Michael W. Chen

Sarah Negus is a labor and employment member with experience counseling employers on policies and procedures, personnel decisions, and other workplace challenges. She also litigates employment disputes in state and federal courts and before administrative agencies. Sarah concentrates her practice in all areas of employment law. She has broad experience in discrimination and retaliation claims under Title VII of the Civil Rights Act, the Age Discrimination in Employment Act, the Americans with...

Clients rely on Amy Puckett for advice and counsel on a full range of employment issues, including compliance with federal and state employment laws and best practices for employee management. Having worked in house, Amy understands the business challenges facing employers and the importance of practical advice, risk management, and effective solutions. With over a decade of experience, Amy leverages her in house and outside counsel experience to partner with clients in a variety of industrie...

Ross Barton is a trial lawyer focusing his practice on the litigation of complex patent disputes before district courts and the International Trade Commission (ITC). With a background in Physics and a deep understanding of mobile technologies, semiconductors, and software and hardware programming languages, Ross has spent the last decade taking high-stakes cases in the high-tech sector to trial. He previously taught patent litigation courses as an Adjunct Professor at the University of Virgin...

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,...

Wood Lay's diverse practice focuses on representing and advising employers in matters involving the full range of labor and employment law issues with an emphasis on employment, ERISA, non-competition, and trade secret litigation. His significant litigation experience also includes the handling of complex business tort claims for a number of Fortune 500 companies. With over 30 years of experience, Wood focuses his practice on advising national employers on addressing the employment law challe...

After graduating from the University of North Carolina School of Law, Bryan began practicing in the employment law and employee benefits areas, working for large law firms that concentrated in those areas. In 2001, Bryan returned to school at the Georgetown University Law Center and studied to receive an LL.M. in Taxation with a concentration in Employee Benefits, a field that includes retirement plans, health insurance plans, short- and long-term disability, life insurance and other similar ...

As the child of divorced parents, Jennifer has seen firsthand the stress the legal system can have on a family. She was fortunate in that her parents had a strong support system to include other family members and their respective attorneys, making the divorce process smoother and more manageable. More than twenty years later, Jennifer’s own children enjoy the benefits of having a large, blended, loving extended family comprised of grandparents, great grandparents, multiple aunts and un...

Monica Wilson Dozier represents contractors, subcontractors, developers, and engineers in utility-scale renewable energy projects, focusing on risk mitigation and dispute avoidance throughout the development, construction, operation, and maintenance phases of projects. Monica is co-chair of the Excellence in Construction Committee with Associated Builders and Contractors of the Carolinas. She is also an active member of the North Carolina Sustainable Energy Association and E4 Carolinas, and s...

Elizabeth G. Grimes is Managing Partner at Grimes Yeoman, PLLC. Known locally as “Libby”, Ms. Grimes represents plaintiffs in cases involving serious bodily injuries, wrongful death, and traumatic brain injuries. Ms. Grimes received her B.A. in Economics from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill in December of 1985, graduating a semester early, and received her law degree from Wake Forest University School of Law in 1989. Ms. Grimes is admitted to practice before the No...

Jerri Simmons is a top attorney recognized by Best Lawyers in the practice area(s) of Workers' Compensation Law - Employers. Jerri, who practices law in Charlotte, North Carolina, has been recognized since 2024. This recognition is based on an exhaustive peer-review survey, reflecting the high esteem in which Jerri is held by other top lawyers in the same geographic and legal practice area.