Derek A. Sutton

David Kushner has nearly 25 years of experience in media and communications law, focusing on broadcasting, media policy, and First Amendment issues. A trusted advisor, he is recognized as one of the nation’s leading authorities on retransmission consent agreements. David has extensive experience helping businesses navigate the dynamic media landscape and the unique legal challenges that they face in the digital age. His media and communications practice focuses on issues related to broa...

Paul leads the Creditors' Rights Practice Group and is certified by the American Board of Certification and the North Carolina State Bar as a Board Certified Specialist in Business and Consumer Bankruptcy Law. His practice experience encompasses bankruptcy, collections, creditors' rights, and lender liability. He concentrates his practice in the representation of creditors in complex bankruptcy cases and state court collection litigation, including workouts, reorganizations, and contested mat...

Art DeBaugh focuses his practice on trademarks , marketing/advertising/promotions issues, copyrights, trade dress, trade secrets, and business and corporate matters. As a North Carolina State Bar certified specialist in trademark law, Art has more than 25 years of experience protecting clients' intellectual property . Prior to joining Bell, Davis & Pitt in 2013, Art served as a partner in two law firms in the Research Triangle area. Prior to that, Art was chief counsel – intellectua...

T. Shawn Howard is a top attorney recognized by Best Lawyers in the practice area(s) of Personal Injury Litigation - Plaintiffs. T. Shawn, who practices law in Raleigh, North Carolina, has been recognized since 2026. This recognition is based on an exhaustive peer-review survey, reflecting the high esteem in which T. Shawn is held by other top lawyers in the same geographic and legal practice area.

A partner at Manning, Fulton & Skinner, P.A., Ritchie W. Taylor focuses his practice on corporate law, with a particular emphasis on franchising. From the firm's offices in Raleigh, North Carolina, he represents companies and individuals throughout the area, including Chapel Hill, Durham, Greensboro, Winston-Salem, Asheville, Charlotte, Wilmington, and other parts of the state. In his practice, Mr. Taylor provides advice and counsel on mergers and acquisitions, joint ventures, debt and eq...

Brett T. Hanna is a top attorney recognized by Best Lawyers in the practice area(s) of Land Use and Zoning Law and Real Estate Law. Brett T., who practices law in Raleigh, North Carolina, has been recognized since 2012. This recognition is based on an exhaustive peer-review survey, reflecting the high esteem in which Brett T. is held by other top lawyers in the same geographic and legal practice area.

Thurston Debnam is one of the founding partners of Smith Debnam Narron Drake Saintsing & Myers, L.L.P. Thurston is the Section Head of the Business Law practice group and served as the firm’s managing partner from 1992 through 1997. He concentrates his practice in the areas of business and corporate planning and real estate law, including land use planning and zoning. For more than thirty years, Thurston has maintained a broad-based business practice, assisting clients with business...

A native of Maryland and a former wrestler and wrestling coach, and now an avid rock climber, Jonathan Blumberg graduated from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill with an undergraduate degree in philosophy in 1982 and a law degree, with honors, in 1986. He served two years as a law clerk for Judge Eugene Gordon in the United States District Court for the Middle District of North Carolina before joining Tharrington Smith in 1988. Mr. Blumberg works in education law, employment law ...

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 ...

Mike McIntyre is a top attorney recognized by Best Lawyers in the practice area(s) of Economic Development Law and Government Relations Practice. Mike, who practices law in Raleigh, North Carolina, has been recognized since 2025. This recognition is based on an exhaustive peer-review survey, reflecting the high esteem in which Mike is held by other top lawyers in the same geographic and legal practice area.