Joseph W. Grier III

As head of the Global Services group, Mike Zeller provides his corporate transactional clients the accessibility, responsiveness, knowledge, and understanding of in-house counsel, coupled with the deep, full spectrum of the firm’s legal resources and cost- efficiencies. Mike gives his regional, national and international clients passionate, straightforward counsel in general corporate representation, mergers and acquisitions, franchising, inbound and outbound international trade. He rep...

Kimberly Zirkle focuses her practice on corporate finance and acquisition transactions. She regularly represents a variety of lenders, private equity portfolio companies, and private companies in corporate finance and acquisition transactions. Kimberly’s experience involves a wide variety of debt structures including: unitranche, ABL, first lien, split lien, second lien, and mezzanine (secured or unsecured). Kimberly primarily represents SBICs, BDCs, lenders and institutional investors ...

Jonathan Watkins is a top attorney recognized by Best Lawyers in the practice area(s) of Commercial Litigation and Litigation - Securities. Jonathan, who practices law in Charlotte, North Carolina, has been recognized since 2023. This recognition is based on an exhaustive peer-review survey, reflecting the high esteem in which Jonathan is held by other top lawyers in the same geographic and legal practice area.

Hannah Symonds is a top attorney recognized by Best Lawyers in the practice area(s) of Litigation - Labor and Employment. Hannah, who practices law in Charlotte, North Carolina, has been recognized since 2023. This recognition is based on an exhaustive peer-review survey, reflecting the high esteem in which Hannah is held by other top lawyers in the same geographic and legal practice area.

Brandon M. Shelton is a top attorney recognized by Best Lawyers in the practice area(s) of Employment Law - Management and Litigation - Labor and Employment. Brandon M., who practices law in Charlotte, North Carolina, has been recognized since 2021. This recognition is based on an exhaustive peer-review survey, reflecting the high esteem in which Brandon M. is held by other top lawyers in the same geographic and legal practice area.

A member of the firm’s Financial Services group, Jim Hovis brings years of sophisticated, high-level experience to his finance and capital markets practice. For the majority of his career he managed the Financial Services group and served on the firm’s Management Committee from 1989 through 2015. He regularly represents national and regional financial institutions in complex financing transactions, including: Acquisition and leveraged buyout financing Subordinated debt facilities ...

Ken Coe strives to take a sophisticated yet practical approach to the practice of law and the counsel and advice given to clients and their families. Ken advises business clients who represent a broad spectrum of industries and a wide range of business functions. Ken’s clients benefit from his ongoing working familiarity with various income, gift and estate tax matters, contracts of all kinds, shareholder, partnership agreements, limited liability company arrangements, real estate activ...

With an emphasis on the origination and restructuring of debt secured by real estate assets, Karen Nelson advises on a range of commercial real estate finance matters. Recognized as a leading lawyer by North Carolina Lawyers Weekly and the Charlotte Business Journal, Karen represents commercial banks, investment banks, insurance companies and REITS. She handles matters related to real assets of all types, including office, retail, hotel, apartment, homebuilder, condominium and industrial prop...

Margaret Santen is a top attorney recognized by Best Lawyers in the practice area(s) of Litigation - Labor and Employment. Margaret, who practices law in Charlotte, North Carolina, has been recognized since 2025. This recognition is based on an exhaustive peer-review survey, reflecting the high esteem in which Margaret is held by other top lawyers in the same geographic and legal practice area.

Scott Stevens is a member of the firm’s Intellectual Property Litigation Group and a registered patent attorney. Mr. Stevens’ practice focuses on patent litigation involving technologies such as telecommunications, chemical processes, pharmaceuticals, cloud computing, and flash memory. Mr. Stevens represents clients in Section 337 Investigations before the U.S. International Trade Commission, as well as in patent-infringement litigation before various U.S. District Courts and the ...