Kirk G. Warner

Thurston Debnam is one of the founding partners of Smith Debnam Narron Drake Saintsing & Myers, L.L.P. Thurston is the Section Head of the Business Law practice group and served as the firm’s managing partner from 1992 through 1997. He concentrates his practice in the areas of business and corporate planning and real estate law, including land use planning and zoning. For more than thirty years, Thurston has maintained a broad-based business practice, assisting clients with business...

Maria P. Wood is the Managing Partner in our Raleigh office and specializes in medical malpractice, aging services, correctional health care, professional malpractice and ethics, appellate, and general liability matters. In her more than twenty year legal career, she has gained significant litigation and trial experience. Maria has devoted her career to the representation of health care providers. These providers include hospital systems, long-term care facilities (skilled nursing and assiste...

Leann A. Gerlach is a top attorney recognized by Best Lawyers in the practice area(s) of Workers' Compensation Law - Claimants. Leann A., who practices law in Raleigh, North Carolina, has been recognized since 2020. This recognition is based on an exhaustive peer-review survey, reflecting the high esteem in which Leann A. is held by other top lawyers in the same geographic and legal practice area.

Walter Brock’s practice is focused on civil litigation and insurance law, with special experience and interest in the following areas of practice: professional liability law and litigation, professional liability insurance, first party and third party insurance coverage and bad faith litigation, property and casualty insurance, product liability litigation, construction defect litigation, trade secret, non-compete, and non-solicitation litigation, business and commercial litigation, bre...

Stephen H. Smalley is a top attorney recognized by Best Lawyers in the practice area(s) of Immigration Law. Stephen H., 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 Stephen H. is held by other top lawyers in the same geographic and legal practice area.

Devon is one of the firm's Managing Directors. Her practice encompasses a wide range of labor and employment issues, including wage and hour matters, federal contractor compliance, employment discrimination, harassment, and retaliation claims, employee discipline and termination decisions, personnel policies and practices, restrictive covenants, and background checks. Devon regularly counsels HR executives and C-suite officers, navigating them through the many state and federal requirements f...

Gabe graduated from the North Carolina State University and obtained his law degree from Rutgers University School of Law. His commitment to helping clients is deeply rooted in his personal life experiences and a genuine passion for the law. Throughout his career, Gabe has been driven by a strong desire to assist those in need, which is reflected in his extensive work in personal injury cases. His legal practice encompasses representing clients in cases involving automobile accidents, wrongfu...

Drew Patty is a partner with Phelps Dunbar, LLP in the firm's Intellectual Property and Cybersecurity Groups. He also leads the firm's Artificial Intelligence Working Group. With 30 years of experience in a broad range of transactional intellectual property matters and related litigation, he also has a growing AI and data privacy practice. His chemical patent experience includes patent preparation and prosecution in the fields of oilfield proppants and other downhole chemicals, refinery catal...

William S. Cherry III is a top attorney recognized by Best Lawyers in the practice area(s) of Commercial Litigation, Construction Law, Employment Law - Management, Insurance Law, Litigation - Insurance, Litigation - Labor and Employment and Litigation - Real Estate. William S., who practices law in Raleigh, North Carolina, has been recognized since 2018. This recognition is based on an exhaustive peer-review survey, reflecting the high esteem in which William S. is held by other top lawyers i...

James A. Roberts III is a top attorney recognized by Best Lawyers in the practice area(s) of Banking and Finance Law, Bet-the-Company Litigation, Commercial Litigation, Construction Law, Corporate Law and Personal Injury Litigation - Plaintiffs. James A., who practices law in Raleigh, North Carolina, has been recognized since 2003. This recognition is based on an exhaustive peer-review survey, reflecting the high esteem in which James A. is held by other top lawyers in the same geographic and...