K. Mitchell "Mitchell" Kelling

Mike Connor is a partner in the firm’s IP Litigation Group. He is a recent co-chair of the firm’s national Intellectual Property Practice and a past chair of the national IP Litigation Group. He handles patent infringement and other IP disputes and counseling. Mike has experience in technologies such as cardiovascular implants and other medical devices, mobile telephony, high speed computer networks, financial services, diagnostic imaging, music downloads, robotics, textile machin...

John C. Gilson is a top attorney recognized by Best Lawyers in the practice area(s) of Leveraged Buyouts and Private Equity Law and Mergers and Acquisitions Law. John C., who practices law in Charlotte, North Carolina, has been recognized since 2024. 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.

John Evans devotes his financial services practice to representing Small Business Investment Companies (SBICs), institutional investors (debt and equity), private equity funds, hedge funds, business development companies, and venture capital funds in their buy-out, investment and finance transactions. In addition to practicing in the areas of mezzanine finance, private equity, and venture capital, he represents several founders and companies in their fund raising and merger and acquisition tr...

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...

Felicia Gardner is a seasoned practitioner with extensive experience advising employers on employee benefits, executive compensation, and other employment-related matters as outside counsel and as an associate general counsel at a large financial institution. Felicia focuses her practice on employee benefits and executive compensation matters. She works closely with employers of all sizes and types to design programs and packages to help them attract and retain high-level talent. She has over...

Win Porter represents banks and other financial institutions in bilateral and syndication lending transactions with an emphasis on financial sponsor acquisitions. Win has extensive experience in lending transactions across a variety of industries, including technology, healthcare and government contractors.

Frank Schall has been recognized by his peers and clients for his white-collar, internal investigations, and regulatory defense work and is a seasoned attorney with significant experience in a wide range of healthcare litigation, commercial litigation, and financial services matters. Having spent time working as a prosecutor and for a large financial institution overseas, Frank brings a breadth of experience and perspectives to his representation of individuals, small businesses, and large co...

Ernie Reigel, who served as chairman of the firm for 15 years, brings to his blue-chip domestic and international corporate clients sophisticated counsel on mergers and acquisitions, as well as other business matters. For over three decades of practice, Ernie has represented both public and private companies in a wide range of transactions, including, most recently, the sale of a publicly held company to a foreign buyer and the purchase of the U.S. division of a Japanese-owned public company ...

R. Kader Crawford is a top attorney recognized by Best Lawyers in the practice area(s) of Banking and Finance Law. R. Kader, 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 R. Kader is held by other top lawyers in the same geographic and legal practice area.

A frequent speaker on litigation and arbitration issues and an adjunct professor at the University of Notre Dame Law School, Paul Peralta brings extensive successful high-stakes trial experience to his varied litigation clients. Paul has handled wide-ranging employment and commercial litigation, including management representation in Title VII, ADEA, ADA and ERISA litigation, as well as proceedings before the EEOC and corresponding state and local agencies. Additionally, Paul has counseled an...