Leonard T. Jernigan, Jr.

Roger W. Smith, Jr., was born in Raleigh, North Carolina and attended the Raleigh public schools. He received a Bachelor of Arts degree in English from the University of North Carolina in 1991. While at UNC he was inducted into the Order of Gimghoul. After college, Mr. Smith moved to Wyoming where, during a period of about two years, he learned to hand-make rough white-pine furniture in the Western tradition. He returned to North Carolina and co-founded Appalachian Designs, a company through ...

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

Stephanie Hutchins Autry has been a trial lawyer since 1987 and has focused her practice on eminent domain since 2000. Before joining Cranfill Sumner & Hartzog as a partner in 1995, Stephanie was a partner in the Raleigh office of an international law firm. Stephanie’s career has included dozens of successful jury and bench trials and reported appellate decisions. For the last 15 years, Stephanie has concentrated her practice exclusively in the area of eminent domain, representing p...

Barri Hilton Payne In 2011, Barri became a Board Certified Specialist in Family Law and a Certified Family Financial Mediator. She was born in High Point, North Carolina and grew up in Davidson County. She attended the University of North Carolina at Charlotte where she majored in Religious studies and Sociology. Barri is a 1999 graduate of University of North Carolina School of Law at Chapel Hill. After twelve years as a partner in a local law firm, Barri opened her own solo family law and m...

Shirley M. Diefenbach is a partner/member of the law firm of Walker, Lambe, PLLC, where she primarily practices in the areas of Estate Planning, Elder Law and Trust & Estate Administration. Ms. Diefenbach is also the managing partner of the Trust & Estate Administration department within the law firm. For over forty years, Walker Lambe, PLLC has served its clients, in the areas of Estate planning, Trust Administration, Probate, Taxation, Estate and Trust Disputes, Planning for childre...

Tricia Goodson counsels clients on all aspects of the employer relationship. Her years of experience in providing guidance to employers and litigating on their behalf when necessary allows her to provide innovative, timely counsel to employers. Tricia counsels management clients on a variety of employment-related issues, including federal and state discrimination and harassment laws; wage and hour compliance; employment policies and handbooks; employment agreements; restructuring; severance p...

Noah H. Huffstetler III is a top attorney recognized by Best Lawyers in the practice area(s) of Administrative / Regulatory Law, Appellate Practice, Commercial Litigation, Health Care Law, Litigation - Antitrust and Litigation - Regulatory Enforcement (SEC, Telecom, Energy). Noah H., who practices law in Raleigh, North Carolina, has been recognized since 1991. This recognition is based on an exhaustive peer-review survey, reflecting the high esteem in which Noah H. is held by other top lawyer...

Reed is a litigation attorney and focuses his practice primarily on state and local tax (SALT) controversies, including property tax, sales and use tax and other excise taxes, corporate and individual income tax. He represents clients in a variety of industries including retail, manufacturing, life sciences, and healthcare in matters involving tax strategy, administrative challenges and appeals, and contested cases before the North Carolina Property Tax Commission and North Carolina Office of...

Meredith Hinton is a top attorney recognized by Best Lawyers in the practice area(s) of Personal Injury Litigation - Plaintiffs. Meredith, who practices law in Greenville, North Carolina, has been recognized since 2024. This recognition is based on an exhaustive peer-review survey, reflecting the high esteem in which Meredith is held by other top lawyers in the same geographic and legal practice area.

Marcia Armstrong is a partner in the firm The Armstrong Law Firm, P.A., in Smithfield, North Carolina. She was admitted to practice in North Carolina in 1983 after receiving her bachelor’s degree in 1980 from Salem College and her J.D. degree from Wake Forest University in 1983. She has also served as an adjunct professor of law for the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill School of Law. Ms. Armstrong’s practice is limited to family law. In 1989, she was certified by the No...