Melissa McKinney

Mike Allen dedicates his practice to protecting clients’ rights and assets, including their contract rights, intellectual property rights, shareholder rights, and estate rights. His rare blend of experience in negotiating, contracting, counseling, and litigation helps him provide meaningful insight to clients at all stages of their business relationships. Mike’s goal is to protect client interests without the need for litigation, but with more than 35 years of dispute resolution e...

Dan Smith focuses his law practice on matters involving environmental, commercial, education, and state constitutional law. A former educator and environmental scientist, Dan represents businesses, boards of education, and individuals in state, federal, administrative, and appellate courts. Dan uses his scientific training and background to help clients solve complex problems related to environmental laws, frequently working as part of a larger Brooks Pierce team. Dan has represented and advi...

Aaron Bennett has a broad-based practice serving individuals, families, and business owners. He also represents corporate and individual fiduciaries in trust and estate administration matters. He especially focuses on estate and wealth transfer planning, estate and trust administration, and closely held business planning. Aaron enjoys working with families to develop solutions to the multifaceted issues that arise in helping them achieve their goals and objectives in a tax efficient manner, w...

Julie Barker Pape is a top attorney recognized by Best Lawyers in the practice area(s) of Bankruptcy and Creditor Debtor Rights / Insolvency and Reorganization Law. Julie Barker, who practices law in Winston-Salem, North Carolina, has been recognized since 2018. This recognition is based on an exhaustive peer-review survey, reflecting the high esteem in which Julie Barker is held by other top lawyers in the same geographic and legal practice area.

Brian McMillan brings experience and insight from more than 10 years in manufacturing, distribution and sales and more than 26 years practicing law at Brooks Pierce to bear on his counsel to individuals and businesses. His practice focuses on a variety of litigation and transactional matters. Brian’s business and practical background gives him a deep understanding of clients’ goals, operations and legal challenges. His business and corporate practice includes negotiating and draft...

Ken Carlson is a senior litigator who has successfully defended companies in virtually every aspect of employment law. He also has a strong practice in drafting employment contracts, independent contractor agreements, and noncompetition agreements, combined with a significant amount of work involving trade secret and noncompetition law. In addition to his litigation practice, Ken regularly advises employers on how to avoid problems before they occur, and helps companies protect their intellec...

An experienced trial and appellate attorney, Reid Phillips represents companies and their owners in complex business disputes, including defense of class action lawsuits, malpractice claims, and serious personal injury and death claims. Reid represents businesses and business owners before federal and state courts in lawsuits involving contracts, securities, antitrust, unfair competition, copyright and trademark infringement, and non-compete agreements. His recent experience includes the succ...

G. William Joyner III is a top attorney recognized by Best Lawyers in the practice area(s) of Corporate Compliance Law, Corporate Law, Mergers and Acquisitions Law, Securities / Capital Markets Law, Securities Regulation and Venture Capital Law. G. William, who practices law in Winston-Salem, North Carolina, has been recognized since 2013. This recognition is based on an exhaustive peer-review survey, reflecting the high esteem in which G. William is held by other top lawyers in the same geog...

Zachary Marquand is a top attorney recognized by Best Lawyers in the practice area(s) of Workers' Compensation Law - Claimants. Zachary, who practices law in Winston-Salem, North Carolina, has been recognized since 2025. This recognition is based on an exhaustive peer-review survey, reflecting the high esteem in which Zachary is held by other top lawyers in the same geographic and legal practice area.

Tiffani D. Otey is a top attorney recognized by Best Lawyers in the practice area(s) of Trademark Law. Tiffani D., who practices law in Winston-Salem, North Carolina, has been recognized since 2018. This recognition is based on an exhaustive peer-review survey, reflecting the high esteem in which Tiffani D. is held by other top lawyers in the same geographic and legal practice area.