James M. "Jimmy" Yates, Jr.

Alice C. Stubbs is a partner in the firm. She joined Tharrington Smith in 2006 after completing eight years as a Wake County District Court judge. First appointed in 1997 by Governor Jim Hunt, she was elected to the judgeship in 1998 and 2002. During her time on the bench, Ms. Stubbs presided in domestic court; was certified as a juvenile judge in 2001; and was designated as a family court judge from 2002 through 2005. Ms. Stubbs is a native of New Bern. She graduated from Phillips Academy in...

Joseph Schouten is a top attorney recognized by Best Lawyers in the practice area(s) of Commercial Litigation and Litigation - Intellectual Property. Joseph, 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 Joseph is held by other top lawyers in the same geographic and legal practice area.

John C. Livingston is a top attorney recognized by Best Lawyers in the practice area(s) of Energy Law and Real Estate Law. John C., who practices law in Raleigh, North Carolina, has been recognized since 2021. This recognition is based on an exhaustive peer-review survey, reflecting the high esteem in which John C. is held by other top lawyers in the same geographic and legal practice area.

Steve Long leads the firm's Tax and Employee Benefits practice. He has extensive experience working with employers in banking, retail, and technology to establish and maintain retirement plans, executive compensation agreements, stock incentive plans and other employee benefits. Steve also advises charities and other tax-exempt organizations regarding their IRC 403(b) and IRC 457 retirement plans, as well as issues related to compliance with Internal Revenue Service and state regulations conc...

Ms. Lang represents insurance carriers, individual defendants and corporate defendants. She has been named 2025 Best Lawyers in America for Insurance Law, Insurance Litigation, and Construction Litigation. Prior to working at Wall Templeton, Ms. Lang has worked for both insurance defense and plaintiff’s firms and brings an unique perspective and broad-based litigation experience to the firm. Ms. Lang received her J.D. from the Marshall-Wythe School of Law at the College of William and M...

Meredith Hinton is a top attorney recognized by Best Lawyers in the practice area(s) of Personal Injury Litigation - Plaintiffs. Meredith, who practices law in Greenville, North Carolina, has been recognized since 2024. This recognition is based on an exhaustive peer-review survey, reflecting the high esteem in which Meredith is held by other top lawyers in the same geographic and legal practice area.

Wade Smith has been one of North Carolina's best known and most acclaimed lawyers for nearly 50 years. His trials are recounted in books, magazines and journals. A renowned storyteller, Wade insists that within each case there is a compelling story waiting to be told. In seminars and bar meetings Wade has shared the art of storytelling. His cases offer a fine collection of North Carolina Courtroom lore. In 1979, Wade served as counsel to Dr. Jeffrey McDonald in the much studied and discussed ...

Ted Smyth has been litigating insurance and tort cases for 31 years in all State and Federal Civil Courts in North Carolina. He has been listed as a Super Lawyer in North Carolina's Super Lawyers Magazine for 2006, 2008-2013(Insurance Law). He has been named to Woodard/White's "The Best Lawyers in America" for Insurance Law(2007-2013), Commercial Litigation(2009-2013), Personal Injury Litigation(2009-2013) and Bet-the-Company Litigation(2010-2013). He is active in the Wake County Bar, as the ...

Douglas Noreen is a top attorney recognized by Best Lawyers in the practice area(s) of Litigation - Trusts and Estates. Douglas, who practices law in Raleigh, North Carolina, has been recognized since 2024. This recognition is based on an exhaustive peer-review survey, reflecting the high esteem in which Douglas is held by other top lawyers in the same geographic and legal practice area.

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...