Barry C. Jennings

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...

Bob deRosset serves clients primarily in the fields of construction, business, and product liability law. He tries cases at the state and federal level in North and South Carolina. He is certified by the North Carolina Dispute Resolution Commission to conduct mediated settlement conferences in Superior Court cases and uses his perspective as a seasoned litigator to assist parties to voluntarily resolve their disputes through mediation. Bob has also completed collaborative law training and adv...

Clay C. Wheeler is a top attorney recognized by Best Lawyers in the practice area(s) of Commercial Litigation and Litigation - Securities. Clay C., who practices law in Raleigh, North Carolina, has been recognized since 2016. This recognition is based on an exhaustive peer-review survey, reflecting the high esteem in which Clay C. is held by other top lawyers in the same geographic and legal practice area.

Nicola Prall is a top attorney recognized by Best Lawyers in the practice area(s) of Employment Law - Management, Immigration Law and Litigation - Labor and Employment. Nicola, who practices law in Raleigh, North Carolina, has been recognized since 2021. This recognition is based on an exhaustive peer-review survey, reflecting the high esteem in which Nicola is held by other top lawyers in the same geographic and legal practice area.

G. Ryan Willis is a top attorney recognized by Best Lawyers in the practice area(s) of Criminal Defense: White-Collar and DUI / DWI Defense. G. Ryan, who practices law in Raleigh, North Carolina, has been recognized since 2016. This recognition is based on an exhaustive peer-review survey, reflecting the high esteem in which G. Ryan is held by other top lawyers in the same geographic and legal practice area.

John W. Narron has been practicing law in North Carolina since 1977 and has been a partner with Smith Debnam since 1987. Mr. Narron’s practice consists of litigation, arbitration, mediation and business transactions. For 30 years, Mr. Narron has provided advice and litigation services to clients in central and eastern North Carolina in all manner of civil disputes frequently involving equitable distribution proceedings, alimony trials, will caveats, employment disputes, personal injury ...

As a partner at the firm, Ben Whitley joins his father to provide comprehensive legal representation for their clients. The motivation for the Whitley family’s commitment to law stems from a desire to assist injured individuals, particularly when they face challenges against larger corporations. "Every case proceeds from a position of strength or we don’t proceed at all," says Ben, who has been involved in personal injury law since the beginning of his career for over two decades....

Joseph Alexander “Alex” Marshall is a 2015 graduate of the University of North Carolina School of Law at Chapel Hill and earned his undergraduate cum laude from the University of North Carolina at Charlotte. Alex is an AV Preeminent Peer Rated Lawyer at Martindale Hubbell. He joined the criminal defense section of DeMent Askew & Johnson in 2021. For nearly six years Alex served Wake County as an Assistant Public Defender. Over that time he gained an unparalleled level of exper...

Stephen Brown focuses his practice on business formation and structuring, wealth transfer planning, and litigation involving fiduciaries, trusts, estates and guardianships. He is a Board Certified Specialist in Estate Planning and Probate Law. Stephen regularly advises individuals on a range of estate planning strategies, including the use of simple and complex trust arrangements to achieve their personal and charitable objectives in a tax advantaged manner. He also has extensive experience a...

Brian D. Lake is a top attorney recognized by Best Lawyers in the practice area(s) of Workers' Compensation Law - Employers. Brian D., who practices law in Raleigh, North Carolina, has been recognized since 2009. This recognition is based on an exhaustive peer-review survey, reflecting the high esteem in which Brian D. is held by other top lawyers in the same geographic and legal practice area.