John Drew Warlick, Jr.

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...

Richard has significant experience in a broad range of business law matters, including mergers and acquisitions, tax planning, private securities offerings, and start-up businesses. He recently served as in-house counsel for a major background screening and compliance provider, giving him the rare experience of managing both the inside and outside counsel roles for the same entity. That experience colors his practice, and Richard is now known as "an inside counsel's outside counsel." During h...

Eldridge is certified by the North Carolina State Bar as a Board Certified Specialist in Estate Planning and Probate Law. She assists all types of clients in drafting and implementing estate plans, including estate, gift, and generation-skipping transfer tax planning, and also provides counsel to executors and trustees in administering estates and trusts. Eldridge has also earned a Graduate Certificate in Gerontology from the University of Southern California . Her years of experience as an a...

Al is a North Carolina State Bar Board Certified Specialist in Family Law with decades of experience advocating for his clients' best interests. He handles a wide range of family law cases, through all phases, including divorce, child custody and visitation, grandparents' rights, spousal and child support, pre-marital and post-marital agreements, property and debt distribution, termination of parental rights, and mediation. In addition to his trial practice, Al has represented clients before ...

Trip maintains a diverse litigation and general business practice. He has significant experience in corporate, construction, commercial, class action, maritime, and real property litigation, and regularly appears as lead or local counsel throughout the state and federal courts of North and South Carolina, as well as in other jurisdictions. He also provides general business counsel to domestic and international clients. Prior to joining the firm, Trip practiced in the Wilmington office of a la...

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...

Ryal is an experienced litigator. He has handled a wide range of litigation cases in state and federal courts, many of them jury trials. Ryal has extensive construction law experience, including lien law, federal and state bond claims, and defective workmanship cases. He also has significant experience with agribusiness litigation, property owner association disputes, personal injury, and all types of real estate disputes, including title insurance claims, trespass, adverse possession, condem...

Christina Cress is a lawyer recognized by Best Lawyers in the practice areas of Energy Law and Energy Regulatory Law. Christina practices law in Wilmington, North Carolina Best Lawyers has recognized Christina Cress since 2027. The Best Lawyers recognition is based on a peer-review survey of lawyers in the same geographic region and legal practice area. The recognition reflects the professional regard in which Christina Cress is held by other lawyers.

Benton L. Toups is a lawyer recognized by Best Lawyers in the practice areas of Employee Benefits (ERISA) Law, Employment Law - Individuals and Employment Law - Management. Benton L. practices law in Wilmington, North Carolina Best Lawyers has recognized Benton L. Toups since 2023. The Best Lawyers recognition is based on a peer-review survey of lawyers in the same geographic region and legal practice area. The recognition reflects the professional regard in which Benton L. Toups is held by o...

Greg is certified by the National Elder Law Foundation as a Certified Elder Law Attorney (CELA). He also is certified by the North Carolina State Bar both as a Board Certified Specialist in Estate Planning and Probate Law and as a Board Certified Specialist in Elder Law. Greg has been rated by his peers as being "preeminent" in his fields of law. He frequently lectures to civic and community groups and at continuing legal education seminars on various topics relating to estate planning and ad...