Tonya Graser Smith

Stephen Lareau is a top attorney recognized by Best Lawyers in the practice area(s) of Litigation - Intellectual Property and Litigation - Patent. Stephen, 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 Stephen is held by other top lawyers in the same geographic and legal practice area.

A former Managing Chariman of the firm, Ben Hawfield provides senior leadership and brings decades of experience to client matters related to workouts and bankruptcy proceedings. Ben Hawfield advises Moore & Van Allen corporate clients in acquisitions and financing transactions, particularly those involving a compromise or restructure of debt. He has significant experience in representing corporations, individuals and lenders in workouts and bankruptcy proceedings.

Patrick Yingling is a top attorney recognized by Best Lawyers in the practice area(s) of Banking and Finance Law. Patrick, 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 Patrick is held by other top lawyers in the same geographic and legal practice area.

Bernard Clark is experienced in all types of sophisticated tax planning and controversy work, representing large corporations and tax-exempt organizations mostly at the federal level. He has participated in obtaining numerous rulings from the Internal Revenue Service involving tax accounting and acquisition issues. Clients trust him to offer practical and creative solutions for a broad array of tax planning and controversy matters. Corporate mergers and recapitalizations Planning involving is...

Jay represents debtors, banks, secured creditors, indenture trustees, and purchasers of distressed assets in complex chapter 11 and chapter 9 bankruptcy cases and in out-of-court workouts, reorganizations, restructurings, and liquidations. Jay also has extensive experience in state and federal court receivership actions, both in representing creditors seeking the appointment of a receiver for their collateral and in representing the court-appointed receivers. Jay has served as lead bankruptcy...

When routine or complicated tax problems arise, Jody Joyner is committed to making sure his corporate clients understand the options and potential consequences revolving around tax matters.

A frequent speaker on litigation and arbitration issues and an adjunct professor at the University of Notre Dame Law School, Paul Peralta brings extensive successful high-stakes trial experience to his varied litigation clients. Paul has handled wide-ranging employment and commercial litigation, including management representation in Title VII, ADEA, ADA and ERISA litigation, as well as proceedings before the EEOC and corresponding state and local agencies. Additionally, Paul has counseled an...

Christian Buhrer practices in the area of corporate taxation. He primarily focuses on assisting corporate clients with cost segregation, mergers and acquisitions, federal, international and state tax planning, sales and use tax, property tax and state tax incentive consulting. Christian's experience includes representing taxpayers in audit, settlement, protest and/or appeal with state tax agencies, advising clients with respect to restructurings, state and local taxation of corporations, part...

Jeff Brown is a member within Moore & Van Allen's Commercial Real Estate group. He focuses his practice on the representation of investors and developers in an array of real estate-related transactions and ventures. Jeff represents and serves as counsel to his clients in a comprehensive range of real estate-related matters, from financing, acquisitions and dispositions, joint venture and real estate investment structuring, and development, including complex land use, entitlement and publi...

David S. Rudolf is a top attorney recognized by Best Lawyers in the practice area(s) of Bet-the-Company Litigation, Civil Rights Law, Commercial Litigation, Criminal Defense: General Practice, Criminal Defense: White-Collar and Litigation - Securities. David S., who practices law in Charlotte, North Carolina, has been recognized since 1993. This recognition is based on an exhaustive peer-review survey, reflecting the high esteem in which David S. is held by other top lawyers in the same geogr...