Jill L. Peters Kaess

Recognized in the 2021 Edition of The Best Lawyers in America for his work in Family Law. James W. Lea, III - The Lea/ Schultz Law Firm , P.C. 1612 Military Cutoff Road Suite 300 Wilmington, NC 28403 Tel: 910-239-5990 Fax: 910-239-5992 jwl@thelealawfirm.com www.thelealawfirm.com James W. Lea, III, practices exclusively in the area of Family Law and has done so for the last 40 years of practice. Mr. Lea has served on the North Carolina State Bar’s Family Council, a selected group of fami...

Michael J. Parrish is a top attorney recognized by Best Lawyers in the practice area(s) of Litigation - Banking and Finance. Michael J., who practices law in New Bern, North Carolina, has been recognized since 2026. This recognition is based on an exhaustive peer-review survey, reflecting the high esteem in which Michael J. is held by other top lawyers in the same geographic and legal practice area.

John leads the firm's Trusts and Estates practice. He is certified by the North Carolina State Bar as a Board Certified Specialist in Estate Planning and Probate Law. John's practice experience encompasses estate planning, estate administration, estate and gift tax planning, and related services primarily, though not exclusively, to high net worth individuals and families. His practice also involves business succession planning for closely-held business owners, asset protection, and estate pl...

Ryan's practice encompasses a wide range of intellectual property ("IP") matters, including patents, trademarks, copyrights, and trade secrets. He supports and negotiates IP issues, including licensing and non-disclosure agreements and IP-related terms and conditions in various other types of agreements, such as joint development, manufacturing, service, and sales agreements. He is a registered patent attorney and has significant experience with preparing, filing, and prosecuting patent appli...

Gary grew up in Wake County, North Carolina, and attended the Wake County public schools. He received his undergraduate degree at UNC-Wilmington and his J.D. from Campbell University School of Law. He is a Board Certified Civil Trial and Pre-Trial Specialist by the National Board of Trial Advocacy, and has tried more than 100 jury trials to verdict. He has been listed among the ”Best Lawyers in America” since 2007, having been named “Lawyer of the Year” for the years 2...

Knox is a general business attorney with a financial institutions and regulatory background. He helps large, mid-sized, and small businesses with general corporate and business issues, including mergers and acquisitions, and is particularly well-equipped to address a variety of regulatory issues and lending matters. Knox has experience with securities issues, and also advises on trust issues, securities brokerage, investment advice and asset management services, and insurance services. He ser...

Colleen Shea is a top attorney recognized by Best Lawyers in the practice area(s) of Litigation - Health Care, Medical Malpractice Law - Defendants and Personal Injury Litigation - Defendants. Colleen, who practices law in Wilmington, North Carolina, has been recognized since 2016. This recognition is based on an exhaustive peer-review survey, reflecting the high esteem in which Colleen is held by other top lawyers in the same geographic and legal practice area.

Shelley is a member of Butler Snow’s Tort, Transportation, & Specialized Litigation Group.

John D. Martin is a top attorney recognized by Best Lawyers in the practice area(s) of Litigation - Insurance, Medical Malpractice Law - Defendants, Personal Injury Litigation - Defendants and Professional Malpractice Law - Defendants. John D., who practices law in Wilmington, North Carolina, has been recognized since 2006. This recognition is based on an exhaustive peer-review survey, reflecting the high esteem in which John D. is held by other top lawyers in the same geographic and legal pr...

Ken leads the Labor and Employment Practice Group. His practice experience encompasses various areas of employment-related litigation. He advises clients and litigates cases involving all forms of employment discrimination, wrongful discharge, and breach of employment contracts from small start-up companies to Fortune 500 corporations. Ken is a frequent lecturer on employment discrimination, workplace retaliation, workers' compensation, and wage and hour law issues. He has been rated by his p...