Melissa Averett

Elizabeth Spainhour represents media, communications, and technology companies in a variety of regulatory and business matters. She also provides counsel to businesses on key issues involving privacy, digital marketing, and the rapidly changing digital environment. With a focus on companies in the media and technology industries, Elizabeth provides comprehensive advice and strategic counsel related to mergers and acquisitions and regulatory matters involving these businesses. She has signific...

Brad leads the Agribusiness Practice Group and his practice experience encompasses various areas of civil litigation in both the federal and state courts. He has experience in all aspects of civil litigation, including depositions, hearings, mediations, arbitrations, jury trials, and appeals. Brad advises clients and litigates cases involving all forms of commercial, business, estate, and intellectual property disputes. He regularly represents contractors, subcontractors, and suppliers in con...

Walt Tippett provides legal counsel to professionals and privately held businesses, typically regarding fiduciary relationships, ownership rights, or the development of real estate, technology, or research innovations. With his extensive personal and professional experience in the governance of privately held companies, Walt is adept at handling disputes concerning complex agreements to govern, purchase, sell, finance, and dissolve business ventures. Having developed and financed real propert...

Matthew McGuire is a partner in Alston & Bird's Litigation & Trial Practice Group, where his practice focuses on complex commercial and business tort litigation, including class action defense, financial services litigation, and antitrust litigation. He also serves as the Managing Partner of Alston & Bird's Research Triangle, North Carolina office. He has represented companies across a wide variety of industries in the prosecution and defense of claims involving breach of contract...

Ted N. Kazaglis is a principal in the Raleigh, North Carolina, office of Jackson Lewis P.C. He handles a range of employment law issues with a particular focus on the alternative staffing industries, including professional employer organizations (“PEOs”) and temporary staffing companies. Ted assists clients in the staffing industries to define their relationship with their customers, including drafting and reviewing staffing agreements. He also defends such clients against legal c...

Carlos Mahoney is a top attorney recognized by Best Lawyers in the practice area(s) of Civil Rights Law, Commercial Litigation, Litigation - Labor and Employment and Personal Injury Litigation - Plaintiffs. Carlos, who practices law in Durham, North Carolina, has been recognized since 2025. This recognition is based on an exhaustive peer-review survey, reflecting the high esteem in which Carlos is held by other top lawyers in the same geographic and legal practice area.

Maria P. Wood is the Managing Partner in our Raleigh office and specializes in medical malpractice, aging services, correctional health care, professional malpractice and ethics, appellate, and general liability matters. In her more than twenty year legal career, she has gained significant litigation and trial experience. Maria has devoted her career to the representation of health care providers. These providers include hospital systems, long-term care facilities (skilled nursing and assiste...

Jeffrey R. Russell is a Board Certified Specialist in Family Law and a partner in the Family Law section at Tharrington Smith, LLP. His practice is concentrated in family law and appeals. Jeff earned his undergraduate degree in political science from Furman University and subsequently graduated magna cum laude from the Norman Adrian Wiggins School of Law at Campbell University. Before joining the firm in 2013, he clerked for the Honorable John C. Martin, Chief Judge of the North Carolina Cour...

Kevin L. Sink focuses his practice on bankruptcy and reorganization matters, commercial transactions, real estate and business litigation. He is certified as a Business Bankruptcy Law Specialist by the North Carolina State Bar and a Chapter 7 Panel Trustee for the Eastern District of North Carolina. Kevin is licensed to practice in all Federal and State Courts in North Carolina, as well as the Fourth Circuit Court of Appeals. He is a frequent lecturer at bankruptcy seminars. Kevin served as t...

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...