Ripley Rand

Roger W. Smith, Jr., was born in Raleigh, North Carolina and attended the Raleigh public schools. He received a Bachelor of Arts degree in English from the University of North Carolina in 1991. While at UNC he was inducted into the Order of Gimghoul. After college, Mr. Smith moved to Wyoming where, during a period of about two years, he learned to hand-make rough white-pine furniture in the Western tradition. He returned to North Carolina and co-founded Appalachian Designs, a company through ...

Larry L. Coats is a top attorney recognized by Best Lawyers in the practice area(s) of Litigation - Patent and Patent Law. Larry L., who practices law in Cary, North Carolina, has been recognized since 2019. This recognition is based on an exhaustive peer-review survey, reflecting the high esteem in which Larry L. is held by other top lawyers in the same geographic and legal practice area.

Byron L. Saintsing is a top attorney recognized by Best Lawyers in the practice area(s) of Banking and Finance Law and Commercial Litigation. Byron L., who practices law in Raleigh, North Carolina, has been recognized since 2016. This recognition is based on an exhaustive peer-review survey, reflecting the high esteem in which Byron L. is held by other top lawyers in the same geographic and legal practice area.

Stephen Brown focuses his practice on business formation and structuring, wealth transfer planning, and litigation involving fiduciaries, trusts, estates and guardianships. He is a Board Certified Specialist in Estate Planning and Probate Law. Stephen regularly advises individuals on a range of estate planning strategies, including the use of simple and complex trust arrangements to achieve their personal and charitable objectives in a tax advantaged manner. He also has extensive experience a...

Leann A. Gerlach is a top attorney recognized by Best Lawyers in the practice area(s) of Workers' Compensation Law - Claimants. Leann A., who practices law in Raleigh, North Carolina, has been recognized since 2020. This recognition is based on an exhaustive peer-review survey, reflecting the high esteem in which Leann A. is held by other top lawyers in the same geographic and legal practice area.

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

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

Lynn Wilson McNally is a partner and Board Certified Family Law Specialist by the North Carolina State Bar Board of Legal Specialization and certified Family Financial Settlement Mediator by the North Carolina Dispute Resolution Commission. She represents individuals in matters regarding separation, divorce, child custody, child support, alimony, equitable distribution, domestic violence, termination of parental rights, legitimation and other matters pertaining to family law. Since beginning ...

A partner at Manning, Fulton & Skinner, P.A., Ritchie W. Taylor focuses his practice on corporate law, with a particular emphasis on franchising. From the firm's offices in Raleigh, North Carolina, he represents companies and individuals throughout the area, including Chapel Hill, Durham, Greensboro, Winston-Salem, Asheville, Charlotte, Wilmington, and other parts of the state. In his practice, Mr. Taylor provides advice and counsel on mergers and acquisitions, joint ventures, debt and eq...

Jack Cummings is counsel in the Federal Tax Group of Alston & Bird in Raleigh and Washington, D.C. He served as IRS associate chief counsel (corporate) and chair of the Corporate Tax Committee of the ABA Section of Taxation. His books include The American Jobs Creation Act of 2004 (with Robert Hanson), The Supreme Court’s Federal Tax Jurisprudence published by the American Bar Association in 2010 and The Supreme Court, Federal Taxation and the Constitution , published by the America...