William D. "Billy" McClelland

Hal Levinson is one of the firm’s senior corporate and transactional lawyers, having focused his career on complex mergers, acquisitions, and joint ventures. Hal is known for bringing experienced and practical business oriented legal advice to each transaction. Hal is counsel of choice for many business owners, including those owned by generations of family members, entrepreneurs, and strategic companies that have decided to sell their business. Hal’s extensive transactional exper...

Kristen Finlon is a top attorney recognized by Best Lawyers in the practice area(s) of Employment Law - Individuals and Litigation - Labor and Employment. Kristen, 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 Kristen is held by other top lawyers in the same geographic and legal practice area.

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...

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 ...

Tom Mitchell has served as Managing Partner and Chair of the Management Committee since 2018 and is a nationally recognized finance lawyer with over 30 years of experience representing financial institutions. Tom serves in multiple leadership positions at the firm, including as Managing Partner, Chair of the Management Committee, and Chair of the Strategic Planning Committee. He is also an active member of the firm’s Inclusion & Belonging Committee. Tom served previously as head of ...

Nicole H. (as she is affectionately known in the office) advises clients and litigates disputes involving allegations of discrimination, harassment, retaliation, wage and hour violations, severance negotiations, employment contracts, non-competition, and non-solicitation agreements. She represents clients in state and federal courts, in arbitrations, mediations, and before administrative agencies, such as the EEOC, Department of Labor, and National Labor Relations Board. Nicole has successful...

Timothy Sheriff is a top attorney recognized by Best Lawyers in the practice area(s) of Personal Injury Litigation - Plaintiffs. Timothy, who practices law in Charlotte, North Carolina, has been recognized since 2026. This recognition is based on an exhaustive peer-review survey, reflecting the high esteem in which Timothy is held by other top lawyers in the same geographic and legal practice area.

An experienced intellectual property attorney, Kate Cole represents clients in connection with the acquisition, licensing, and enforcement of intellectual property across a range of industries and technologies. Kate provides strategic leadership and counsel on complex intellectual property matters for domestic and international clients, including start-ups, private equity groups, and large private and public companies. Her broad IP experience positions her to serve as a valued business partne...

A former presidentially appointed U.S. attorney, Thomas Walker understands the high stakes of federal and state investigations and white-collar criminal defense. A former presidentially appointed U.S. attorney, Thomas concentrates his practice in government investigations, internal corporate investigations, and white-collar criminal defense. Thomas has extensive jury trial experience in state and federal courts and previously served as special counsel to North Carolina Attorney General Roy Co...

C. Todd Burbank is a top attorney recognized by Best Lawyers in the practice area(s) of Real Estate Law. C. Todd, who practices law in Charlotte, North Carolina, has been recognized since 2016. This recognition is based on an exhaustive peer-review survey, reflecting the high esteem in which C. Todd is held by other top lawyers in the same geographic and legal practice area.