Thomas S. Babel

Matt Thompson has significant experience advising the firm's clients on estate planning, business succession, asset protection, charitable planning, and fiduciary matters. He is attentive to each client's unique needs, focuses on uncovering true goals and objectives, and works to find practical, effective solutions for the client's situation and problems. Matt is a North Carolina Board Certified Specialist in Estate Planning and Probate Law. While his practice is focused on helping to protect...

Virginia practices in the area of estate planning and estate administration. She assists in the preparation of all components of estate plans, wills, revocable trusts, durable powers of attorney, health care powers of attorney, and living wills. She also advises individuals, families, and closely-held business owners on estate and business succession planning issues, gift planning to reduce potential estate taxes, and the preparation of gift tax returns, as well as the administration of deced...

Cliff leads the firm's Real Estate Development Practice Group. His practice focuses on representing individual and corporate clients in residential and commercial real estate transactions, such as the preparation and negotiation of purchase and sale agreements, loan agreements, and leases for office and retail space. Additionally, clients rely on Cliff for the preparation and interpretation of restrictive and protective covenants and other planned community and condominium documents, includin...

John leads the firm's Trusts and Estates practice. He is certified by the North Carolina State Bar as a Board Certified Specialist in Estate Planning and Probate Law. John's practice experience encompasses estate planning, estate administration, estate and gift tax planning, and related services primarily, though not exclusively, to high net worth individuals and families. His practice also involves business succession planning for closely-held business owners, asset protection, and estate pl...

Justin's practice experience includes a wide variety of residential and commercial real estate matters, including the representation of sellers and buyers in the negotiation and preparation of purchase agreements, construction agreements, and loan agreements, and the representation of landlords and tenants in the negotiation and preparation of leases. He assists residential and commercial developers in connection with the acquisition, financing, development, subdivision, zoning, leasing, and ...

Will's practice experience encompasses various areas of employment and workplace-related counseling and civil litigation in both federal and state courts at the trial and appellate levels. He regularly represents employers and employees before the United States Department of Labor (USDOL), the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC), the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), the North Carolina Department of Labor (NCDOL), the North Carolina Industrial Commission (NCIC),...

Recognized in the 2021 Edition of The Best Lawyers in America for his work in Family Law. James W. Lea, III - The Lea/ Schultz Law Firm , P.C. 1612 Military Cutoff Road Suite 300 Wilmington, NC 28403 Tel: 910-239-5990 Fax: 910-239-5992 jwl@thelealawfirm.com www.thelealawfirm.com James W. Lea, III, practices exclusively in the area of Family Law and has done so for the last 40 years of practice. Mr. Lea has served on the North Carolina State Bar’s Family Council, a selected group of fami...

Melody Jolly is a top attorney recognized by Best Lawyers in the practice area(s) of Professional Malpractice Law - Defendants. Melody, who practices law in Wilmington, North Carolina, has been recognized since 2018. This recognition is based on an exhaustive peer-review survey, reflecting the high esteem in which Melody is held by other top lawyers in the same geographic and legal practice area.

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

Ryal is an experienced litigator. He has handled a wide range of litigation cases in state and federal courts, many of them jury trials. Ryal has extensive construction law experience, including lien law, federal and state bond claims, and defective workmanship cases. He also has significant experience with agribusiness litigation, property owner association disputes, personal injury, and all types of real estate disputes, including title insurance claims, trespass, adverse possession, condem...