Norlina Lawyers

Owner of Hamilton Law Firm, PLLC a General Law Practice serving Vance, Granville, Franklin and Warren Counties.

Managing partner Benjamin T. Cochran oversees the operation of Hardison & Cochran Attorneys at Law in addition to representing individual clients in cases involving workers’ compensation and personal injury law.

A lifelong North Carolinian, Cochran knew from his high-school days in High Point that he wanted to be an attorney. He received a B.A. degree in economics and African-American studies from the University of North Carolina in 1999 and then enrolled at the Norman Adrian Wiggins School of Law at Campbell University.

As a second-year law student, Cochran started working part-time in the law firm he now manages. During his third year...

Paul is an experienced Estate Planning Lawyer. His focus on the client-attorney relationship and peace of mind of his clients sets Paul apart from other traditional lawyers. Paul takes his fiduciary role very seriously. His relationship-centered philosophy emphasizes a focus on solutions rather than just documents and deliverables. He believes in focusing on the client’s goals and pain points – not a stereotypical “one-size-fits-all” method. At the initial Strategy Session, Paul sits down with prospective clients, discusses their specific family and financial concerns, educates them on how the law works in North Carolina, and works with the clients to determine how...

Laurie Biggs' practice focuses on business and consumer bankruptcy, including chapter 7, chapter 11, chapter 12, and chapter 13 cases. Ms. Biggs primarily represents small business owners, individuals, and those in the agricultural sector who need help addressing their debts or exploring their legal options. Ms. Biggs has been certified as a specialist in business and consumer bankruptcy by the North Carolina State Bar. With almost twenty years of experience helping clients navigate their financial difficulties, Ms. Biggs In addition to bankruptcy cases, Ms. Biggs also practices in the area of out of court financial restructuring, business disputes, civil...

Attorney Roderick G. Allison has been in the active practice of law for 25 years. He graduated from North Carolina Central University with a BA in Political Science/Minor in English in 1995 as Class Valedictorian. He then earned his JD from the University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill, School of Law in 1998. During his educational career, Attorney Allison also interned with the U.S. Dept. of Justice Civil Rights Division (Washington, D.C.). After working as In-House Counsel for a non-profit corporation, Atty. Allison founded The Allison Office, a General Law practice located in Creedmoor, NC in 2003, serving clients across the State...

Lawrence founded Tickle Law Office in 2013 after graduating from Campbell University School of Law and passing the North Carolina State Bar. Lawrence earned his Bachelor of Science in Political Science from East Carolina University in 2010 as well as his Master of Science in Criminal Justice and Public Administration from Liberty University in 2015. Lawrence served in the United States Marine Corps after high school where he learned the essential leadership and management skills necessary to be successful as a zealous advocate for his clients. A native of Reidsville, NC, Lawrence now calls Franklin County home. He prides himself...

North Carolina Professional License Defense Attorney Nicholas Dowgul, or “Nick” as he prefers, began his legal career in 2008 in the Public Defender’s Office in Harrison County, Mississippi. In this position, Dowgul found his passion for the litigation of cases. Being in a courtroom felt like home to him. While he loves the mental battle within a courtroom, he believes resolving cases outside the courtroom is typically in the client’s best interests when it’s a valid option. However, when the time calls for it and resolution measures outside of the courtroom have been exhausted, Dowgul is well-prepared to obtain the best results for...

Stuart Matthews is the founding immigration attorney of Matthews Immigration Group in Raleigh, NC. His practice is nationwide and focused on business and corporate immigration matters. Prior to relocating to Raleigh, Stuart gained well over a decade of diverse immigration law and policy experience in Washington DC, Baltimore, and Nashville. Stuart has delivered immigration strategies and solutions to Fortune 50, Fortune 500, and Global 500 companies as well as other domestic and multinational corporations, middle market companies, small business start-ups and entrepreneurs, research organizations and DC think tanks, academic institutions, law firms, and individuals across a wide range of industries,...

Jason Michael Burton is a fifth-generation attorney with broad experience in significant personal injury cases. The son of a career-long insurance defense attorney, he has a detailed understanding of how insurance companies review and handle claims, which he uses to maximize personal injury compensation for his clients.

Since serving as a judicial clerk in the North Carolina court system, Mr. Burton has helped secure more than $40 Million in settlements and verdicts on behalf of individuals harmed by the wrongful conduct of others. He focuses his practice on catastrophic personal injury cases resulting in life-altering injuries, prolonged...

In joining Hardison & Cochran in 2008, Joel Jackson Hardison made a transition from defending insurance companies in Workers Compensation cases to representing injured and disabled workers. He applies the insights he gained from representing insurance companies to assist the injured workers he represents. There is little doubt about which type of practice he prefers. Hardison received a B.A. degree in journalism from the University of North Carolina in 1999 and a J.D. from the UNC School of Law in 2004. He was a member of the law school’s Holderness Moot Court team and was named to the Dean’s List. He launched his...

Thomas Henson Jr. joined Henson Fuerst in 1989. He received his Bachelor of Science degree in Business Administration in 1986 and his Juris Doctorate in 1989—both from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.

Thomas is the Past Chair of the board of directors of the Brain Injury Association of North Carolina (BIANC), advocating for brain injury victims and their families across North Carolina, and currently serves on its board. He has been a presenter at multiple conferences for victims of Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI), their caregivers, and brain injury professionals.

In 2012, Governor Bev Perdue appointed Thomas to the first...

David Henson joined Henson Fuerst in 1998. He received his bachelor’s degree with academic distinction from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill in 1995. He then received his Juris Doctor from University of North Carolina School of Law in 1998.

Prior to becoming a lawyer, David worked as a certified emergency medical technician. Being a first responder to accidents involving catastrophic injuries, he saw how the negligence of one person can drastically and dramatically change someone else’s life. After joining the firm in 1998, David went on to lead and manage the injury, disability, and mass tort sections of...

Carter Whittington concentrates his practice in North Carolina workers’ compensation law, helping injured workers seek the benefits they need and deserve after sustaining a job related injury. Whittington started working at Hardison & Cochran while he was a third-year student at Campbell University’s Norman Adrian Wiggins School of Law. After graduating cum laude and receiving his J.D. in 2016, he joined Hardison & Cochran as a full-time attorney. A North Carolina native, Whittington grew up in Winston-Salem and attended the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, where he received a B.A. in political science in 2012. In law school, Whittington was...

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.

Jonathan Blair Biser is a partner at Hardison & Cochran and heads the law firm’s busy Social Security Disability division. His goal is to make the complicated and bureaucratic process of obtaining disability benefits as simple as possible for clients. “It can be a slow process to begin with,” he says. “But we do our best to help our clients maneuver through the process as efficiently as possible.” Biser got his introduction to Social Security Disability law when he was an undergraduate at Wake Forest University. He worked in his uncle’s law office, where the primary focus was Social Security cases, and...

A native of Texas, Mr. Hopper was born in Beaumont and graduated from Duncanville High School in Duncanville, Texas. Mr. Hopper then attended Stephen F. Austin State University in Nacogdoches, Texas where he obtained a Bachelor of Arts in 1989. Immediately following, Mr. Hopper attended Texas Tech University School of Law, and in 1993, graduated Doctor of Jurisprudence.

Subsequent to his graduation from law school, Mr. Hopper relocated to Raleigh, North Carolina where, in 1994, he opened his own practice and has since been practicing law within Wake County and the greater Triangle area.

Currently, Mr. Hopper maintains a trial practice concentrating...

For Joey DeMartin, officially joining the team at Hardison & Cochran, Attorneys at Law feels like a homecoming. He worked at the law firm, writing motions and assisting in the call center while attending Campbell Law School in Raleigh. DeMartin graduated from the Norman Adrian Wiggins School of Law at Campbell University in 2018 and passed the North Carolina Bar Exam in 2019. The Washington, N.C., native is the first attorney in his family. “My grandfather was pretty happy with that,” DeMartin said, noting that the law had interested him from a young age. “I was definitely the family debater. … I...

Workers who have been injured on the job or who suffer occupational diseases oftentimes must face a frustrating waiting game to receive the benefits they deserve. Attorney James Adam Bridwell, who focuses his practice solely on workers’ compensation cases, knows what it takes to help clients get their lives back together. Bridwell is a native South Carolinian. He received a B.A. in marketing and management from the University of South Carolina before coming to Raleigh to attend Campbell University Norman Adrian Wiggins School of Law. While in law school, he was a case summary writer for the Campbell Law Observer and...

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...

Construction & Business Lawyer representing Owners, Developers, Sureties, General Contractors, Subcontractors, Suppliers, and other Construction Industry Participants in Litigation, Mediation, and Arbitration. Federally Certified Mediator for the EDNC, United States District Court. Certified Arbitrator for Wake County District Court. Private Arbitrator for Construction and Commercial disputes. Arbitrator and Mediator, Construction Industry Panel of Neutrals, American Arbitration Association (AAA)

Buxton Reed Bailey is a practicing attorney in Raleigh, N.C. He represents clients in North Carolina and other states, including Maryland, Delaware, Georgia and Pennsylvania. His law firm, Buxton R. Bailey, P.C., focuses on a general practice of law with a special focus on Immigration and Nationality Law. Bailey, a native English speaker, is also fluent in Spanish. Immigration law is a unique area of law without boundaries and Attorney Bailey represents corporate and individual clients locally and globally. Attorney Bailey represents his clients before the Bureau of Citizenship and Immigration Services, The Bureau of Immigration and Customs Enforcement, The...

Ms. McCray loves the practice of law and enjoys helping people. She was born in Orangeburg, South Carolina and attended South Carolina College (the University of South Carolina's honors college) receiving undergraduate degrees in English and Psychology. Ms. McCray graduated from the University of South Carolina School of Law in Columbia, South Carolina. During law school, she clerked for Judge C. Tolbert Goolsby at S.C. Court of Appeals and interned one summer in Raleigh for the North Carolina Family Policy Council where she gained intimate knowledge of the legislative process in North Carolina. During her third year, she clerked...

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...

Kimberly Blackwell (maiden name) was born and raised in Salisbury, North Carolina. She obtained her undergraduate degree from the University of North Carolina at Charlotte and her Law Degree from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. In 2008, she married her husband, Malcolm F. Bishop, III. In 2012, she changed her name to Kimberly D. Bishop. Kimberly D. Bishop, Attorney at Law has dedicated her practice to Social Security Disability Law since 2009. She has appeared before Raleigh, Greensboro, Fayetteville and Charlotte Administrative Law Judges. She also has experience with the Appeals Council and Federal Court. She...

William Vásquez is a native of Queens, NY. He served in the U.S. Air Force from 2000-2007. He is a veteran of Operation Enduring Freedom and received the Joint Service Achievement Medal for his work as a Spanish linguist for the Defense Intelligence Agency in 2005. William graduated from Campbell University in 2007 with a degree in computer science. He earned his J.D. in 2011 from the North Carolina Central University School of Law. His practice areas include immigration law and criminal defense cases. He is licensed and in good standing with the State Bar of North Carolina and...

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...

Ms. Armstrong has been licensed to practice law in North Carolina since 1991. She earned her juris doctorate from the North Carolina Central University School of Law Evening Division and her bachelor of arts in journalism from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. During her 30 years of legal experience, Ms. Armstrong has alternated between private practice and the federal government. She has served as Counsel on the staff of two U.S. Senators, and as District Counsel for three U.S. House Representatives. In January, 2021, Ms. Armstrong retired from federal service and has reopened her private immigration...

I’m a North Carolina native and a graduate of the CUNY Law School class of 2017. Prior to law school, I worked at an international reproductive rights and health organization and founded a local nonprofit to help people in North Carolina access medical care.

My legal interests include remedying the collateral consequences of having a criminal record and ensuring civil rights. Outside of the legal profession, I enjoy playing roller derby and trying new foods in the Triangle area.

In my years of practice as an attorney, I've learned that everyone wants to be heard and everyone wants to be respected. I take pride in my work and care about my clients. You can learn more about me by reading the reviews that clients have posted about my work. My law firm is focused on misdemeanors, lower level felonies, DWI, and traffic offenses. Call anytime for a free consultation. BAR ADMISSION: North Carolina (2011) MEMBERSHIPS: North Carolina Bar Association (NCBA) EDUCATION: Elon University, School of Law, Juris Doctorate UNC-Chapel Hill, Bachelor of Arts

Now at a new law firm, I continue working with families to develop estate planning documents to provide peace of mind, and also help families with estate administration (probate) after a loved one has passed. I also have a wealth of experience with guardianships, having served as a Guardian ad Litem for Wake County guardianship hearings for over six years. I welcome the opportunity to assist my clients with the difficult process of having a guardian appointed for their loved one. An exciting new area of practice is surplus funds, where we help clients recapture funds resulting from foreclosure of real...

For more than a decade, K. Gregory Gunter has been working hard to protect the rights of his North Carolina clients with their workers' compensation - personal injury cases and is a member of the North Carolina Advocates for Justice, a prominent group dedicated to doing the same.

Jeff brings to the law a career background in nonprofits and the public interest. He now focuses on young families and mature couples and individuals planning their futures. In addition to his work for private clients, he serves as an appointed attorney guardian ad litem through the Durham Public Defender. Always interested in making the law more accessible, he manages several online legal databases maintained by the University of North Carolina’s School of Government at Chapel Hill. He serves his community as a volunteer attorney with Legal Aid of North Carolina and by managing the web site and summer...

Jack Keener, Attorney at Law, handles Workers’ Compensation cases for The Bishop Law Firm. He enjoys protecting the rights of NC injured workers and understands how difficult the NC Worker’s Compensation system can be for those injured on the job. He is a member of the North Carolina Advocates for Justice and is part of the NCAJ Workers’ Compensation section.

Jack is fluent in Portuguese and Spanish and uses his language skills to support The Bishop Law Firm’s Latino clients. Jack is focused on providing honest, reliable, and effective legal representation to his clients, including those in the North Carolina Latino...

North Carolina personal injury lawyer Brenton D. Adams has represented individuals against insurance companies since 1973. Mr. Adams is board certified by the National Board of Trial Advocacy and is a member of the Million Dollar Advocacy Forum. He has been selected as one of the top 100 trial lawyers in North Carolina by the American Trial Lawyers Association. Mr. Adams has given lectures to trial lawyers at numerous seminars dealing with trial advocacy and trial practice issues. Among the trial lawyer organizations at which Mr. Adams has lectured are the North Carolina Academy of Trial Lawyers, The North Carolina Bar Association,...

Michelle Dewkett-Kochhar found her passion for workers’ compensation law dabbling in personal injury, workers’ compensation, and criminal defense law after graduating from law school. Dewkett-Kochhar graduated from Campbell University’s Norman Adrian Wiggins School of Law in 2019, and passed the North Carolina Bar Exam that same summer. A northerner at heart, Dewkett-Kochhar grew up in Rhinebeck, New York. She first moved to Raleigh to attend North Carolina State University, where she received a B.A. in International Studies and a minor in Spanish. While at law school, Dewkett-Kochhar served as a research assistant and interned with the Wake County Public Defender’s Office, a personal...

I have been practicing as a criminal defense attorney exclusively in Wake County since 2002. Prior to that I was an Assistant District Attorney in Wake County. While I was a prosecutor I co-authored the first edition of the North Carolina Prosecutor's DWI Manual, and prosecuted individuals for armed robbery, arson and murder to name a few. As a defense attorney I have been recognized on multiple occasions as one of the top criminal defense attorneys in North Carolina. I pride myself on giving quality service to my clients and ensuring that they stay...

Jeff brings 25 years of business and legal experience to his business/corporate transactional and general civil practice. Earning his Juris Doctorate from Valparaiso University School of Law and his MBA from North Carolina State University, Jeff specializes in commercial transactions (contracts, vendor relationships/negotiations, M&A due diligence) and enjoys the art of the deal. Jeff’s popular Software Licensing Handbook is consistently reviewed as the bible for technology licensing instruction and he’s frequently sought as a recognized expert in negotiation by publications such as Inc, CBS and MSNBC. Jeff is licensed in both North Carolina and Indiana and is admitted to...