Charles Middlebrooks

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

Janice L. Davies is the Founder of Davies Law PLLC in Charlotte, North Carolina. Ms. Davies’ practice areas include tax, wealth transfer and business succession planning for individuals and closely held businesses and probate and administration of estates and trusts. She received her B.S. degree from Pfeiffer University; her J.D. degree, law review , from Campbell University, Norman Adrian Wiggins School of Law; and her LL.M. degree in Estate Planning from the University of Miami School...

Doak Barnhardt engages in a broad range of finance-related areas, with an emphasis on senior bank debt and syndicated loan finance. Doak has considerable experience in corporate and commercial lending arrangements, including secured lending, acquisition and recapitalization finance, subordinated debt transactions, and work-out and restructure. Further, he represents a number of public and private companies as borrowers under syndicated credit facilities. Since joining the firm in 1984, he has...

Dane Baltich understands the importance of strategically growing and managing international patent portfolios. He also guides his clients on the issues of licensing, infringement, validity, and enforceability of patents. With his expertise, Dane positions patent portfolios for monetization, downstream litigation, and other strategic purposes for both domestic and international clients. His vast experience includes drafting and prosecuting patent portfolios across a broad range of fields, incl...

Sarah Negus is a labor and employment member with experience counseling employers on policies and procedures, personnel decisions, and other workplace challenges. She also litigates employment disputes in state and federal courts and before administrative agencies. Sarah concentrates her practice in all areas of employment law. She has broad experience in discrimination and retaliation claims under Title VII of the Civil Rights Act, the Age Discrimination in Employment Act, the Americans with...

Partner Matthew Cox heads the Columbia, South Carolina office of Smith Currie. He is Martindale-Hubbell AV rated among his peers, as well as the judiciary and has been practicing since 1999. Matthew focuses his practice in the areas of Construction Law, Commercial Law, and Government Contracts, with his emphasis in litigation and compliance. He represents a variety of private clientele in the construction industry from design professionals, to owners and developers, to general contractors and...

Curtis Elliott has practiced tax law for more than 25 years. He helps entrepreneurs and family business owners address their tax, estate planning, trusts and estates and business succession planning goals. Mr. Elliott has deep experience helping business owners develop estate planning structures for their family businesses. His clients range from closely held companies to large industrial enterprises owned and actively managed by multiple family generations. His work involves the use of share...

Paul M. Hattenhauer, a partner with Culp Elliott & Carpenter, P.L.L.C., is chair of the firm’s Estate Planning practice group. Mr. Hattenhauer’s practice is focused on providing tax, business, asset protection and estate planning advice for individuals, closely held business owners and fiduciaries. He provides counsel in sophisticated estate tax reduction strategies, and advises clients on strategies to arrange their affairs to pay the least amount of tax. He is experienced in...

Kimberly Zirkle focuses her practice on corporate finance and acquisition transactions. She regularly represents a variety of lenders, private equity portfolio companies, and private companies in corporate finance and acquisition transactions. Kimberly’s experience involves a wide variety of debt structures including: unitranche, ABL, first lien, split lien, second lien, and mezzanine (secured or unsecured). Kimberly primarily represents SBICs, BDCs, lenders and institutional investors ...

Christian Buhrer practices in the area of corporate taxation. He primarily focuses on assisting corporate clients with cost segregation, mergers and acquisitions, federal, international and state tax planning, sales and use tax, property tax and state tax incentive consulting. Christian's experience includes representing taxpayers in audit, settlement, protest and/or appeal with state tax agencies, advising clients with respect to restructurings, state and local taxation of corporations, part...