Amy Meyers Batten

Douglas Noreen is a lawyer recognized by Best Lawyers in the practice areas of Eminent Domain and Condemnation Law and Litigation - Trusts and Estates. Douglas practices law in Raleigh, North Carolina Best Lawyers has recognized Douglas Noreen since 2024. The Best Lawyers recognition is based on a peer-review survey of lawyers in the same geographic region and legal practice area. The recognition reflects the professional regard in which Douglas Noreen is held by other lawyers.

Ms. Haywood's law practice is devoted to representing private property owners in land condemnation cases. She graduated in 1977 from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill with a Bachelor of Arts degree with honors in International Studies. In 1982, she received her Juris Doctor degree from the University of North Carolina School of Law. After practicing for several years with a private law firm, Ms. Haywood went to work with the North Carolina Attorney General's office in Raleigh. F...

Justin L. Mauney, a partner at Wake Family Law Group, was admitted to the practice of law in North Carolina in 2007 and focuses his practice on all aspects of North Carolina family law litigation and negotiation. Justin received his Bachelor of Science in Business Administration from the Kenan-Flagler Business School at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill in 2004. In 2007, he received his Juris Doctor, cum laude , from the Norman Adrian Wiggins School of Law at Campbell University...

Kevin M. O'Brien is a lawyer recognized by Best Lawyers in the practice area of Insurance Law. Kevin M. practices law in Raleigh, North Carolina Best Lawyers has recognized Kevin M. O'Brien since 2025. The Best Lawyers recognition is based on a peer-review survey of lawyers in the same geographic region and legal practice area. The recognition reflects the professional regard in which Kevin M. O'Brien is held by other lawyers.

3 Things to Know About Ryan Bliss: He is a North Carolina State Bar Board Certified Specialist in Workers’ Compensation law. He was recognized on the “Best Lawyers” list for Workers’ Compensation Law – Claimants by Best Lawyers in 2025 and 2026.* He was named to the “Top 20 Managing Partners” list by North Carolina Lawyers Weekly in 2025.* Ryan Bliss is a Partner at the Law Offices of James Scott Farrin , where he leads the firm’s workers’...

“Chris is just really willing to get in and get the job done. He understands the need to balance costs against trial preparation. He’s also willing to say, this isn’t my area, let me refer you to somebody else.” The above quote, from a national construction client with outside counsel in nearly every state, was shared with Thomson Reuters, the company behind Westlaw, during its global research with senior in-house counsel to identify top-performing lawyers in private p...

Larry L. Coats is a lawyer recognized by Best Lawyers in the practice areas of Litigation - Patent and Patent Law. Larry L. practices law in Cary, North Carolina Best Lawyers has recognized Larry L. Coats since 2019. The Best Lawyers recognition is based on a peer-review survey of lawyers in the same geographic region and legal practice area. The recognition reflects the professional regard in which Larry L. Coats is held by other lawyers.

Russell W. “Rusty” DeMent III is an experienced trial lawyer in Raleigh who is dedicated to defending clients accused of felonies and misdemeanors in North Carolina’s state and federal courts. Rusty continues the family legacy of being recognized by Best Lawyers like his father who was recognized in the first ever Best Lawyers list. A former Wake County prosecutor, he has the skill and experience to defend clients accused of such serious criminal offenses as murder, assault,...

Rebecca M. Schaefer is a lawyer recognized by Best Lawyers in the practice area of Health Care Law. Rebecca M. practices law in Raleigh, North Carolina Best Lawyers has recognized Rebecca M. Schaefer since 2025. The Best Lawyers recognition is based on a peer-review survey of lawyers in the same geographic region and legal practice area. The recognition reflects the professional regard in which Rebecca M. Schaefer is held by other lawyers.

Ellis Family Law was built to help people navigate some of life’s most personal and high-stakes moments with clarity, strategy, and genuine care. Gray Ellis is the Founder and Managing Partner of the firm, and for more than 20 years, he has helped shape the standards, culture, and approach that guide the team’s work every day. Gray is a North Carolina Board Certified Specialist in Family Law—a distinction held by fewer than 2% of family law practitioners statewide—and ...