Chris Roede

Fred Morelock received his bachelor's degree from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill in 1974 and his law degree from UNC in 1976. He then practiced as a trial attorney for ten years in the areas of criminal defense and family law litigation before being appointed to the bench. He joined Tharrington Smith in 2001. In 1986, Mr. Morelock was appointed by Governor James G. Martin to a Wake County district court judgeship. He was reelected three times and served for fourteen years. In...

Mike Strickland serves as Of Counsel to the firm’s insurance regulatory practice group. His experience includes representing clients in the areas of insurance coverage, insurance regulatory matters, reinsurance and business litigation and appearing regularly before the North Carolina Court of Appeals and the Supreme Court of North Carolina. Mike has 30 years of experience representing the North Carolina Rate Bureau, a statutory organization responsible for rates, loss costs and policy f...

Elizabeth P. Ligon is a top attorney recognized by Best Lawyers in the practice area(s) of Workers' Compensation Law - Claimants. Elizabeth P., who practices law in Durham, North Carolina, has been recognized since 2025. This recognition is based on an exhaustive peer-review survey, reflecting the high esteem in which Elizabeth P. is held by other top lawyers in the same geographic and legal practice area.

Robert L. Wilson, Jr. is a top attorney recognized by Best Lawyers in the practice area(s) of Health Care Law. Robert L., who practices law in Raleigh, North Carolina, has been recognized since 1991. This recognition is based on an exhaustive peer-review survey, reflecting the high esteem in which Robert L. is held by other top lawyers in the same geographic and legal practice area.

Leann A. Gerlach is a top attorney recognized by Best Lawyers in the practice area(s) of Workers' Compensation Law - Claimants. Leann A., who practices law in Raleigh, North Carolina, has been recognized since 2020. This recognition is based on an exhaustive peer-review survey, reflecting the high esteem in which Leann A. is held by other top lawyers in the same geographic and legal practice area.

Lori’s practice is principally focused on workers’ compensation litigation. She advises and defends employers and insurers in the manufacturing, healthcare, transportation, hospitality and retail industries throughout all stages of litigation before the North Carolina Industrial Commission. Lori handles complex workers’ compensation issues and strives to provide efficient and effective resolutions for her clients, whether that means negotiating with the other side or taking ...

Shannon Frankel is a trucking industry attorney with a proven track record. For more than 18 years, Shannon defended trucking companies, regularly handling multi-million-dollar claims in both the state and federal courts of North Carolina. During her time on the defense, she learned how the trucking industry views and handles catastrophic injury and wrongful death cases, developing relationships with numerous industry executives, national counsel, and expert witnesses along the way. Her exper...

She 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 residence trusts (QPRTs), premarital ...

Gloria Becker is a top attorney recognized by Best Lawyers in the practice area(s) of Commercial Litigation, Medical Malpractice Law - Defendants and Personal Injury Litigation - Defendants. Gloria, who practices law in Raleigh, North Carolina, has been recognized since 2020. This recognition is based on an exhaustive peer-review survey, reflecting the high esteem in which Gloria is held by other top lawyers in the same geographic and legal practice area.

Bryan Skelton’s clients rely on his years of experience in intellectual property counseling and his focus on developing, executing, and enforcing worldwide market exclusivity strategies for their core assets. Pharmaceutical, chemical, and biotechnology companies of all sizes call on Bryan for portfolio growth, management and acquisition, due diligences, and strategic partnering. Bryan focuses his practice on advising pharmaceutical companies and research institutions on complex legal is...