Ashleigh Black

Lainie focuses her practice on complex civil litigation involving transportation and general liability matters. She also has significant experience defending medical professionals and attorneys in malpractice matters. She has argued issues of first impression before the Pennsylvania Superior Court (Middle District) and has successfully defended general liability matters before a jury, receiving a non-suit on behalf of a hospital client. She has significant experience in ADR of vehicle, genera...

Deborah L. Hildebran-Bachofen has been practicing with Manning Fulton since 1988. Debbie has a broad range of experience with closely-held corporations, including corporate mergers, acquisition and structuring issues, planning and tax accounting issues, private debt placement, and tax planning. Debbie becomes an important part of the company’s outside management team, advising business owners on day-to-day operations, drafting and negotiating contracts, and advising on financial matters...

David Coats is the firm's co-managing partner and senior litigation partner. He has been recognized by and peer selected for each of the past 14 years for inclusion in The Best Lawyers in America ; Business North Carolina Magazine's Legal Elite ; and North Carolina Super Lawyers - and in a variety of areas including litigation, construction law, and insurance law. Since 1996, Martindale Hubbell has recognized David with its prestigious "AV" peer rating. In 2021 (as well as in 2019 and 2020), ...

Drake works with entities and individuals in transactions involving commercial real property. A substantial portion of his practice is focused on representing both landlords and tenants in commercial lease negotiations for a wide variety of spaces, including office locations, retail centers, industrial facilities, and solar farms. In addition, Drake represents buyers and sellers in negotiating and closing purchases and sales, including tax-deferred exchanges. He also represents developers and...

3 Things to Know About Jennifer Taylor: She has grown the firm’s Co-Counsel Department to seven figures and led the firm in offering representation to an additional 850+ clients via co-counsel opportunities in 2025.* She led the Intake Department to create nearly 55,000 intakes in 2025 as Intake Administrator. She was named to North Carolina Lawyers Weekly’s “50 Most Influential Women” list in 2025.* Jennifer Taylor is a Partner at the Law Offices of James Scott Farrin...

A shareholder at Young Moore, Sue concentrates her practice in the areas of estate planning and administration and wealth transfer. She assists individuals with the preparation, revision and updating of estate planning documents including wills, revocable living trusts, irrevocable life insurance trusts (ILITs), charitable trusts (CRATs, CRUTs, CLTs), spousal lifetime access trusts (SLATS), dynasty trusts, trusts for children, grantor retained income trusts (GRATs), qualified personal residen...

Dan L. O'Korn is a top attorney recognized by Best Lawyers in the practice area(s) of Biotechnology and Life Sciences Practice. Dan L., who practices law in Raleigh, North Carolina, has been recognized since 2024. This recognition is based on an exhaustive peer-review survey, reflecting the high esteem in which Dan L. is held by other top lawyers in the same geographic and legal practice area.

Maria P. Wood is the Managing Partner in our Raleigh office and specializes in medical malpractice, aging services, correctional health care, professional malpractice and ethics, appellate, and general liability matters. In her more than twenty year legal career, she has gained significant litigation and trial experience. Maria has devoted her career to the representation of health care providers. These providers include hospital systems, long-term care facilities (skilled nursing and assiste...

Benjamin T. Cochran , a Board Certified Specialist in NC Workers’ Compensation Law, is the Managing Partner at Hardison & Cochran . Mr. Cochran’s undergraduate years were spent at UNC Chapel Hill where he obtained majors in Economics and African American Studies. He then went on to complete his Juris Doctorate degree at the Norman Adrian Wiggins School of Law at Campbell University. In his time of representing the injured of North Carolina, Mr. Cochran has acquired many accola...

Ann H. Smith is a Partner in the Raleigh/Durham office of Jackson Lewis P.C. Ms. Smith has practiced employment law since 1996 and has handled a wide variety of employment matters before federal and state courts and administrative agencies. Ms. Smith has represented and advised Fortune 250 companies as well as governmental entities. Ms. Smith’s litigation experience includes general employment law disputes involving claims pursuant to the ADA, FMLA, FLSA, and Title VII. Ms. Smith has al...