Derek A. Farrugia

Valecia McDowell is a national thought leader in the areas of governmental and internal investigations, conduct risk management, and civil rights and racial equity assessments. Valecia is ranked in Chambers USA and Best Lawyers , included in national publications such as Bloomberg , American Banker , Corporate Compliance Insights , and Inside Counsel. Valecia was one of the ten “Innovative Legal Practitioners” identified by the London-based Financial Times in 2023 and on Forbes To...

A technically skilled, North Carolina State Bar certified specialist in estate planning and probate law and a frequent speaker on tax and estate planning topics, Mark Horn takes a comprehensive, proactive approach to his high net worth clients’ estate and tax planning situations, making recommendations in plain English and implementing the desired planning efficiently and responsively. Also serving many closely-held businesses, Mark often acts as the trusted adviser to multiple generati...

Rob Rust represents clients on a variety of transactional matters, with a focus on mergers and acquisitions, commercial contract work and joint ventures. Representation includes Fortune 150 companies, private equity clients and privately held entities operating across various industries and market segments, including manufacturing, professional services and digital consulting with the scope of such representation encompassing complex domestic and cross-border transactions.

Kathleen K. Lucchesi is a principal and the office litigation manager in the Charlotte, North Carolina, office of Jackson Lewis P.C. For Kathi, the business of law is about people. Working first to find creative, business-oriented solutions, Kathi prioritizes developing effective policies and practices to keep employers out of the courtroom. But when the road to resolution leads to the courthouse, her extensive trial experience provides clients with the confidence that they’ll be well r...

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...

Elizabeth G. Grimes is Managing Partner at Grimes Yeoman, PLLC. Known locally as “Libby”, Ms. Grimes represents plaintiffs in cases involving serious bodily injuries, wrongful death, and traumatic brain injuries. Ms. Grimes received her B.A. in Economics from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill in December of 1985, graduating a semester early, and received her law degree from Wake Forest University School of Law in 1989. Ms. Grimes is admitted to practice before the No...

Tom Mitchell has served as Managing Partner and Chair of the Management Committee since 2018 and is a nationally recognized finance lawyer with over 30 years of experience representing financial institutions. Tom serves in multiple leadership positions at the firm, including as Managing Partner, Chair of the Management Committee, and Chair of the Strategic Planning Committee. He is also an active member of the firm’s Inclusion & Belonging Committee. Tom served previously as head of ...

MacKenzie C. Henry is a top attorney recognized by Best Lawyers in the practice area(s) of Banking and Finance Law. MacKenzie C., who practices law in Charlotte, North Carolina, has been recognized since 2025. This recognition is based on an exhaustive peer-review survey, reflecting the high esteem in which MacKenzie C. is held by other top lawyers in the same geographic and legal practice area.

Courtney Hamer Smith is a top attorney recognized by Best Lawyers in the practice area(s) of Family Law and Family Law Mediation. Courtney Hamer, who practices law in Charlotte, North Carolina, has been recognized since 2017. This recognition is based on an exhaustive peer-review survey, reflecting the high esteem in which Courtney Hamer is held by other top lawyers in the same geographic and legal practice area.

Patrick Hayden is a partner in the Global Finance & Debt Products Group. His practice focuses on mortgage-backed and asset-backed securitization, and he has represented global financial institutions as indenture trustee in negotiating and closing hundreds of CDO transactions, including CLOs, commercial real estate CDOs and synthetic CDOs. He currently represents indenture trustees in connection with the administration of CDO transactions and has extensive experience with questions and dis...