Sean Clayton

Wayne McKinzie is co-head of the firm’s Financial Services group, leveraging his years of experience to provide sophisticated, business-oriented counsel to client transactions. Wayne McKinzie is co-head of the firm's 100+ attorney Financial Services practice group. In his more than 25 years at the firm he has developed a broad base of experience representing financial institutions, investment firms, insurance companies and other institutional investors and corporate clients on complex f...

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...

Evan Bass is head of the firm’s Commercial Real Estate group. Evan represents clients in their ongoing business affairs and focuses his practice on commercial real estate, real estate finance and real estate related corporate law matters. He is also a member of the Investment Management practice, with a focus on REITs and private real estate investment funds. Evan's experience includes advising investors, developers, lenders and major corporations on a variety of commercial estate trans...

Craig N. Killen is a top attorney recognized by Best Lawyers in the practice area(s) of Litigation - Intellectual Property. Craig N., who practices law in Charlotte, North Carolina, has been recognized since 2013. This recognition is based on an exhaustive peer-review survey, reflecting the high esteem in which Craig N. is held by other top lawyers in the same geographic and legal practice area.

David L. Levy is a top attorney recognized by Best Lawyers in the practice area(s) of Construction Law. David L., who practices law in Charlotte, North Carolina, has been recognized since 2021. This recognition is based on an exhaustive peer-review survey, reflecting the high esteem in which David L. is held by other top lawyers in the same geographic and legal practice area.

Chris Tomlinson has extensive experience representing clients in complex business and securities litigation, with concentrations in shareholder and corporate governance disputes, merger and acquisitions litigation, financial services litigation, and broker-dealer litigation. Chris employs his judgment, creativity, and dedication to help his clients successfully resolve their disputes, whether in or out of court. A member of the firm’s Litigation group, Chris assists a wide variety of cl...

As head of the Global Services group, Mike Zeller provides his corporate transactional clients the accessibility, responsiveness, knowledge, and understanding of in-house counsel, coupled with the deep, full spectrum of the firm’s legal resources and cost- efficiencies. Mike gives his regional, national and international clients passionate, straightforward counsel in general corporate representation, mergers and acquisitions, franchising, inbound and outbound international trade. He rep...

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

Curtis Elliott has practiced tax law for more than 25 years. He helps entrepreneurs and family business owners address their tax, estate planning, trusts and estates and business succession planning goals. Mr. Elliott has deep experience helping business owners develop estate planning structures for their family businesses. His clients range from closely held companies to large industrial enterprises owned and actively managed by multiple family generations. His work involves the use of share...

Ernie Reigel, who served as chairman of the firm for 15 years, brings to his blue-chip domestic and international corporate clients sophisticated counsel on mergers and acquisitions, as well as other business matters. For over three decades of practice, Ernie has represented both public and private companies in a wide range of transactions, including, most recently, the sale of a publicly held company to a foreign buyer and the purchase of the U.S. division of a Japanese-owned public company ...