Zachary S. Buckheit

Barri Hilton Payne In 2011, Barri became a Board Certified Specialist in Family Law and a Certified Family Financial Mediator. She was born in High Point, North Carolina and grew up in Davidson County. She attended the University of North Carolina at Charlotte where she majored in Religious studies and Sociology. Barri is a 1999 graduate of University of North Carolina School of Law at Chapel Hill. After twelve years as a partner in a local law firm, Barri opened her own solo family law and m...

Steve Long leads the firm's Tax and Employee Benefits practice. He has extensive experience working with employers in banking, retail, and technology to establish and maintain retirement plans, executive compensation agreements, stock incentive plans and other employee benefits. Steve also advises charities and other tax-exempt organizations regarding their IRC 403(b) and IRC 457 retirement plans, as well as issues related to compliance with Internal Revenue Service and state regulations conc...

Tom Wilmoth joined the Law Offices of James Scott Farrin in 2021 and works with the firm’s litigation team on mass torts, federal multidistrict litigation, consumer class actions, and Consumer Protection Law matters. Based in Durham, North Carolina, Tom represents individuals who have been harmed by unsafe products, unfair practices, and corporate misconduct. Before joining the Law Offices of James Scott Farrin, Tom spent more than a decade practicing corporate complex litigation on the...

Dan Smith focuses his law practice on matters involving environmental, commercial, education, and state constitutional law. A former educator and environmental scientist, Dan represents businesses, boards of education, and individuals in state, federal, administrative, and appellate courts. Dan uses his scientific training and background to help clients solve complex problems related to environmental laws, frequently working as part of a larger Brooks Pierce team. Dan has represented and advi...

Kelly J. Mackay is a top attorney recognized by Best Lawyers in the practice area(s) of Corporate Law. Kelly J., who practices law in Durham, North Carolina, has been recognized since 2017. This recognition is based on an exhaustive peer-review survey, reflecting the high esteem in which Kelly J. is held by other top lawyers in the same geographic and legal practice area.

Shannon Frankel is a trucking industry attorney with a proven track record. For more than 18 years, Shannon defended trucking companies, regularly handling multi-million-dollar claims in both the state and federal courts of North Carolina. During her time on the defense, she learned how the trucking industry views and handles catastrophic injury and wrongful death cases, developing relationships with numerous industry executives, national counsel, and expert witnesses along the way. Her exper...

Evan is a litigator who works predominantly in the area of construction law. He represents and advises contractors, subcontractors, owners, and design professionals in all stages of the construction and development process. His experience includes drafting and negotiating construction, design, and design/build contracts. Additionally, he represents owners, contractors, and subcontractors in a variety of civil litigation matters. Evan, a Lumberton, North Carolina-native, earned his bachelor's ...

Donna Renfrow Rutala, B.S.N., J.D., practices in the areas of medical malpractice defense litigation and health law. In her work, Donna represents hospitals, physicians, and other health care providers in civil litigation as well as administrative proceedings. She also advises hospitals on health law and employment law issues. Donna has trial experience in both the federal and state courts of North Carolina and has appeared before various administrative tribunals including the North Carolina ...

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

During Jim’s thirty-plus year career practicing law, Jim has developed a reputation as an aggressive litigator who embraces the details of his client’s cases and is up to speed on the law. Jim concentrates his practice in bankruptcy and debtor creditor relations, business disputes and business transactions. He has served as a fiduciary as a trustee in chapter 7 and chapter 11 cases and as a receiver in state court. He has a background as a transactional business lawyer and a Certi...