Mel J. Garofalo

C. Melissa Owen is a top attorney recognized by Best Lawyers in the practice area(s) of Criminal Defense: General Practice and Criminal Defense: White-Collar. C. Melissa, 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 C. Melissa is held by other top lawyers in the same geographic and legal practice area.

As former General Counsel for the Americas of The Bank of Tokyo-Mitsubishi UFJ, Ltd. (BTMU), Tom Pennington has extensive experience in the financial services industry and with its regulation, corporate and securities law, and litigation matters. Tom’s focus is on federal regulatory advice, defense and investigations, federal and New York corporate governance, and corporate finance matters. Tom represents financial institutions, and also advises fintech start-ups and clients in the inve...

Margaret Santen is a top attorney recognized by Best Lawyers in the practice area(s) of Litigation - Labor and Employment. Margaret, 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 Margaret is held by other top lawyers in the same geographic and legal practice area.

Jon Ferry brings his substantial experience as a federal prosecutor to assisting clients in False Claims Act litigation, government investigations and other enforcement actions, internal risk analysis and internal investigations. Jon served as Assistant U.S. Attorney for the Western District of North Carolina for over seven years. As the head of the Affirmative Civil Enforcement (ACE) program and the Healthcare Fraud Coordinator for the U.S. Attorney’s Office, Jon led and supervised num...

Jacob H. Sussman is a top attorney recognized by Best Lawyers in the practice area(s) of Civil Rights Law, Criminal Defense: General Practice and Criminal Defense: White-Collar. Jacob 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 Jacob H. is held by other top lawyers in the same geographic and legal practice area.

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...

To his clients, Russ Sizemore is a problem solver. With a focus on employment law, Russ serves as an extended member of his clients’ human resources departments, providing legal counsel on a range of employment issues and litigating complex employment cases. A true partner, Russ invests the time to deeply understand his clients’ business models and corporate cultures. He appreciates that clients often face time-sensitive challenges and need an attorney they can turn to on short no...

Michael Hebert represents developers, owners, tenants, lenders, landlords and investors in all types of commercial real estate transactions, including land acquisitions and dispositions, financing, development and leasing. Michael's practice encompasses both local and multi-state transactions, and involves all aspects of: Tract assemblage Financing Acquisition, disposition and development of: Office, retail, industrial and “flex space” buildings and complexes Mixed-use development...

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 ...

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,...