Tar Heel Lawyers

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...

Jennifer has vast experience representing clients throughout North Carolina at all stages of development, building and marketing from entity selection, contract negotiation, acquisition, due diligence, complex financing, land use planning, to permitting and advocacy with agencies and municipalities. Jennifer was recently named to the Real Estate Power List recognizing the 25 most respected and accomplished real property attorneys in North Carolina. Born and raised in Chapel Hill, Jennifer earned her Bachelor of Arts degree in Political Science from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill (’93) and earned her Juris Doctor degree from the UNC School of Law (’96)....

Parker grew up in the Raleigh & Wake County, North Carolina. She completed her Bachelor of Arts in Journalism at the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill in 1975. After graduation, Parker worked in public relations at Duke University Medical Center for several years before enrolling in law school at Wake Forest School of Law, where she completed her Juris Doctor in 1985. As a law student, Parker was a member of the Moot Court Board and was elected to the Order of the Barristers. She was a member of the school’s National Appellate Team and...

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...

David Coolidge is a skilled and experienced criminal defense attorney at Coolidge Law Firm, based in Raleigh, North Carolina. Coolidge is dedicated to defending the rights of clients throughout the area who have been charged with crimes, including DWI, drug charges, sex crimes, domestic violence and a variety of felony and misdemeanor charges. Coolidge graduated in the top 5 percent of his class from the Duke University School of Law, which is one of the top law schools in the country. There he received top-notch training both inside the classroom and in the field as a student. ...

Garen McClure is our Hillsborough-based attorney and litigator, with experience in traffic, business law, and estate planning. Garen utilizes his experience as a former New York City legal services attorney in assisting his clients to achieve their goals with respect to their litigation matters.* Garen has very broad litigation skills & the ability to work closely with his clients to ensure their involvement, providing very personal & responsive service. As a publicly educated attorney, Garen never strayed too far from his rural upbringing, and now uses his legal skill for the greater good.

Attorney Pittman is on staff with iTicket.law and manages our "eastern front" of North Carolina along with fellow associate Attorney Phelps. While previously serving as an assistant district attorney in Pitt County since 2014, Pittman has prosecuted cases ranging from minor traffic offenses, impaired driving offenses, juvenile crimes, non-capital murder cases, and felony drug offenses to felony financial crimes. “In spite of the case, fairness is most important to me,” he says. Now, as a criminal defense attorney with the Hatley Law Office, Attorney Pittman can leverage his unique perspective and experience to seek the best possible outcome for his...

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...

Jill Schnabel Jackson originally is from Wisconsin. She received her undergraduate degree from the University of Minnesota in 1996. Ms. Jackson graduated with honors from the University of North Carolina School of Law in 1999. While in law school, Ms. Jackson was a staff member for the North Carolina Journal of International Law and Commercial Regulation and a member of the Holderness Moot Court National Team. She also received the Gressman-Pollitt Award for outstanding oral advocacy during her first year of law school. Before joining the firm, Ms. Jackson served for two years as a law clerk to the Honorable...

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...

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...

Attorney Adam Soltys's office is centrally located in Greensboro, right in the middle of his practice area, which spans throughout the Triad in Guilford, Davidson, Rockingham, and Forsyth Counties. Before joining iTicket.law, Adam started and for the past nine years has continued to run his own independent criminal and traffic practice. An avid Davidson Wildcats fan, Attorney Soltys can often be found debating the intricacies of Steph Curry’s shot. Fluent in Spanish, he has a particular focus on serving underrepresented immigrant communities.

Jaye Meyer is listed in the Best Lawyers in America® and North Carolina Super Lawyers®. Ms Meyer received the Super Lawyers award for Top 50 Women Lawyers in North Carolina from 2010-2014, and Top 100 Lawyers in 2011. She has been recognized by Business North Carolina magazine as one of the “Legal Elite” in North Carolina. Ms. Meyer is a Board Certified Specialist in Family Law, a Fellow in the American Academy of Matrimonial Lawyers, and is certified as a Family Financial Mediator.

Ms. Meyer was admitted to the North Carolina Bar in 1990. She received her B.A. cum laude from...

Mysty Blagg is a second-career Health Law Attorney that brings 20 years of previous health care industry experience into her practice of law. She has lived the full health care life cycle. In her previous career, Mysty was a health dental hygienist, Medicaid Appeals Specialist, and a Health Care Compliance Investigator. Mysty is uniquely positioned to understand the business of health care, the power of health care innovation, and the pressures the intense regulatory environment. She advises health care clients on issues stemming from regulatory matters, licensing disputes, health care fraud and abuse, digital health matters,...

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...

Alice C. Stubbs is a partner in the firm. She joined Tharrington Smith in 2006 after having served for eight years as a Wake County District Court judge. First appointed in 1997 by Governor Jim Hunt, she was elected to the judgeship in 1998 and 2002. During her time on the bench, Ms. Stubbs presided primarily in domestic court. She was certified as a juvenile judge in 2001 and was designated and presided as a family court judge from 2002 until she came to Tharrington Smith.

Ms. Stubbs is a native of New Bern. She graduated from Phillips Academy in Andover,...

Wade Smith has been one of North Carolina’s best known and most acclaimed lawyers for nearly 50 years. His trials are recounted in books, magazines and journals. A renowned story teller, Wade insists that within each case there is a compelling story waiting to be told. In seminars and bar meetings Wade has shared the art of story telling. His cases offer a fine collection of North Carolina Courtroom lore. In 1979, Wade served as counsel to Dr. Jeffrey McDonald in the much studied and discussed Green Beret Murder case. Most recently he was lead counsel for Collin Finnerty, one...

Charles “Charlie” Gray spent his entire life in Wendell, North Carolina. A lifelong Wolfpack fan, Charlie attended N.C. State University where he earned a Bachelor’s degree in Political Science with a Minor in Biological Sciences. Charlie then made his way to Campbell University where he received his law degree (JD) and, simultaneously, received a Master of Laws (LLM) from Nottingham Law School in the United Kingdom. While in law school, Charlie developed a passion for representing the criminally accused and being in the courtroom. Charlie’s enthusiasm for criminal defense stems from a desire to guide others through the complex criminal justice...

Hello! My name is Bradley Trexler. Before graduating from Campbell Law School and pursuing a career in criminal law, I received my bachelor's degree from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Before joining Matheson & Associates, I worked as an Assistant District Attorney for the Wake County DA’s Office. During my time there, I handled thousands of cases ranging from traffic tickets, to assaults, to DWIs, and anything in-between. I also spent time previous to that working in private criminal defense. A Wake County native born and raised, I strive to use my legal knowledge to give back to...

Jeffrey R. Russell is a Board Certified Specialist in Family Law. A Western North Carolina native, he is a member of the Family Law section at Tharrington Smith, LLP. Mr. Russell earned his undergraduate degree in political science from Furman University in Greenville, South Carolina in 1999 and subsequently graduated magna cum laude from the Norman Adrian Wiggins School of Law at Campbell University. During his time at Campbell Law School, Mr. Russell served as a candidate member and as Chief Comments Editor of the Law Review. Additionally, he was a research assistant for Professor James B. McLaughlin...

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...

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...

Mariana Vázquez-García is the founder of Vazquez Garcia Law, PLLC. Her passion for helping people with their immigration cases was ignited when she joined the Immigration Law Clinic at the George Washington University Law School in the fall of 1997. While she was still a law student, she won two cases before the Immigration Court in Arlington, Virginia. She knew then that once she graduated law school in 1998, she only wanted to practice immigration law. That enormous desire to help others continues to this date with much success.

Since 1998, now as an Attorney, Mariana has...

Durham disability, personal injury and traffic lawyer representing clients in Durham, Raleigh, Cary, Hillsborough, Chapel Hill and throughout North Carolina.

A North Carolina native, David was born and raised in a commercial fishing family on the Outer Banks. He decided to attend law school while he was at North Carolina State University earning dual BAs in Economics and Business Management. Even then, he knew that “fighting for the little guy” was his destiny. After 20 years, he and his partners continue to stand for the same principles.

An avid Top Dragster racer (with an IHRA Class B license), David has written articles on the importance of adequate insurance coverage and appropriate legal representation for several racing industry publications.

He spent years dedicated...

Attorney Lindsey D. Granados is an experienced trial lawyer and seasoned litigator who advocates tirelessly for her clients. She truly cares for the well-being of her clients, and her compassion and desire to see justice in action motivates her to seek the best possible outcome in each case. Over the course of her career, Lindsey has tried hundreds of District Court cases—infractions, misdemeanors of every variety, DWIs—and numerous high-level felony criminal jury trials to verdict in Superior Court.

Ms. Granados was born and raised in Seminole, Oklahoma. She graduated from Oklahoma Baptist University, located in Shawnee, Oklahoma and with a Bachelor’s...

Kelly A. Stevens is a co-founder and managing member of the law firm of Hemmings & Stevens, P.L.L.C. and has been practicing as an attorney since 1994. She grew up in the mid-west and graduated from the University of Missouri-Columbia in 1991 with a Bachelor of Arts degree in political science. While in college she was elected President of her pre-law fraternity, Phi Alpha Delta. She attended law school at the University of Missouri-Columbia and graduated in 1994. While in law school she performed an internship at the Attorney General's Office for the State of Missouri and later clerked for...

I'm originally from Buchanan County, Virginia. I graduated from King University in 1994, and from Wake Forest University School of Law in 1997. I started practicing in Raleigh in 1997, and worked for insurance companies for three years. In 2000, I changed sides to represent injury people and have done that ever since. I have tried cases across North Carolina, and have represented thousands of personal injury clients across the southeastern United States, Canada, and Central America. I opened my own firm in April 2000, after practicing with some of the largest personal injury firms in North...

The Raleigh-based lawyers at Boerema Blackton LLP focus on providing practical, business-oriented legal advice to companies with 1-49 employees. If you are looking for responsive, legal services from an attorney who knows you and your business, you found us. Our firm acts as an outside general counsel for a number of clients, providing dedicated, responsive support with institutional knowledge of the client’s business or situation. The business lawyers in our firm represent clients who conduct business on local, national, and international scales. The firm’s core competency is in organizing, buying, and selling interests in corporations, limited liability companies, partnerships, nonprofits, and other...

Do you need quality legal advice? Then look to Ben Whitely, of Whitley Law Firm. Don’t suffer through your personal injury alone. Contact a Raleigh personal injury lawyer to schedule a meeting today!

Erich has lived in North Carolina his entire life, and takes great pride in helping his fellow North Carolinians--individuals, families, and small businesspersons. Much of his practice is devoted to assisting people who have trouble with debt. A knowledgeable bankruptcy lawyer, he counsels clients on whether filing bankruptcy is their best option, and carefully guides them through the bankruptcy process. Erich also represents clients in debt-related non-bankruptcy litigation, including collections defense and unfair debt collection. Drawing on his experience as a bankruptcy law clerk, Erich can assist individuals and business that are parties to bankruptcy litigation, including defense of...

Dori J. Dixon focuses her practice in the areas of estate planning, elder law and special needs planning. Whether you are planning for your family’s future, navigating the world of disability benefits, looking into long-term care options, or grieving the loss of a loved one, Mrs. Dixon can help you every step of the way.

Franchesco Fickey Martinez was born and raised in Eastern North Carolina, specifically Onslow County and its Surrounding Areas. After attending undergraduate school, graduate school, and law school, he wanted to return to his community and start his own practice. In 2015, Mr. Fickey Martinez opened his own practice, calling it Fickey Martinez Law Firm, P.L.L.C. Mr. Fickey Martinez strives to have his law firm be innovative and business oriented. To meet that end, Mr. Fickey Martinez believes that a law firm should be reasonably prices, mostly flat-fee based, and have a high regard for client-lawyer communication. ...

I am a Randolph County native and Family Law practitioner in Asheboro, NC. I provide quality legal counsel and aggressive representation and enforcement for those involved in Randolph County child custody and child support cases, property disputes stemming from separation and divorce, alimony/post-separation support actions, domestic violence, and juvenile petitions.

Minick Law brings you more than an attorney. You get a defense team. Being charged with a crime in North Carolina is stressful, especially when you are trying to figure out where to start. I work hard to listen to and understand each of my client's situations to get them the information they need to make the right decisions about moving forward with their case and most importantly, get their life back on track. I am an attorney in Minick Law's Jacksonville office and have successfully completed the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration's course on DUI Detection and Standardized Field Sobriety...

Trained as a real estate and estate planning attorney initially in my career, my practice areas have expanded to encompass estate administration, special proceedings, and corporate formation, as well as, real estate and estate planning. I am a young, energetic attorney determined to become the best in my field through excellent representation of each and every client. I am constantly learning new aspects of the law and surrounding myself with opportunities for growth. Have you reviewed your estate plan lately? If not, maybe it’s time we take a peek at it!

Nathaniel “Nat” Smith heads up the firm’s civil litigation practice. He handles serious personal injury and workers’ compensation cases in addition to business litigation, trust and estate litigation cases. He also works on civil appeals on behalf of the firm’s clients. Mr. Smith grew up in Raleigh, where he was a member of Broughton High School’s 50th graduating class in 1979. He attended the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, graduating in 1983 with a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Economics. He graduated with honors from UNC School of Law in 1993. While in law school, he clerked...

Attorney Latrice Knighton is a dedicated divorce attorney with over 18 years of experience, licensed in both Wisconsin and North Carolina. Specializing in family law, she has developed a comprehensive skill set through rigorous training as a mediator and guardian ad litem. This unique background enables her to navigate both the legal and emotional complexities of divorce, ensuring that her clients receive balanced, compassionate, and effective advocacy. "I believe that understanding the full scope of a family's situation—both financially and emotionally—is essential to providing true support during a divorce. My training in mediation and guardianship advocacy allows me to offer a...

I concentrate in education law including special education law. I also represent petitioners and respondents in guardianship hearings in the Triangle area. Gahagan Paradis, PLLC accepts education law cases in every North Carolina county, and we are the largest parent friendly education law firm in North Carolina.