Mackenzie Ferguson

Clients can rely on Emily to use her experience in federal district and appellate court to advocate for their interests in criminal and civil proceedings. Emily is well regarded for her work as amici curiae for high-profile individuals and as counsel for corporations and individuals in government investigations and litigation. Emily McGowan is well regarded for her work as counsel for organizations and individuals in a variety of complex enforcement and litigation matters. She defends individ...

Mr. Ellsworth counsels clients to procure, protect, license and enforce intellectual property rights. Mr. Ellsworth works diligently to understand his client’s business and to leverage that understanding to achieve his client’s intellectual property goals in a turn-key and cost-efficient manner. Mr. Ellsworth manages extensive domestic and international patent portfolios for several publicly traded companies and provides strategic counseling to a variety of smaller business concer...

Jerry H. Walters, Jr. is a top attorney recognized by Best Lawyers in the practice area(s) of Employment Law - Management and Labor Law - Management. Jerry H., who practices law in Charlotte, North Carolina, has been recognized since 2018. This recognition is based on an exhaustive peer-review survey, reflecting the high esteem in which Jerry H. is held by other top lawyers in the same geographic and legal practice area.

Peter Barwick is a partner with Alston & Bird's Finance Group and focuses his practice on structured finance matters, including the representation of major financial institutions in their roles as master servicer, certificate administrator, paying agent, trustee, custodian and issuer in mortgage-backed and asset-backed securitization transactions. Peter received his J.D. from Duke University School of Law, where he was a Williams Scholar. He received an M.A.R. in ethics, cum laude, from Y...

After graduating from the University of North Carolina School of Law, Bryan began practicing in the employment law and employee benefits areas, working for large law firms that concentrated in those areas. In 2001, Bryan returned to school at the Georgetown University Law Center and studied to receive an LL.M. in Taxation with a concentration in Employee Benefits, a field that includes retirement plans, health insurance plans, short- and long-term disability, life insurance and other similar ...

Jerri Simmons is a top attorney recognized by Best Lawyers in the practice area(s) of Workers' Compensation Law - Employers. Jerri, 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 Jerri is held by other top lawyers in the same geographic and legal practice area.

Jim McLoughlin brings commitment, passion, and more than 35 years of cutting-edge experience to the civil disputes, criminal investigations, and trials that he strives to resolve for clients. Jim’s critical thinking, relentless preparation, and experienced perspective delivers effective results for clients. Jim has dedicated his career to winning civil and criminal cases. He has prosecuted and defended dozens of appeals. Jim advocates for clients in regulatory and criminal investigation...

A technically skilled, North Carolina State Bar certified specialist in estate planning and probate law and a frequent speaker on tax and estate planning topics, Mark Horn takes a comprehensive, proactive approach to his high net worth clients’ estate and tax planning situations, making recommendations in plain English and implementing the desired planning efficiently and responsively. Also serving many closely-held businesses, Mark often acts as the trusted adviser to multiple generati...

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.

Mike Wilson focuses his practice on taxation, mergers and acquisitions, and joint ventures. He represents clients in a variety of industries, including healthcare, manufacturing, defense, technology, food and beverage, real estate, and renewable energy. Mike handles tax structuring for mergers and acquisitions for private equity funds and strategic buyers and sellers (including ESOP transactions), prepares fund formation and governing documents for private equity funds, and advises family off...