Franklin Bryan "Bryan" Brice, Jr.

Reed is a litigation attorney and focuses his practice primarily on state and local tax (SALT) controversies, including property tax, sales and use tax and other excise taxes, corporate and individual income tax. He represents clients in a variety of industries including retail, manufacturing, life sciences, and healthcare in matters involving tax strategy, administrative challenges and appeals, and contested cases before the North Carolina Property Tax Commission and North Carolina Office of...

3 Things to Know About Elizabeth Ligon Noriega : She is a North Carolina State Bar Board Certified Specialist in Workers’ Compensation Law. She has been recognized on the “Best Lawyers” list for Workers’ Compensation Law – Claimants (2025–2026).* She brings more than a decade of experience representing employers and insurers in workers’ compensation cases. Elizabeth Ligon Noriega is a Partner at the Law Offices of James Scott Farrin , where she focuse...

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...

Jeff is an experienced workers’ compensation litigator serving the healthcare, hospitality and retail, manufacturing, professional services, and transportation industries among others. Jeff represents employers, third-party administrators and insurers throughout all stages of litigation, including appeals and subrogation lien recovery. Jeff also advises employers on matters involving employment discrimination and harassment, employee discipline and termination, workplace safety and OSHA...

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...

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

Having served in key leadership positions in state and federal government, Ed Turlington uses this experience to serve clients in a variety of industries, including health care, transportation and education. Much of his time is spent advising technology companies on legal issues and public policy matters. Ed has a distinguished record of public service. He has served as Chief of Staff to both the Governor and Lt. Governor of North Carolina, as Special Assistant/Counsel to a United States Sena...

Gabe graduated from the North Carolina State University and obtained his law degree from Rutgers University School of Law. His commitment to helping clients is deeply rooted in his personal life experiences and a genuine passion for the law. Throughout his career, Gabe has been driven by a strong desire to assist those in need, which is reflected in his extensive work in personal injury cases. His legal practice encompasses representing clients in cases involving automobile accidents, wrongfu...

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.

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...