Ann-Patton Hornthal

Thomas Amburgey is a top attorney recognized by Best Lawyers in the practice area(s) of Criminal Defense: General Practice and Criminal Defense: White-Collar. Thomas, who practices law in Asheville, North Carolina, has been recognized since 2024. This recognition is based on an exhaustive peer-review survey, reflecting the high esteem in which Thomas is held by other top lawyers in the same geographic and legal practice area.

Lance represents creditors in collections, foreclosures, bankruptcy, Uniform Commercial Code security agreement enforcement, and structured liquidations and workouts. He also represents clients in drafting and negotiating a wide variety of contract, loan, and workout agreements. Lance is certified by the American Board of Certification and the North Carolina State Bar as a Board Certified Specialist in Business Bankruptcy Law. He litigates at all levels of state and federal court, with an emp...

Adam Peoples primarily defends doctors, lawyers, accountants, and engineers in negligence and ethics matters. His downtown Asheville practice also includes defending claims regarding general liability, governmental liability, civil rights, and products liability. Ranked AV® Preeminent™ by Martindale-Hubbel, Adam has enjoyed a great deal of success in the courtroom. He has litigated hundreds of cases, including more than 500 hours of trial time, defending cases involving seven and ei...

I am a North Carolina Board Certified Specialist in Family Law and a Fellow in the American Academy of Matrimonial Lawyers. I limit my practice to issues involving divorce, marital relations, and family law. I serve other divorce lawyers by providing family financial mediation services to them and their clients. Since 2007, I have been continuously recognized by Best Lawyers in America and named the Family Law Lawyer of the Year for Asheville in 2015, 2017, and 2020. I am named to North Carol...

3 Things to Know About Kevin Mahoney: He has more than three decades of experience handling eminent domain matters. He served as a North Carolina Special Deputy Attorney General and led the Western Office on eminent domain cases in the state’s 26 westernmost counties. He is a Partner at the Law Offices of James Scott Farrin and serves on the Executive Committee responsible for management of the firm. Kevin Mahoney leads the eminent domain practice in Western North Carolina for the NC Em...

Jennifer’s practice centers on the legal and personal complexities involved in family law matters. Her work includes a particular emphasis on complex equitable distribution and contested custody cases. She approaches family law as an area requiring both strong advocacy and careful judgment, recognizing that divorce, custody disputes, and related matters often involve emotionally difficult circumstances for clients and their children. In custody matters especially, she is committed to ca...

Orville D. Coward, Jr. was born in Sylva, North Carolina on December 22, 1953. He graduated magna cum laude from Yale University in 1976 with a BA in English and went on to receive his Juris Doctor from the University of North Carolina Law School in 1979, where he reestablished and served as President of Phi Alpha Delta Legal Fraternity. He was admitted to U.S. District Court, Western District of North Carolina in 1979, and to the Fourth Circuit Court of Appeals in 1985.Mr. Coward began his p...

Michelle Rippon is a top attorney recognized by Best Lawyers in the practice area(s) of Litigation - Labor and Employment. Michelle, who practices law in Asheville, North Carolina, has been recognized since 2023. This recognition is based on an exhaustive peer-review survey, reflecting the high esteem in which Michelle is held by other top lawyers in the same geographic and legal practice area.

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. Cutting hsi trial teeth at a major Greensboro business litigation firm. In 1995, Ed relocated to Asheville, to continue his law practice and to raise his family in Western North Carolina where he grew up. Ed and Joe Ferikes merged their practices into Ferikes & Bleynat, PLLC in 2001. Ed is actively involved in a variety of church, civic, and comm...

Janet Amburgey is a Board Certified Specialist in Family Law. Since graduating from Appalachian School of Law in 2008 she has focused her practice exclusively on family law matters, assisting people through family chaos, ensuring the protection of their rights and property and helping to blend and expand families. She has represented clients in divorce and separation with issues surrounding child custody, child support, alimony, and in property settlement matters. She also assists families th...