William N. Harris

3 Things to Know About Paul Dickinson: He represented civilian victims in the Blackwater Massacre case. He has a Martindale-Hubbell AV Preeminent Rating.* He was honored on the 2026 North Carolina Lawyers Weekly Leaders in Law “Icons” list.* Paul R. Dickinson , Jr. is a Partner at the Law Offices of James Scott Farrin and a seasoned trial attorney on the firm’s litigation team who is known for taking on challenging, high-stakes cases. With decades of courtroom experience, he...

Michael Ryan Miller is a top attorney recognized by Best Lawyers in the practice area(s) of Corporate Law and Leveraged Buyouts and Private Equity Law. Michael Ryan, 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 Michael Ryan is held by other top lawyers in the same geographic and legal practice area.

Tom Parrott represents financial institutions and borrowers in structuring and documenting a wide range of syndicated, club and single-bank debt finance transactions, both secured and unsecured. Tom's experience includes acquisition financings, restaurant finance (franchisor and franchisee), term and construction loans secured by various types of commercial real estate, asset-based loans and automotive dealer finance. Tom belongs to the North Carolina Bankers Association and the Business Law ...

Ben Pleune is a partner in Alston & Bird’s Intellectual Property Litigation Group, with extensive experience litigating patents in U.S. district courts, the Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit and before the International Trade Commission. Ben has also been involved with numerous patent validity challenges before the Patent Trial & Appeal Board. Ben’s practice has focused on a variety of industries, including bar code scanners, image sensors, pharmaceuticals, telecomm...

Jacob H. Sussman is a top attorney recognized by Best Lawyers in the practice area(s) of Civil Rights Law, Criminal Defense: General Practice and Criminal Defense: White-Collar. Jacob H., 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 Jacob H. is held by other top lawyers in the same geographic and legal practice area.

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...

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,...

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.

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.

Mark Kelly is a member of the Corporate Transactions & Securities Group in the firm’s Charlotte office. He concentrates his practice in the areas of public offerings, private financings, mergers and acquisitions and general corporate matters. Mr. Kelly leads the firm’s private equity practice and has worked with private equity firms and their portfolio companies since the late 1980s in equity and debt financings, leveraged buyouts and exit transactions, including mergers with ...