T. Thomas Gates

David Iacuzio is a top attorney recognized by Best Lawyers in the practice area(s) of Real Estate Law. David, 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 David is held by other top lawyers in the same geographic and legal practice area.

Jonathan Watkins is a top attorney recognized by Best Lawyers in the practice area(s) of Commercial Litigation and Litigation - Securities. Jonathan, 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 Jonathan is held by other top lawyers in the same geographic and legal practice area.

George Taulbee heads the firm’s Technology, Privacy & IP Transactions Group in North Carolina. He focuses on all intellectual property and transactional matters involving computer and Internet technology, electronic commerce, and sports and entertainment. Mr. Taulbee has more than 25 years of experience working in software licenses and development outsourcing, joint venture, website hosting, and content and linking agreements. He has extensive experience in patent, trade secret and ...

As former General Counsel for the Americas of The Bank of Tokyo-Mitsubishi UFJ, Ltd. (BTMU), Tom Pennington has extensive experience in the financial services industry and with its regulation, corporate and securities law, and litigation matters. Tom’s focus is on federal regulatory advice, defense and investigations, federal and New York corporate governance, and corporate finance matters. Tom represents financial institutions, and also advises fintech start-ups and clients in the inve...

For almost 30 years, I’ve been fighting to defend individuals accused of crimes in the State and Federal courts of North Carolina. I love the job. For example, at the moment I am defending clients in investigations involving diverse subjects such as businesses being charged with PPP loan fraud, doctors and nurses with billing, coding and medical necessity issues, executives and managers accused of kickback schemes and wire fraud. In the process of defending these clients, I find it fasc...

Cindy-Ann L. Thomas is a top attorney recognized by Best Lawyers in the practice area(s) of Litigation - Labor and Employment. Cindy-Ann L., who practices law in Charlotte, North Carolina, has been recognized since 2020. This recognition is based on an exhaustive peer-review survey, reflecting the high esteem in which Cindy-Ann L. is held by other top lawyers in the same geographic and legal practice area.

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...

Brad Johnson is a partner in the Finance Group of Alston & Bird. Brad is a senior partner in the firm’s trust, agency and asset servicing practice, one of the largest corporate trust focused practices in the country. Brad regularly represents financial institutions which provide corporate trust, custody, loan agency, reporting and administrative services in a wide variety of capital markets transactions, including transactions involving collateralized loan obligations (CLOs), projec...

Scott Syfert focuses on international and national transactions and general corporate matters. Foreign and domestic clients rely on Scott Syfert to handle their complex corporate transactions, general corporate and commercial law matters -- whether in Europe, Asia, South America or the United States. He has extensive experience in mergers and acquisitions, international joint ventures and international transactions.

With over thirty years of experience and knowledge in business immigration matters, Steve Hader provides his diverse, global clients quick, responsive, and practical solutions to their U.S. visa and immigration concerns. Steve simplifies and accelerates the complex immigration and visa processes to help bring crucially needed international professionals—from biomedical researchers to noted athletes, from engineers to recording artists—into the U.S. for his pharmaceutical, biotech,...