Sylva Lawyers

Patrick McCroskey is a Board Certified Specialist in Family Law and an American Academy of Matrimonial Lawyers Fellow. He limits his family law practice to complex matters surrounding separation and divorce. As a Certified Family Financial Mediator, Patrick provides services to other family law attorneys and their clients through mediation, and to the community at large in his capacity as Buncombe County Certified Parenting Coordinator.

Since 2007, Patrick has been continuously recognized by Best Lawyers in America, and named the Family Law Lawyer of the Year for Asheville in 2015, 2017, and 2020. He has been named to North...

Margaret S. "Meg" Westall anchors iTicket in Western North Carolina, handling traffic matters in Buncombe and Madison Counties. One of Attorney Hatley’s oldest friends, Meg has helped our law firm expand all the way to the beautiful Blue Ridge Parkway. Prior to joining iTicket.law, Meg worked in a small Asheville-based firm where her practice focused on estate and trust planning and administration. Advising fiduciaries and neutralizing conflict in matters of administration has afforded her a no-nonsense approach to technical problem solving. Meg is also involved with the Pisgah Legal Services Mountain Area Volunteer Lawyer program, for which she assists low-income...

Patrick Twisdale is an associate at King Law, with areas of focus in Patents, Trademarks, Copyrights, and Corporate law. He is admitted to practice before North Carolina, South Carolina, and the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office. He has represented clients before the North Carolina Business Court and has represented clients in the Western District of North Carolina for Intellectual Property matters. Patrick's experience includes working for an Intellectual Property boutique law firm, the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office, and for North Carolina State University's Office of Research Commercialization. Patrick is available to assist in acquiring patents, trademarks, and copyrights,...

Boasting over 30 years of experience as an attorney in both North Carolina and Texas, Mike Wimer strives to deliver masterful and unparalleled civil litigation services. Mike prides himself on having the stamina, fortitude, and expertise to handle the most complex and challenging civil disputes in the areas of construction law, insurance claims, and business disputes.

Craig Associates, PC was founded by attorney Christopher M. Craig to support the administrative and legal needs of growing families & businesses. Estate planning and the laws of inheritance are complex, so we can help simplify the process to ensure your end-of-life preferences, including trusts & wills, are handled effectively. Chris Craig sees clients across Buncombe County, convenient to Biltmore Forest, Black Mountain, Hendersonville, Highlands, Cashiers & other communities in Western NC. The practice provides estate law services, as well as adoption and small business law services. Our proactive approach empowers you to secure and safeguard your most precious assets:...

Jessica is dedicated to getting justice for those who've been sexually harassed, discriminated against, have Family and Medical Leave Act issues, or suffered retaliation at work. As a partner at Grimes Teich Anderson, Jessica focuses her practice on employment law, workers' compensation, and personal injury.

Since she became an attorney in 2001, Jessica has litigated cases in both state and federal court and before the North Carolina Industrial Commission, and she has an extensive background in appellate work before the North Carolina Supreme Court, North Carolina Court of Appeals, and North Carolina Industrial Commission.

She obtained a successful ruling from...

Anna is a North Carolina native who has been practicing law for more than 23 years. She received a B.A. in English from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill in 1991, and her law degree from George Washington University in 1994. She first became licensed to practice law in Virginia in 1994, followed by Washington, D.C. in 1995.

In 1996, she returned to North Carolina and has been practicing here ever since. She concentrates her practice in the areas of Workers' Compensation and Social Security Disability.

Anna is rated AV Preeminent by Martindale-Hubbell®, the facilitator of a peer review ratings...

At the family dinner table while I was growing up, we enjoyed vigorous argument and debate as much as the food. Even as a child, I loved finding out all of the facts. Going to law school seemed a natural choice. After graduating, I immediately headed to New York to work for a large, international law firm. I learned a tremendous amount. But something, or someone, was missing. You. And me. I realized that I wanted to be collaborating with my clients, that all those facts, all the research, all the arguments, even the law, only made...

Based in Asheville, NC, Lakota R. Denton is a Personal Injury Lawyer that has assisted many clients in North Carolina who have been injured through no fault of their own, or due to someone else’s negligence. He is committed to helping injured persons in his community, and assisting them through the complex legal process, so they can get their lives back on track. Lakota is a Cum Laude graduate of Western New England College of Law. After interning at Pellegrini Seeley Ryan and Blakesley in Massachusetts and the National Labor Relations Board in Hartford, Connecticut during Law School,...

Over 28 years of experience representing clients and assisting them in resolving their legal matters. We have the knowledge skill and expertise to tackle even the most complex cases. I understand that being involved in legal matters and having to call an attorney can be a confusing and daunting task. We are here to assist you, to answer your questions and to guide you through the legal process and to make it as easy and quick as possible.

We will not give you advice that merely prolongs the matter and increases your costs. I recognize...

Thomas Amburgey is a board-certified specialist in state criminal law. As a former prosecutor with the Office of the District Attorney for Buncombe County, he handled thousands of cases, ranging from minor offenses like speeding tickets to capital offenses like first-degree murder. That experience gives him an immeasurable advantage in the courtroom.

Because pleas are often made and charges can be dismissed, many criminal law attorneys only experience a handful of trials in their entire careers. Thomas has successfully completed hundreds of bench trials and dozens of jury trials from both sides of the aisle. Regardless of your charge, Thomas Amburgey...

• DACA - In 2012-2013 I successfully processed over 75 DACA applications in North Carolina, Georgia and South Carolina. Each successful application resulted in my clients obtaining employment authorization leading to the acquisition of a Social Security number and a valid drivers license. These clients no longer live in the shadows of society. • BIA Appeal Success! With only a few hours before my client was scheduled to be deported, I filed an emergency motion with the Board of Immigration Appeals (BIA) to "stay" his deportation and have my client's matter "re-opened" based on new evidence and...

I am a solo practitioner in Asheville, North Carolina. I serve Buncombe, Henderson, Transylvania and the surrounding Western North Carolina counties. I focus my practice primarily on family law related issues, including divorce, child custody, child support, domestic violence, and criminal law related issues including traffic and juvenile matters.

Senta Rhodes is an experienced trial attorney whose practice area focuses on personal injury and workers' compensation law. She is admitted to practice in North Carolina, The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, and The State of Maryland. Before Senta joined Grimes Teich Anderson LLP, she was an Assistant District Attorney in the Major Felony Crimes Division in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, where she prosecuted more than 20 jury trials and 50 bench trials.

Senta is experienced in gathering evidence, examining experts and negotiations, and she puts those skills to work for her clients who deserve justice for their injuries and protection from insurance companies....

Scott Dillin grew up in Asheville, North Carolina and is a Dean's List graduate of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. He completed his Juris Doctor and MBA from Campbell University. Scott clerked for the Honorable Judge Richard Elmore of the Court of Appeals, and worked for several years as an Assistant District Attorney where he learned the policies and procedures of that office and their approach to a wide variety of criminal and traffic charges. He has personally tried hundreds of assaults, DWI, and traffic cases, and brings the benefit of this experience to his clients.

Jacob Ehrmann is the founding attorney at Montford Family Law. Formerly known as Ehrmann Law Office, Montford Family Law is the partnership of Jacob Ehrmann and Alex Gomes. The firm works exclusively in the area of family law. Jacob received his undergraduate degree in 1995 from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, where he graduated with honors in Public Policy Analysis with an emphasis on race and gender issues. Jacob then received his J.D. from the UNC School of Law in 1999. In 2000, Jacob began his legal career at Pisgah...

Christopher B. "Chris" Reinhardt is a native and life long resident of North Carolina. He is a second generation attorney, his father being an accomplished real estate attorney in Durham, North Carolina. Chris was admitted to practice in 2003, North Carolina and has practiced in the Asheville area since being admitted. Community: Chris is currently the Legal Counsel for Daniel Boone Council of the Boy Scouts of America serving all of the 14 western most counties of North Carolina. Chris is a Past-President of the Brevard College Alumni Advisory Board, which he has been a member of from...

The Adaramola Firm is a progressive law firm that provides a positive alternative to traditional, expensive, and highly adversarial law firms. We are a transactional and litigation firm offering services in the following practice areas: estates and trusts, business law, real estate law, intellectual property, and estate administration. Ile Adaramola is a friendly, down-to-earth, competent attorney dedicated to using innovative legal concepts to resolving legal issues.

Ile (E-lay) earned a Bachelors of Arts in Criminal Justice and Philosophy with high honors, from the University of North Carolina at Charlotte.After receiving her degree, she worked as a real estate paralegal for Shapiro...

Allison is an experienced attorney dedicated to providing representation to clients with matters involving family law, estate planning, real estate law, and traffic tickets.

She earned a law degree from Campbell University School of Law. She is also a member of the Wake County Bar Association and the North Carolina Bar Association.

She is committed to providing excellent service to her clients and positive experience throughout each case handled. Call or visit her website for more information.

Brian is a Western North Carolina native, having been born and raised in Asheville. He attended Enka High School and then UNC-Chapel Hill for college. Brian attended Wake Forest University School of Law. After passing the Bar Exam, Brian practiced law in the Raleigh area, focusing his practice on serious personal injury, catastrophic injury cases, and wrongful death cases, for almost 20 years. He then moved his family and his law practice back to Asheville. Brian is an aggressive litigator who enjoys trying cases in the courtroom. He is very direct with his clients and with opposing counsel, does not...

Once Anthony graduated law school he was offered a position with the Cook County State’s Attorney’s Office in Chicago, Illinois as an Assistant State’s Attorney. In that position, he was able to gain valuable courtroom experience handling approximately 10-30 hearings a day, every day, for 18 months. As part of his duties, Anthony was assigned to the Child Protective Services Division. In that capacity, he was responsible for handling serious cases of child abuse and neglect. From initial emergency custody hearings through terminating parental rights, Anthony fought to ensure that children were not left in the...

Andrew D. Atherton practices Elder and Special Needs Law with McGuire, Wood & Bissette, P.A., where his practice focuses on developing and implementing comprehensive personal estate plans, assisting clients in navigating the estate administration and probate process, advising clients on how to deal with the costs of long-term care, Veterans Administration Benefits, Medicare, Medicaid, guardianship and Special Needs Trusts. Mr. Atherton completed a clerkship with the Kentucky Supreme Court. He earned his undergraduate degree in Business Economics from Western Kentucky University and law degree from the Salmon P. Chase College of Law at Northern Kentucky University. He...

I am a US Marine Core veteran committed to protecting your interests and providing excellent service.

Edward L. Bleynat, Jr. began his legal career by clerking for James G. Exum, Jr., then the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of North Carolina. He later went to work with a major Greensboro law firm in a general litigation practice, focusing on business litigation and tort law.

In 1995, Ed, his wife and children relocated to Asheville, North Carolina to continue his law practice and to raise their family in Western North Carolina, where Ed grew up. After Ed started his own firm in 1997, he and Joe Ferikes merged their practices into Ferikes & Bleynat, PLLC in 2001.

Ed...

Family and relationships are so important to me and I know they are for you as well. It’s one of the reasons that, after practicing many types of law, I’ve settled into the areas of law that we all will eventually face: including end-of-life planning and estate administration. I know these are often difficult topics with challenging decisions for individuals and families, especially for adult children of elderly parents, the terminally ill or those who are in domestic partnerships not legally recognized as marriage under North Carolina law. My job is to provide you with clarity on the law and...

Time spent as an insurance claims adjuster made me realize that people need advocates to fight for them, and to fight for what matters most. Being on both sides of the claims process now as a personal injury attorney has taught me valuable information about how insurance companies will try to get you to settle for less than what you deserve. Whether it’s a personal injury attorney you need, medical malpractice, wrongful death, auto accident, workers compensation, or a matter involving civil litigation, my mission to get you what you are owed under the eyes of the law and...

Anthony Tuorto graduated from Vermont Law School and completed an externship in the Buncombe County Public Defender's Office. Anthony served for several years as an Assistant District Attorney in Henderson, Polk, and Transylvania Counties before entering private practice. His years in the public sector have given him the opportunity to try hundreds of cases, spend countless hours in the courtroom, and develop expertise in all aspects of criminal law.

Susan Waller Ramos is a graduate of Emory University, where she earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in Psychology and Spanish, and St. Mary’s University School of Law. She is licensed to practice law in North Carolina, Texas, and New Mexico (currently inactive), and began practicing immigration law in 2003. Ms. Ramos is fluent in Spanish and assists individuals, families, and employers in connection with assessing available U.S. immigration options. Ms. Ramos’ practice includes preparing and filing individual, family-based, and employment-based petitions, immigrant and nonimmigrant visa applications, and waivers of inadmissibility. She assists with complex consular processing...

Melody J. King is an experienced litigator and negotiator in Family Law where she focuses her practice on child custody and child support, spousal support, equitable distribution (property division), and divorce. In addition to litigation, Melody has significant experience in the drafting of premarital and postmarital agreements, as well as Separation and Property Settlement Agreements. Coming from a large law firm, Melody decided to open her own firm exclusively practicing in the area of family law. Melody works closely with clients to determine their specific needs and goals and to make difficult family law cases manageable for her clients, with...

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...

James O. Rice, Jr. is an experienced criminal defense attorney in Asheville, who can provide you with the strong legal representation you need to fight the charges against you. When your future is on the line, it’s critical that you have someone on your side who will fight zealously for your freedom. Attorney Rice has assisted numerous clients against criminal charges, and can offer you his expertise and resources in order to help you develop a solid legal defense against the prosecution. Attorney Rice has experience with a variety of criminal law matters in North Carolina, including but not...

My practice focuses on the representation of individuals and families dealing with the aftermath of severe injury and loss, including death. I have extensive experience with complex medical issues in personal injury and medical malpractice cases. Our firm consists of four experienced trial lawyers and a remarkably talented and devoted support staff.

Nick Benjamin is a former police officer, prosecutor and North Carolina Assistant Attorney General. He has practiced for nearly a decade in Asheville North Carolina. The majority of his time practicing law came as a prosecutor in Buncombe County, where he has prosecuted everything from speeding tickets to first degree murder. Nick left the Buncombe County District Attorney's Office in July 2022 (when he was focusing on violent crimes and firearms offenses) to start his own practice. In addition to an extensive criminal law background which includes over 300 bench trials and over 40 jury trials, Nick was an assistant...

The Law Office of Cheryl R. Watkins is a boutique estate law practice serving all 100 counties of North Carolina representing individuals, families, and small businesses in the provision of advice, counsel, and results in the following areas of law:

- Estate Administration (Probate Law)
- Estate Planning (Wills, Trusts, Powers of Attorney, Living Wills, etc.)
- Business Succession Planning
- Wrongful Death

Attorney Cheryl R. Watkins of The Law Office of Cheryl R. Watkins has a practice concentration in Estate Planning and Probate and has worked in those fields for over 20 years as a former CPA, auditor, Assistant Clerk,...

BIOGRAPHY
Susan earned a B.A. in Psychology at Southern Methodist Universtiy in Dallas, Texas and went on to attend Loyola University New Orleans, School of Law, graduating in the top of her 2003 law school class. Susan began her legal training during law school working as a law clerk in the civil insurance defense and criminal practice areas.

Following licensure by the Louisiana State Bar in 2003, she began a private law practice in New Orleans where she focused exclusively on Criminal Law. She has gained extensive trial experience working for over 15 years as a litigator the private and public...

Walter E. Daniels III
Attorney

Admissions
- Licensed to practice in North Carolina (2000) and Louisiana (2002).

- Admitted to practice in Federal District Court for the Western, Middle and Eastern Districts of North Carolina as well as the Fourth Circuit Court of Appeals.

Affiliations
- North Carolina State Bar Association - North Carolina Academy of Justice

- American Academy of Justice -28th Judicial Bar - American Bar Association

Education
Juris Doctorate, University of Alabama School of Law, 1999

International Law and Comparative Law, Fribourg University, Fribourg, Switzerland, Summer 1997

B.A., Politics, University of Alabama, 1994

Birthplace
Birmingham, Alabama 1972