Melissa A. Romanzo

Valecia McDowell is a national thought leader in the areas of governmental and internal investigations, conduct risk management, and civil rights and racial equity assessments. Valecia is ranked in Chambers USA and Best Lawyers , included in national publications such as Bloomberg , American Banker , Corporate Compliance Insights , and Inside Counsel. Valecia was one of the ten “Innovative Legal Practitioners” identified by the London-based Financial Times in 2023 and on Forbes To...

Brian Clarke is a top attorney recognized by Best Lawyers in the practice area(s) of Employment Law - Individuals and Litigation - Labor and Employment , based on an exhaustive peer-review by other top lawyers in the same geographic and legal practice area. Brian is an accomplished employment lawyer, professor, author, and former judge. He received his Juris Doctor, magna cum laude and Order of the Coif, from Washington & Lee University School of Law in 1999 and his Bachelor of Arts in Hi...

Ryan Smith is co-head of the Investment Team and a member of the Management Committee. For over 20 years, he has built a practice that represents clients on a variety of complex leveraged financings, senior and junior capital lending transactions, private equity and other equity investments, and corporate transactions. Ryan’s primary focus is in finance and equity investment transactions. As counselor to lenders and passive and controlling stakeholders, he represents a variety of financ...

As a bench and jury trial lawyer with decades of experience, Co-head of Litigation Mark Nebrig has earned favorable verdicts and settlements in high-stakes business, securities, and class action disputes that span a range of industries and geographies. He maintains a general business litigation practice, and over the years has gained widely sought tactical skills representing clients in financial services class actions, ERISA/ESOP class actions, non-public shareholder disputes, and reinsuranc...

Eddie Booher practices in the area of complex finance transactions, focusing on commercial real estate (acquisitions, development, leasing and construction) and other transactional lending work. Eddie has primary responsibility for the representation of institutional lenders in several commercial real estate conduit loan/securitization programs involving a broad spectrum of property types, including hospitality, multifamily, industrial, retail, office and healthcare properties. His experience...

Bryan Holbrook is a top attorney recognized by Best Lawyers in the practice area(s) of Employment Law - Management and Litigation - Labor and Employment. Bryan, who practices law in Charlotte, North Carolina, has been recognized since 2027. This recognition is based on an exhaustive peer-review survey, reflecting the high esteem in which Bryan is held by other top lawyers in the same geographic and legal practice area.

Josh DeBottis has a broad base of experience in finance and corporate related areas focusing on the energy industry with a particular emphasis on renewable energy project finance. Josh represents financial institutions in the financing, construction, acquisition and sale of energy and infrastructure assets including solar, wind, coal and natural gas facilities. Prior to joining the firm, Josh practiced in the Charlotte office of Hunton & Williams.

After receiving his Bachelor of Arts from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, John Paul Tsahakis spent a year abroad working in Greece, the birthplace of three of his four grandparents. He returned to Chapel Hill in 2006 to earn his Juris Doctor at the University of North Carolina School of Law, where he was an active member of the Holderness Moot Court Bench. In 2009, John Paul had the honor of competing in the National Environmental Moot Court Competition in New York. Raised in...

For almost 30 years, I’ve been fighting to defend individuals accused of crimes in the State and Federal courts of North Carolina. I love the job. For example, at the moment I am defending clients in investigations involving diverse subjects such as businesses being charged with PPP loan fraud, doctors and nurses with billing, coding and medical necessity issues, executives and managers accused of kickback schemes and wire fraud. In the process of defending these clients, I find it fasc...

Randall Phillips is a top attorney recognized by Best Lawyers in the practice area(s) of Personal Injury Litigation - Plaintiffs. Randall, who practices law in Charlotte, North Carolina, has been recognized since 2026. This recognition is based on an exhaustive peer-review survey, reflecting the high esteem in which Randall is held by other top lawyers in the same geographic and legal practice area.