James C. "Jim" Smith

Gene F. Rash is a top attorney recognized by Best Lawyers in the practice area(s) of Construction Law and Litigation - Construction. Gene F., who practices law in Charlotte, North Carolina, has been recognized since 2016. This recognition is based on an exhaustive peer-review survey, reflecting the high esteem in which Gene F. is held by other top lawyers in the same geographic and legal practice area.

John D. Cole is a litigator with broad experience across the spectrum of employment law and labor law. For more than 20 years, John has represented employers of all sizes in cases throughout the eastern United States. He has handled numerous cases involving virtually all aspects of employment law before various federal courts, federal and state administrative agencies, and the state courts of North Carolina, South Carolina and Georgia. He has also handled employment arbitration cases before A...

Clients rely on Amy Puckett for advice and counsel on a full range of employment issues, including compliance with federal and state employment laws and best practices for employee management. Having worked in house, Amy understands the business challenges facing employers and the importance of practical advice, risk management, and effective solutions. With over a decade of experience, Amy leverages her in house and outside counsel experience to partner with clients in a variety of industrie...

Clay Littlefield, a partner based out of the firm’s Charlotte and New York offices, is a member of the Federal and International Tax group. Clay’s practice concentrates on tax issues confronted by underwriters, issuers and investors participating in structured finance transactions, including mortgage and asset-backed securitizations, REMICs, CLOs, REITs, and similar structures. Clay’s practice also focuses on advising financial institutions on the tax and legal aspects of va...

Hal Levinson is one of the firm’s senior corporate and transactional lawyers, having focused his career on complex mergers, acquisitions, and joint ventures. Hal is known for bringing experienced and practical business oriented legal advice to each transaction. Hal is counsel of choice for many business owners, including those owned by generations of family members, entrepreneurs, and strategic companies that have decided to sell their business. Hal’s extensive transactional exper...

Bernard Clark is experienced in all types of sophisticated tax planning and controversy work, representing large corporations and tax-exempt organizations mostly at the federal level. He has participated in obtaining numerous rulings from the Internal Revenue Service involving tax accounting and acquisition issues. Clients trust him to offer practical and creative solutions for a broad array of tax planning and controversy matters. Corporate mergers and recapitalizations Planning involving is...

Sonya Pfeiffer is a top attorney recognized by Best Lawyers in the practice area(s) of Civil Rights Law, Criminal Defense: General Practice and Criminal Defense: White-Collar. Sonya, who practices law in Charlotte, North Carolina, has been recognized since 2026. This recognition is based on an exhaustive peer-review survey, reflecting the high esteem in which Sonya is held by other top lawyers in the same geographic and legal practice area.

Josh Lanning brings considerable trial and litigation experience to his cases with a wide-ranging background in complex commercial disputes. Josh has tried and won numerous cases to jury verdict and has successfully argued state and federal appeals in areas ranging from constitutional law to securities entitlements. Josh focuses his practice on class action defense, antitrust and commercial litigation, including matters involving state and federal antitrust laws; complex contractual disputes;...

Bob Baker's practice focuses primarily on tax structured finance products with emphasis on renewable energy sources and lease financing. Bob’s work in the structured finance products area includes representation of tax-equity investors in wind and other renewable energy projects through partnerships and other investment entities. Bob also represents lessors and lessees in lease finance transactions for a variety of equipment and facilities including aircraft, rail equipment and electric...

Peter McGrath has dedicated his life’s work to understanding the intricacies and complexities of environmental law. As one of North Carolina’s most seasoned practitioners in this space, Peter is a distinguished and trusted voice for businesses working to navigate the maze of environmental regulations that intersect with their growth objectives. For more than 30 years, he has counseled clients on a broad spectrum of environmental issues, providing advice and advocacy in litigation ...