practice law in NC since 2000 and practiced exclusively personal injury and workers' compensation since 2003. I'm very proud of the wonderful law firm Kornbluth Ginsberg Law Group is. In addition to fighting for the rights of my clients, I am married to Andrea Ginsberg, owner of Durham's gourmet popcorn store, The Mad Popper! We have two extraordinary sons who are growing up too fast.

North Carolina board certified specialist in Real Property Law- Residential, Business, Commercial and Industrial Transactions

Kellie Mannette has been dedicated to defending the rights of the accused her entire career. As a law student at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, she was the co-president of the Innocence Project. While interning at the North Carolina Center on Actual Innocence, Ms. Mannette investigated post-conviction claims of innocence. Additionally, Ms. Mannette interned at the Wake County Public Defender’s Office, assisting in the representation of indigent individuals in district court. Ms. Mannette defended juveniles in delinquency proceedings while completing the Juvenile Justice Clinic. After graduating from law school, Ms. Mannette joined the Fair Trial Initiative as an...

Graduated UNC-Chapel Hill with BS degree in Industrial Relations in 1974; Graduated in Charter Class of Campbell University School of Law in 1979; Assistant District Attorney 4th Judicial District 1979-84. Private Practice of Law 1984-present. Primary Area of Practice: Criminal Defense; DWI; Driver's License Restoration. Licensed Real Estate Broker since 1974.

Over the years, Mr. Thomas has earned a reputation for being one of the best military defense attorneys in the country because of his successes litigating and trying some of the most highly publicized military cases. Mr. Thomas focuses on defending clients at court-martials, as well as, administrative separation hearings in the military justice system. Mr. Thomas also represents clients facing state and federal criminal charges in North Carolina. What sets Mr. Thomas apart is that he has experience from every angle in the courtroom and the ability to try any case that comes across his desk. Before starting his...

Jennifer R. Pope has been an attorney in Jacksonville, North Carolina since 1988. She grew up in Jacksonville, and attended the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill as a Morehead Scholar, graduating with her Bachelor of Arts Degree in Psychology in 1985. She went on to attend Law School at UNC Chapel Hill, and graduated in 1988. Jennifer started her legal career with Ellis, Hooper, Warlick, Waters and Morgan, in general practice until 1992, when she joined Frank Pope and her brother, Gordon Robinson, Jr., in the firm of Robinson, Pope and Pope. In 1997, Jennifer decided to concentrate...

I have practiced entertainment and media law for more than 44 years and am Senior Counsel with Reed Smith LLP where I founded the firm’s Entertainment and Media Law practice group in 2004, now among the leading entertainment and media law practices in the world. I represent individuals and multinational companies in motion picture, publishing, advertising, marketing, unfair competition, intellectual property, and e-commerce matters. I am listed a a leading global specialist in advertising law in Chambers, the Legal 500, The Best Lawyers in America, and Super Lawyers and am a member of the Legal 500 Hall of...

Gregory Kornegay, an attorney based in Wilmington, NC, provides legal representation for Bankruptcy, Social Security Disability, Veteran’s Disability, Criminal Defense, DWI and Accidents/Injuries. With 24 years of law experience, handling many different types of cases from death penalty to small claims, Greg offers a personal service to his clients. Understand the client, understand the problem, calculate the risk – move forward.