Areas of Specialization
· Appellate Practice: The specialty of appellate practice is the practice of law relating to appeals to the Appellate
Division of the North Carolina General Courts of Justice, as well as appeals to appellate-level courts of any state or
territory of the United States, the Supreme Court of the United States, the United States Courts of Appeals, the
United States Court of Appeals for the Armed Forces and the United States Courts of Criminal Appeals for the
armed forces, and any tribal appellate court for a federally recognized Indian tribe.
· Bankruptcy Law: The specialty of business bankruptcy law is the practice of law dealing with laws and procedures
involving the rights, obligations, and remedies between commercial debtors and creditors in potential or pending
federal bankruptcy cases (Chapter 7, Chapter 9, Chapter 11, and Chapter 12) and state insolvency actions. The spe-
cialty of consumer bankruptcy law is the practice of law dealing with laws and procedures involving the rights, obli-
gations, and remedies between consumer debtors and creditors in potential or pending federal bankruptcy cases
(Chapter 7, Chapter 12, and Chapter 13) and state insolvency actions.
· Criminal Law: The specialty of state criminal law is the practice of law relating to the defense or prosecution of
individuals charged with misdemeanor and felony crimes in state trial courts, while the specialty of federal criminal
law also includes such representation in federal trial court. Includes our newest subspecialty of juvenile delinquency
law which focuses specifically on the practice of law in state juvenile delinquency courts.
· Elder Law: The specialty of elder law is the practice of law involving the counseling and representation of older per-
sons and their representatives relative to the legal aspects of health and long term care planning; public benefits; sur-
rogate decision-making, legal capacity; the conservation, disposition, and administration of the estates of older per-
sons; and the implementation of decisions of older persons and their representatives relative to the foregoing with
due consideration to the applicable tax consequences of an action, or the need for more sophisticated tax expertise.
· Estate Planning: The specialty of estate planning and probate law is the practice of law dealing with planning for
the conservation and disposition of estates, including consideration of federal and state tax consequences; the prepa-
ration of legal instruments to effectuate estate plans; and the probate of wills and administration of estates, includ-
ing federal and state tax matters.
· Family Law: The specialty of family law is the practice of law relating to marriage, divorce, alimony, child custody
and support, equitable distribution, enforcement of support, domestic violence, bastardy, and adoption.
· Immigration Law: The practice of the specialty of immigration law concerns obtaining and retaining permission
for non-citizens to enter and remain in the United States including, but not limited to, representation on such mat-
ters as visas, changes of status, deportation and exclusion, naturalization, appearances before courts and governmen-
tal agencies, and protection of constitutional rights.
· Real Property Law: Practice in the specialty of commercial real property law includes title examinations, the deter-
mination of property rights, and the acquisition, ownership, leasing, management, financing, development, use,
transfer, and disposition of business, commercial, and industrial real property. Practice in the specialty of residential
real property law includes title examinations, the determination of property rights, and the acquisition, ownership,
leasing, financing, use, transfer, and disposition of residential real property.
· Social Security Disability Law: The specialty of Social Security disability law is the practice of law relating to the
analysis of claims and controversies arising under Title II and Title XVI of the Social Security Act and the represen-
tation of claimants in those matters before the Social Security Administration and/or the federal courts.
· Trademark Law: The specialty of trademark law is the practice of law devoted to commercial symbols, and typi-
cally includes the following: advising clients regarding creating and selecting trademarks, conducting and/or analyz-
ing trademark searches, prosecuting trademark applications, enforcing and protecting trademark rights, and coun-
seling clients on matters involving trademarks. Practitioners regularly practice before the United States Patent and
Trademark Office (USPTO), the Trademark Trial and Appeal Board (TTAB), the Trademark Division of the NC
Secretary of State’s Office, and the North Carolina and/or federal courts.
· Workers' Compensation Law: The practice of the specialty of workers' compensation law concerns the represen-
tation of employees and the defense of employers and their insurance carriers on employees' claims for medical treat-
ment, benefits, and the loss of ability to work arising out of workplace injuries, which includes representation before
the Industrial Commission.