Robert B. Starnes

If you, a friend or family member has been charged with a criminal offense in North Carolina, Powers Law Firm PA is here to help. “We are in the business of providing sound legal advice during difficult times. We offer experience, a dedication to legal adeptness, and probably more than anything, compassion,” says Bill Powers, Senior Attorney. When clients and their families call, it’s normally the worst day in their life. We want to help people get through those times with a...

With two decades of experience as a practicing attorney, Karin McGinnis, CIPP/US, is known as a true business partner when litigating and providing counsel to her clients. Well versed in employment, privacy, and general commercial litigation, Karin helps clients navigate a range of complex issues. In addition to employment and privacy matters, Karin has successfully litigated a wide range of matters, including lawsuits involving trade secret misappropriation, defamation, violations of noncomp...

Hannah Symonds is a top attorney recognized by Best Lawyers in the practice area(s) of Litigation - Labor and Employment. Hannah, who practices law in Charlotte, North Carolina, has been recognized since 2023. This recognition is based on an exhaustive peer-review survey, reflecting the high esteem in which Hannah is held by other top lawyers in the same geographic and legal practice area.

Holly Bannerman, named to Best Lawyers in America , is a member in the commercial real estate group. Holly Bannerman concentrates her practice in commercial real estate. She represents developers, owners, landlords, tenants and limited partners in a variety of real estate transactions, including land acquisitions, dispositions, financing, development and leasing. She also specializes in joint venture and limited partnership agreements and the related structuring of real estate transactions. H...

Paul M. Hattenhauer, a partner with Culp Elliott & Carpenter, P.L.L.C., is chair of the firm’s Estate Planning practice group. Mr. Hattenhauer’s practice is focused on providing tax, business, asset protection and estate planning advice for individuals, closely held business owners and fiduciaries. He provides counsel in sophisticated estate tax reduction strategies, and advises clients on strategies to arrange their affairs to pay the least amount of tax. He is experienced in...

John Evans devotes his financial services practice to representing Small Business Investment Companies (SBICs), institutional investors (debt and equity), private equity funds, hedge funds, business development companies, and venture capital funds in their buy-out, investment and finance transactions. In addition to practicing in the areas of mezzanine finance, private equity, and venture capital, he represents several founders and companies in their fund raising and merger and acquisition tr...

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...

Lauren Biek is a member in the Financial Services group. She has extensive experience representing financial institutions in domestic and cross-border financing transactions. Lauren’s practice primarily focuses on representing commercial and investment banks in leveraged lending transactions, including acquisition financings, recapitalizations, ESOP financings and other secured and unsecured lending transactions. She has experience in a wide variety of industries, including transportati...

Jason Bennett is a partner in Winston & Strawn LLP’s Charlotte office who focuses his practice on debt financing and other corporate finance transactions, with an emphasis on asset-based and cash flow lending. Mr. Bennett represents banks and other financial institutions on financings involving acquisitions, recapitalizations, multicurrency facilities, foreign collateral, and split lien, first/second lien, mezzanine, and bank/bond structures. He has significant experience in a wide ...

Scott Stevens is a member of the firm’s Intellectual Property Litigation Group and a registered patent attorney. Mr. Stevens’ practice focuses on patent litigation involving technologies such as telecommunications, chemical processes, pharmaceuticals, cloud computing, and flash memory. Mr. Stevens represents clients in Section 337 Investigations before the U.S. International Trade Commission, as well as in patent-infringement litigation before various U.S. District Courts and the ...