Best Lawyers in North Carolina, United States for Labor and Employment Law - Management

Nicola Prall is a top attorney recognized by Best Lawyers in the practice area(s) of Employment Law - Management, Immigration Law and Litigation - Labor and Employment. Nicola, who practices law in Raleigh, North Carolina, has been recognized since 2021. This recognition is based on an exhaustive peer-review survey, reflecting the high esteem in which Nicola is held by other top lawyers in the same geographic and legal practice area.

Wood Lay's diverse practice focuses on representing and advising employers in matters involving the full range of labor and employment law issues with an emphasis on employment, ERISA, non-competition, and trade secret litigation. His significant litigation experience also includes the handling of complex business tort claims for a number of Fortune 500 companies. With over 30 years of experience, Wood focuses his practice on advising national employers on addressing the employment law challe...

Michael D. Ray is a top attorney recognized by Best Lawyers in the practice area(s) of Employment Law - Management and Litigation - Labor and Employment. Michael D., who practices law in Charlotte, North Carolina, has been recognized since 2021. This recognition is based on an exhaustive peer-review survey, reflecting the high esteem in which Michael D. is held by other top lawyers in the same geographic and legal practice area.

Whitney Brownlow is a top attorney recognized by Best Lawyers in the practice area(s) of Employment Law - Management. Whitney, 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 Whitney is held by other top lawyers in the same geographic and legal practice area.

Dawn serves as Young Moore’s Managing Partner and is the first woman to lead the firm since its inception in 1954. She also co-leads the Employment/Workers’ Compensation litigation team. An employment lawyer with more than 25 years of experience, Dawn advises and represents clients on matters involving workers’ compensation claims and other employment issues such as non-compete agreements, harassment and retaliation claims, ADA, FMLA and FLSA issues, employment agreement dra...

Jessi Thaller-Moran focuses her practice on employment law and litigation, which includes counseling employers on legal compliance and helping them proactively identify, prepare for and respond to issues involving personnel management. Jessi guides employers on appropriate responses to a rapidly-changing workplace. Over the last few years, this has included counseling through the rapid transitions required by the COVID-19 pandemic and responding to increasingly localized laws on everything fr...

John Doyle is a partner in Constangy's Winston-Salem office where he specializes in labor and employment relations law with a practice limited to representation of management clients. Mr. Doyle has represented employers in all aspects of labor and employment law matters and is a frequent writer and lecturer on various labor and employment law subjects. He is also an experienced litigator, defending employers in federal and state courts throughout the U.S. and before numerous administrative ag...

Stephen D. Dellinger advises and represents employers and management in a broad range of employment law matters and labor issues. His practice focuses on employment-related litigation involving: Title VII The Americans with Disabilities Act The Family and Medical Leave Act The Age Discrimination in Employment Act Wage and hour issues Labor matters under the National Labor Relations Act He also handles wage and hour and discrimination class and collective actions and routinely appears before f...

Ann H. Smith is a Partner in the Raleigh/Durham office of Jackson Lewis P.C. Ms. Smith has practiced employment law since 1996 and has handled a wide variety of employment matters before federal and state courts and administrative agencies. Ms. Smith has represented and advised Fortune 250 companies as well as governmental entities. Ms. Smith’s litigation experience includes general employment law disputes involving claims pursuant to the ADA, FMLA, FLSA, and Title VII. Ms. Smith has al...

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...

William S. Cherry III is a top attorney recognized by Best Lawyers in the practice area(s) of Commercial Litigation, Construction Law, Employment Law - Management, Insurance Law, Litigation - Insurance, Litigation - Labor and Employment and Litigation - Real Estate. William S., who practices law in Raleigh, North Carolina, has been recognized since 2018. This recognition is based on an exhaustive peer-review survey, reflecting the high esteem in which William S. is held by other top lawyers i...

Kevin Dalton is a partner in the firm’s Charlotte office. His practice focuses on counseling clients regarding employment issues and defending clients against claims alleging wrongful discharge, discrimination, harassment, breach of contract, and wage and hour violations. He has assisted companies in remaining non-union, including responding to unfair labor practice charges and advising employers during union representation campaigns. Before joining the firm, Kevin served as a Captain i...

John D. Cole is a litigator with broad experience across the spectrum of employment law and labor law. For more than 20 years, John has represented employers of all sizes in cases throughout the eastern United States. He has handled numerous cases involving virtually all aspects of employment law before various federal courts, federal and state administrative agencies, and the state courts of North Carolina, South Carolina and Georgia. He has also handled employment arbitration cases before A...

Nicole Gardner practices employment law and represents a broad range of businesses and senior executives. She provides business advice and counsel, represents clients in litigation and acts as a mediator in state and federal employment cases. Nicole has been recognized for excellence by her peers, being consistently listed in Business North Carolina’s “Legal Elite,” as well as “Super Lawyers,” and “The Best Lawyers in America.” Nicole advises and coun...

Phillip J. Strach is a top attorney recognized by Best Lawyers in the practice area(s) of Employment Law - Management and Litigation - Labor and Employment. Phillip J., who practices law in Raleigh, North Carolina, has been recognized since 2009. This recognition is based on an exhaustive peer-review survey, reflecting the high esteem in which Phillip J. is held by other top lawyers in the same geographic and legal practice area.

Mr. Joyner represents employers in a myriad of employment-related and complex commercial matters, including litigation involving, discrimination, wage and hour, wrongful discharge and other claims and matters in state and federal courts and administrative agencies. Mr. Joyner has extensive experience representing employers in wage and hour class action and collective action defense, particularly involving alleged tip credit violations in the restaurant industry and misclassification of exempt...