E. Brett Breitschwerdt

Benjamin Worley is a top attorney recognized by Best Lawyers in the practice area(s) of Consumer Law. Benjamin, 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 Benjamin is held by other top lawyers in the same geographic and legal practice area.

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 ...

David Bennett is a top attorney recognized by Best Lawyers in the practice area(s) of Litigation - Intellectual Property, Litigation - Patent and Patent Law. David, who practices law in Cary, North Carolina, has been recognized since 2020. This recognition is based on an exhaustive peer-review survey, reflecting the high esteem in which David is held by other top lawyers in the same geographic and legal practice area.

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...

In joining Hardison & Cochran in 2008, Joel Jackson Hardison made a transition from defending insurance companies in Workers Compensation cases to representing injured and disabled workers. He applies the insights he gained from representing insurance companies to assist the injured workers he represents. There is little doubt about which type of practice he prefers. Hardison received a B.A. degree in journalism from the University of North Carolina in 1999 and a J.D. from the UNC School ...

Brian D. Lake is a top attorney recognized by Best Lawyers in the practice area(s) of Workers' Compensation Law - Employers. Brian D., who practices law in Raleigh, North Carolina, has been recognized since 2009. This recognition is based on an exhaustive peer-review survey, reflecting the high esteem in which Brian D. is held by other top lawyers in the same geographic and legal practice area.

As a partner at the firm, Ben Whitley joins his father to provide comprehensive legal representation for their clients. The motivation for the Whitley family’s commitment to law stems from a desire to assist injured individuals, particularly when they face challenges against larger corporations. "Every case proceeds from a position of strength or we don’t proceed at all," says Ben, who has been involved in personal injury law since the beginning of his career for over two decades....

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...

Forrest G. Read IV is a top attorney recognized by Best Lawyers in the practice area(s) of Employment Law - Management and Litigation - Labor and Employment. Forrest G., 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 Forrest G. is held by other top lawyers in the same geographic and legal practice area.

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...