Dylan Willis

“Chris is just really willing to get in and get the job done. He understands the need to balance costs against trial preparation. He’s also willing to say, this isn’t my area, let me refer you to somebody else.” The above quote, from a national construction client with outside counsel in nearly every state, was shared with Thomson Reuters, the company behind Westlaw, during its global research with senior in-house counsel to identify top-performing lawyers in private p...

Joe found his calling in the Federal and State courtrooms of North Carolina over 40 years ago. He has worked as a trial attorney ever since. He is familiar with many of the insurance professionals, defense lawyers, and trial judges that handle these cases in our state. "We only accept cases we think are meritorious and then prosecute those cases with vigor and passion born of a clear conscience." "Seeking justice in an unjust world" is Joe's professional motto. For the plaintiff, truth is our...

Dieter Mauch is a top attorney recognized by Best Lawyers in the practice area(s) of Employment Law - Management and Litigation - Labor and Employment. Dieter, who practices law in Durham, North Carolina, has been recognized since 2026. This recognition is based on an exhaustive peer-review survey, reflecting the high esteem in which Dieter is held by other top lawyers in the same geographic and legal practice area.

Daniel Blau is a dedicated criminal appeals and post-conviction attorney based in Raleigh, North Carolina. With a deep commitment to constitutional advocacy, Dan has successfully represented clients before North Carolina’s state and federal appellate courts, securing reversals and remands in complex felony cases. As a Board Certified Specialist in Appellate Practice, he brings extensive knowledge and experience to each case, ensuring clients receive comprehensive and strategic represent...

Melissa Hill is a native of Asheville, North Carolina. She received her B.A. degree, magna cum laude, as a member of Phi Beta Kappa, from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill in 1984. She also attended law school at UNC, where she was admitted to the Order of the Coif, was on the North Carolina Law Review and received her J.D. with honors in 1987. Ms. Hill is the author of Tennessee v. Garner - The Use of Deadly Force to Arrest as an Unreasonable Search and Seizure, 65 N.C.L. Rev. ...

Andrew W. Merrills is a top attorney recognized by Best Lawyers in the practice area(s) of Immigration Law. Andrew W., 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 Andrew W. is held by other top lawyers in the same geographic and legal practice area.

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...

David Green represents clients in a wide array of transactional matters, with a focus on commercial real estate. He has a broad transactional practice. He regularly advises clients in the acquisition, financing, leasing, development, and disposition of commercial and agricultural properties. He also advises commercial lenders in structuring, documenting, and reviewing various credit facilities, as well as loan modifications, workouts, and foreclosures. Over the course of his practice, David h...

Originally from Michigan, Carolyn Murchison moved to North Carolina after obtaining her undergraduate degree from the University of California, Berkeley. She received her law degree with honors from the University of North Carolina, where she was an editor of North Carolina Journal of International Law and Commercial Regulation, a Daniel H. Pollitt Fellow and a member of the James E. and Carolyn B. Davis Society. Prior to joining Tharrington Smith in 2000, Ms. Murchison was a policy analyst f...

A noted attorney with more than three decades of experience in complex business transactions, Reich Welborn handles mergers and acquisitions for both sellers and buyers and works with closely-held businesses in family succession, business protection and exit strategies. He has extensive knowledge in representing lenders, developers and tenants in a broad variety of financing and real estate transactions. Reich also advises corporate clients on major relocations, including site selection, acqu...