Matt Burgess

Ben Pleune is a partner in Alston & Bird’s Intellectual Property Litigation Group, with extensive experience litigating patents in U.S. district courts, the Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit and before the International Trade Commission. Ben has also been involved with numerous patent validity challenges before the Patent Trial & Appeal Board. Ben’s practice has focused on a variety of industries, including bar code scanners, image sensors, pharmaceuticals, telecomm...

Rob Kenny is head of the firm's Equipment Finance practice group and a member of the firm's Derivatives practice group. Rob represents financial institutions and investment firms in a variety of finance transactions including structured transactions with respect to rail and aviation assets.

Mary Katherine Stukes is head of the firm’s Environmental practice. She advises clients on environmental issues involved in all types of business transactions, as well as regulatory compliance issues and environmental litigation. Ranked in Chambers Partners USA since 2017, clients describe her as a “zealous but practical advocate.” Mary Katherine helps manufacturers, real estate developers, lenders, local governments, and other clients find creative solutions in real estate,...

Nicole Gardner practices employment law and represents a broad range of businesses and senior executives. She provides business advice and counsel, represents clients in litigation and acts as a mediator in state and federal employment cases. Nicole has been recognized for excellence by her peers, being consistently listed in Business North Carolina’s “Legal Elite,” as well as “Super Lawyers,” and “The Best Lawyers in America.” Nicole advises and coun...

Thomas Cooper’s practice is focused on tax planning, trust and estate planning and administration, business succession, and transactional and business matters that arise in connection with the acquisition, ownership, and operation of closely held businesses. Thomas supports clients’ existing and prospective business interests, including representing family offices and independent sponsors in their acquisitions of closely held businesses and other investments, advising on capital s...

Samuel H. Poole, Jr. is a top attorney recognized by Best Lawyers in the practice area(s) of Commercial Litigation. Samuel H., who practices law in Charlotte, North Carolina, has been recognized since 2013. This recognition is based on an exhaustive peer-review survey, reflecting the high esteem in which Samuel H. is held by other top lawyers in the same geographic and legal practice area.

David Walls has extensive experience representing banks, lenders, agents and other financial institutions in workout transactions, restructurings and large corporate bankruptcies. He also has experience in structuring and documenting complex syndicated lending transactions. David has been admitted to practice in various bankruptcy courts and federal district courts throughout the United States. His client services include: Defense of avoidance actions Representation of secured creditors in wo...

Tom Parrott represents financial institutions and borrowers in structuring and documenting a wide range of syndicated, club and single-bank debt finance transactions, both secured and unsecured. Tom's experience includes acquisition financings, restaurant finance (franchisor and franchisee), term and construction loans secured by various types of commercial real estate, asset-based loans and automotive dealer finance. Tom belongs to the North Carolina Bankers Association and the Business Law ...

Marcus Lee is a business-oriented corporate attorney with extensive experience in advising companies on raising private and venture capital, licensing and protecting software, trademarks, patents, and other intellectual property, and structuring, negotiating, and documenting complex business contracts, acquisitions, and joint ventures. With over 20 years of experience advising his clients, Marcus is recognized by his clients as a business focused attorney who gets transactions completed in an...

With over thirty years of experience and knowledge in business immigration matters, Steve Hader provides his diverse, global clients quick, responsive, and practical solutions to their U.S. visa and immigration concerns. Steve simplifies and accelerates the complex immigration and visa processes to help bring crucially needed international professionals—from biomedical researchers to noted athletes, from engineers to recording artists—into the U.S. for his pharmaceutical, biotech,...