Tennessee-based law firm Baker Donelson added a Winston-Salem office today with 11 lawyers who switched from the Akerman firm. It marks the fourth office Baker has opened in the Carolinas since 2021. It now employs 40 lawyers in the region.
The move follows Akerman’s September decision to consolidate its Winston-Salem office into Charlotte. It said the decision was part of a “broader platform optimization strategy,” the firm said then. Both Akerman and Baker are national law firms with more than 700 attorneys each.
Joining Baker as shareholders in Winston-Salem are Paul Foley, Andrew Felts, Michael Fulks, Kelly Otis, Jasmine Pitt, Donald Pocock, Bryan Scott, and Robert Wall. Also joining as associates are Walker Helms, Hannah Mashburn, and Brittany Puckett, along with five support staff members.
Foley will be managing shareholder and be based in the firm’s downtown Winston-Salem office.
Three other former Akerman lawyers joined Baker: Kiki Scarff in Raleigh; John Faust in Washington, D.C.; and Cole Beaubouef in Metropark, New Jersey.
Akerman opened its Winston-Salem office in 2019 by attracting Foley and Scarff from the Kilpatrick Townsend & Stockton firm. It was Akerman’s 25th office location.
The expansion reflects Baker Donelson’s effort to strengthen its N.C. presence, said Baker Donelson Chair and CEO Timothy M. Lupinacci. “A foothold in Winston-Salem positions us well in the Piedmont Triad, a thriving region with significant activity in healthcare, manufacturing, and emerging technology,” he said in a release. “These professionals bring leading practices in securities and corporate law, commercial real estate, construction and commercial litigation, and tax law – establishing a strong foundation for our future growth in this market and the broader region.”
Baker Donelson opened its first North Carolina office in Raleigh in October 2021, then added Charleston, South Carolina, in September 2022 and Charlotte in March 2024. It has had a Columbia, South Carolina, office since 2016.
There’s a long-term trend of law, accounting and other professional services firms to shift staff from the Triad region to the faster-growing Charlotte and Triangle markets. But recent corporate expansions in the Triad, including the Toyota plant in Randolph County and JetZero’s plan for a massive assembly operation in Greensboro, have area leaders excited about accelerating growth in the region.
Baker expects solid growth in the Triad and wants to serve more clients in the region, Foley says. While Akerman and some other national law firms are focusing more on major cities, Baker sees big opportunities in secondary markets, he adds.
David Mildenberg is editor of Business North Carolina. Reach him at dmildenberg@businessnc.com.