Making the Legal Elite means a lawyer has been recognized by his or her peers as one of the state’s top practitioners. Even more elite are those who receive the most votes in each category. Since 2004, they have been elevated into the Hall of Fame and are no longer eligible for the annual list. There is no Hall of Fame for Young Guns winners, but they can only be elected in another category. Unless otherwise requested, Hall of Fame members are listed by their firm at the time of their selection.
Antitrust: Matthew W. Sawchak, Ellis & Winters LLP, Cary (2002, 2003); Rodrick J. Enns, Enns & Archer LLP, Winston-Salem (2004); Larry B. Sitton, Smith Moore LLP, Greensboro (2005); Everett J. Bowman, Robinson, Bradshaw & Hinson PA, Charlotte (2006); Douglas Wayne Kenyon, Hunton & Williams LLP, Raleigh (2007); Mark W. Merritt, Robinson, Bradshaw & Hinson PA, Charlotte (2008); Mark J. Horoschak, Womble Carlyle Sandridge & Rice PLLC, Charlotte (2009); Jennifer K. Van Zant, Brooks, Pierce, McLendon, Humphrey & Leonard LLP, Greensboro (2010); Catharine B. Arrowood, Parker Poe Adams & Bernstein LLP, Raleigh (2011); Jonathan Heyl, Smith Moore Leatherwood LLP, Charlotte (2012); Noel L. Allen, Allen, Pinnix & Nichols PA, Raleigh (2013); John F. Graybeal, Parker Poe Adams & Bernstein LLP, Raleigh (2014); Press Millen, Womble Carlyle Sandridge & Rice LLP, Raleigh (2015); W. Andrew “Andy” Copenhaver, Womble Carlyle Sandridge & Rice LLP, Winston-Salem (2016); Stephen Feldman, Ellis & Winters LLP, Raleigh (2017); Brad Evans, Ward and Smith PA, Greenville (2018); Hal Kitchin, McGuireWoods LLP, Wilmington (2019).
Appellate: Matthew Nis Leerburg, Smith Moore Leatherwood LLP, Raleigh (2018); Toby Hampson, Wyrick Robbins Yates & Ponton LLP, Raleigh (2019).
Bankruptcy: J. Michael Booe, Kennedy Covington Lobdell & Hickman LLP, Charlotte (2002, 2003); Gregory B. Crampton, Nicholls & Crampton PA, Raleigh (2004); Richard M. Hutson II, Hutson Hughes & Powell PA, Durham (2005); C. Richard Rayburn Jr., Rayburn Cooper & Durham PA, Charlotte (2006); Terri L. Gardner, Nelson Mullins Riley & Scarborough LLP, Raleigh (2007); John A. Northen, Northen Blue LLP, Chapel Hill (2008); Holmes P. Harden, Williams Mullen, Raleigh (2009); Christine Myatt, Nexsen Pruet PLLC, Greensboro (2010); Gerald A. “Jeb” Jeutter Jr., Gerald A. “Jeb” Jeutter Jr. Attorney at Law PA, Raleigh (2011); Kenneth M. Greene, Carruthers & Roth PA, Greensboro (2012); Trawick H. “Buzzy” Stubbs Jr., Stubbs & Perdue PA, New Bern (2013); Benjamin A. Kahn, Nexsen Pruet PLLC, Greensboro (2014); James S. “Charlie” Livermon III, Poyner Spruill LLP, Rocky Mount (2015); Richard S. Wright, Moon Wright and Houston PLLC, Charlotte (2016); Heather W. Culp, Essex Richards PA, Charlotte (2017); William P. Janvier, Janvier Law Firm PLLC; Raleigh (2018); Richard Sparkman, Richard D. Sparkman & Associates PA, Angier (2019).
Business: Russell M. Robinson II, Robinson, Bradshaw & Hinson PA, Charlotte (2002, 2003); Doris R. Bray, Schell Bray PLLC, Greensboro (2004); J. Norfleet Pruden III, Kennedy Covington Lobdell & Hickman LLP, Charlotte (2005); William M. Flynn, Hunton & Williams LLP, Raleigh (2006); Robin L. Hinson, Robinson, Bradshaw & Hinson PA, Charlotte (2007); Peter C. Buck, Robinson, Bradshaw & Hinson PA, Charlotte (2008); Gerald F. Roach, Smith, Anderson, Blount, Dorsett, Mitchell & Jernigan LLP, Raleigh (2009); Mark Davidson, Brooks, Pierce, McLendon, Humphrey & Leonard LLP, Greensboro (2010); Stephen M. Lynch, Robinson, Bradshaw & Hinson PA, Charlotte (2011); Amalie L. Tuffin, Whitmeyer Tuffin PLLC, Raleigh (2012); Grayson S. Hale, Morningstar Law Group, Morrisville (2013); David D. Beatty, Myers Bigel Sibley & Sajovec PA, Raleigh (2014); Charles S. Baldwin IV, Brooks, Pierce, McLendon, Humphrey & Leonard LLP, Wilmington (2015); James R. Forrest, Forrest Firm PC, Durham (2016); Gregory S. Connor, The Connor Law Firm PLLC, Raleigh (2017); John Babcock, Wall Babcock LLP, Winston-Salem (2018); M. Keith Kapp, Williams Mullen, Raleigh (2019).
Construction: James A. Roberts III, Lewis & Roberts PLLC, Raleigh (2004); Jeffrey J. Davis, Moore & Van Allen PLLC, Charlotte (2005); John L. Shaw, Poyner Spruill LLP, Raleigh (2006); Dudley Humphrey, Kilpatrick Stockton LLP, Winston-Salem (2007); James S. Schenck IV, Conner Gwyn Schenck PLLC, Raleigh (2008); Michael Wilson, Johnston, Allison & Hord PA, Charlotte (2009); John B. “Jack” Taylor, Nexsen Pruet PLLC, Charlotte (2010); Peter J. Marino, Smith, Anderson, Blount, Dorsett, Mitchell & Jernigan LLP, Raleigh (2011); William H. Gammon, Nelson Mullins Riley & Scarborough LLP, Raleigh (2012); Richard D. Conner, Conner Gwyn Schenck PLLC, Greensboro (2013); Joseph H. Nanney Jr., Meynardie & Nanney PLLC, Raleigh (2014); Bob Meynardie, Meynardie & Nanney PLLC, Raleigh (2015); Harper Heckman, Nexsen Pruet PLLC, Greensboro (2016); Nan E. Hannah, Hannah Sheridan Loughridge & Cochran LLP, Raleigh (2017); James Johnson, Smith Terry & Johnson, Asheville (2018); Tracy James, Hamilton Stephens Steele & Martin PLLC, Charlotte (2019).
Construction / Real Estate: Charles L. Fulton, Manning, Fulton & Skinner PA, Raleigh (2002, 2003).
Corporate Counsel: Russell M. Robinson II, Robinson, Bradshaw & Hinson PA, Charlotte (2002); James E. Creekman, Ward and Smith PA, Raleigh (2003); David L. Ward Jr., Ward and Smith PA, New Bern (2004); Douglas R. Edwards, Wachovia Corp., Charlotte (2005); Stephen K. Coss, Sonic Automotive Inc., Charlotte (2006); Keith Smith, Carolinas HealthCare System, Charlotte (2007); John Taggart, Genworth Financial Inc., Raleigh (2008); B. Judd Hartman, Pharmaceutical Product Development Inc., Wilmington (2009); Gaither M. Keener, Lowe’s Cos., Mooresville (2010); Meredith B. Stone, NACCO Materials Handling Group Inc., Greenville (2011); Lisa D. Inman, Waste Industries USA Inc., Raleigh (2012); Robert Wicker, General Parts International Inc., Raleigh (2013); Michael A. Springs, Bank of America Corp., Charlotte (2014); Santiago Estrada, Quintiles Transnational Holdings Inc., Durham (2015); Jeffrey M. Davis, Lincoln Financial Group, Greensboro (2016); Gerald L. Walden Jr., The Fresh Market Inc., Greensboro (2017); Andrew Spainhour, Replacements Ltd., Greensboro (2018); Chris Matton, Bandwidth Inc., Raleigh (2019).
Criminal: Wade M. Smith, Tharrington Smith LLP, Raleigh (2004); James F. Wyatt III, Wyatt & Blake LLP, Charlotte (2005); David Freedman, White and Crumpler, Winston-Salem (2006); Joseph B. Cheshire V, Cheshire, Parker, Schneider, Bryan & Vitale, Raleigh (2007); James P. Cooney III, Womble Carlyle Sandridge & Rice PLLC, Charlotte (2008); Stephen T. Smith, McMillan, Smith & Plyler, Raleigh (2009); T. Patrick Matus II, Essex Richards PA, Charlotte (2010); David S. Rudolf, Rudolf, Widenhouse & Fialko, Charlotte (2011); Locke T. Clifford, Clifford Clendenin & O’Hale LLP, Greensboro (2012); Peter C. Anderson, Beveridge & Diamond PC, Charlotte (2013); Michael J. Greene, Goodman, Carr, Laughrun, Levine & Greene PA, Charlotte (2014); Robert K. Corbett III, Corbett & McCallum PLLC, Charlotte (2015); Ryan T. Smith, RTS Law Group, Charlotte (2016); George V. Laughrun II, Goodman, Carr, Laughrun, Levine & Greene PLLC, Charlotte (2017); Les Robinson, The Robinson Law Firm PA, Greenville (2018); Wes J. Camden, Williams Mullen, Raleigh (2019).
Employment: Philip M. Van Hoy, Van Hoy, Reutlinger, Adams & Dunn, Charlotte (2002); George J. Oliver, Smith Moore LLP, Raleigh (2003); Penni Pearson Bradshaw, Constangy, Brooks & Smith LLP, Winston-Salem (2004); Jonathan R. Harkavy, Patterson Harkavy LLP, Greensboro (2005); Patricia L. Holland, Jackson Lewis PC, Cary (2006); Louis L. Lesesne Jr., Essex Richards PA, Charlotte (2007); Robert M. Elliot, Elliot Pishko Morgan PA, Winston-Salem (2008); Sarah J. Kromer, Sara J. Kromer PLLC, Charlotte (2009); Susan Brown Grady, SPX Corp., Charlotte (2010); Lisa Grafstein, Law Office of Lisa Grafstein PLLC, Raleigh (2011); N. Renee Hughes, Gardner & Hughes PLLC, Charlotte (2012); W. Randall Loftis Jr., Constangy, Brooks & Smith LLP, Winston-Salem (2013); Amie F. Carmack, Morningstar Law Group, Morrisville (2014); Nicole Gardner, Gardner Skelton PLLC, Charlotte (2015); Mike Okun, Patterson Harkavy LLP, Chapel Hill (2016); Bryan L. Tyson, Marcellino & Tyson PLLC, Charlotte (2017); Susie Gibbons, Poyner Spruill LLP, Raleigh (2018); Denise Smith Cline, Law Offices of Denise Smith Cline PLLC, Raleigh (2019).
Environmental: Charles D. Case, Hunton & Williams, Raleigh (2002, 2003); H. Glenn Dunn, Poyner Spruill LLP, Raleigh (2004); George W. House, Brooks, Pierce, McLendon, Humphrey & Leonard LLP, Greensboro (2005); William D. Dannelly, Hunton & Williams LLP, Raleigh (2006); Benne C. Hutson, Helms Mulliss & Wicker PLLC, Charlotte (2007); Amos C. Dawson III, Williams Mullen, Raleigh (2008); Richard C. Gaskins Jr., Catawba Riverkeeper Foundation Inc., Charlotte (2009); Stephen W. Earp, Smith Moore Leatherwood LLP, Greensboro (2010); Ramona Cunningham O’Bryant, Smith Moore Leatherwood LLP, Greensboro (2011); William Clarke, Roberts & Stevens PA, Asheville (2012); Grady L. Shields, Wyrick Robbins Yates & Ponton LLP, Raleigh (2013); Craig A. Bromby, Hunton & Williams LLP, Raleigh (2014); Garry S. Rice, Duke Energy Corp., Charlotte (2015); Sean M. Sullivan, Troutman Sanders LLP, Raleigh (2016); Carol Jones Van Buren, Van Buren Law PLLC, Charlotte (2017); Steve Berlin, Kilpatrick Townsend & Stockton LLP, Winston-Salem (2018); Keith Johnson, Poyner Spruill LLP, Raleigh (2019).
Family: John H. Parker, Cheshire, Parker, Schneider, Bryan & Vitale, Raleigh (2007); Carlyn Poole, Tharrington Smith LLP, Raleigh (2008); Richard D. Stephens, Dozier, Miller, Pollard & Murphy LLP, Charlotte (2009); Lana S. Warlick, Law Office of Lana S. Warlick, Jacksonville (2010); Michael F. Schilawski, Wake Family Law Group, Raleigh (2011); D. Caldwell Barefoot Jr., Barefoot Family Law, Raleigh (2012); Stan Brown, Hamilton Stephens Steele & Martin PLLC, Charlotte (2013); Lori M. Vitale, Vitale Family Law, Raleigh (2014); Kimberly Bryan, Cheshire Parker Schneider & Bryan PLLC, Raleigh (2015); Rob Blair, Essex Richards PA, Charlotte (2016); Afi S. Johnson-Parris, Ward Black Law, Greensboro (2017); Chris Eatmon, Eatmon Law Firm PC, Wake Forest (2018); Kristin M. Hampson, Hampson Family Law, Raleigh (2019).
Immigration: Laura Edgerton, Edgerton Immigration Law, Raleigh (2018); Gerard M. “Gerry” Chapman, Chapman Law Firm, Greensboro (2019).
Intellectual Property: Mitchell S. Bigel, Myers Bigel Sibley & Sajovec PA, Raleigh (2002, 2003); Kenneth D. Sibley, Myers Bigel Sibley & Sajovec PA, Raleigh (2004); Wesley Thaddeus Adams III, Adams Evans PA, Charlotte (2005); J. Scott Evans, Yahoo! Inc., Charlotte (2006); Philip Summa, Summa, Allan & Additon PA, Charlotte (2007); Susan Freya Olive, Olive & Olive PA, Durham (2008); David M. Carter, Carter & Schnedler PA, Asheville (2009); David M. Krasnow, Smith Moore Leatherwood LLP, Raleigh (2010); William J. Mason, MacCord Mason PLLC, Wilmington (2011); E. Eric Mills, Nexsen Pruet PLLC, Raleigh (2012); Anthony Biller, Coats & Bennett PLLC, Cary (2013); Larry L. Coats, Coats & Bennett PLLC, Cary (2014); Sarah E. Nagae, The Nagae Law Firm PLLC dba Triangle Trademarks, Raleigh (2015); Maury M. Tepper III, Tepper & Eyster PLLC, Raleigh (2016); John C. Nipp, Additon, Higgins & Pendleton PA, Charlotte (2017); Matthew Ladenheim, Trego, Hines & Ladenheim PLLC, Charlotte (2018); Julie H. Richardson, Myers Bigel PA, Raleigh (2019).
Litigation: James T. Williams Jr., Brooks, Pierce, McLendon, Humphrey & Leonard LLP, Greensboro (2002, 2003); Clarence W. Walker, Kennedy Covington Lobdell & Hickman LLP, Charlotte (2004); Gary S. Parsons, Brooks, Pierce, McLendon, Humphrey & Leonard LLP, Raleigh (2005); William K. Davis, Bell, Davis & Pitt PA, Winston-Salem (2006); Dan J. McLamb, Yates, McLamb & Weyher LLP, Raleigh (2007); Robert D. Walker, Walker, Allen, Grice, Ammons & Foy LLP, Goldsboro (2008); J. Donald Cowan Jr., Ellis & Winters LLP, Greensboro (2009); G. Gray Wilson, Wilson, Helms and Cartledge, Winston-Salem (2010); James H. Kelly Jr., Kilpatrick Townsend & Stockton LLP, Winston-Salem (2011); Daniel L. Brawley, Williams Mullen, Wilmington (2012); Lee M. Whitman, Wyrick Robbins Yates & Ponton LLP, Raleigh (2013); Michael J. Byrne, Byrne Law PC, Raleigh (2014); Jonathan D. Sasser, Ellis & Winters LLP, Raleigh (2015); Jean Sutton Martin, Law Office of Jean Sutton Martin PLLC, Wilmington (2016); Greg Merritt, Harris, Creech, Ward & Blackerby PA, New Bern (2017); Ward Davis, Bell, Davis & Pitt PA, Charlotte (2018); Elizabeth Scott, Williams Mullen, Raleigh (2019).
Real Estate: Alfred Adams, Womble Carlyle Sandridge & Rice PLLC, Winston-Salem (2004); Barry D. Mann, Manning, Fulton & Skinner PA, Raleigh (2005); Brent A. Torstrick, Robinson, Bradshaw & Hinson PA, Charlotte (2006); Samuel T. Oliver Jr., Manning, Fulton & Skinner PA, Raleigh (2007); Charles Gordon Brown, Brown & Bunch PLLC, Chapel Hill (2008); C. Steven Mason, Smith, Anderson, Blount, Dorsett, Mitchell & Jernigan LLP, Raleigh (2009); Timothy G. Sellers, Sellers, Hinshaw, Ayers, Dortch & Lyons PA, Charlotte (2010); Frank M. Bell Jr., Bell, Davis & Pitt PA, Winston-Salem (2011); George W. Sistrunk III, Hamilton Stephens Steele & Martin PLLC, Charlotte (2012); Robert Charles Lawson, Williams Mullen, Raleigh (2013); Michael G. Winters, Ellis & Winters LLP, Raleigh (2014); Holly H. Alderman, Schell Bray PLLC, Chapel Hill (2015); Brian W. Byrd, Smith Moore Leatherwood LLP, Greensboro (2016); Anna P. McLamb, Wyrick Robbins Yates & Ponton LLP, Raleigh (2017); Beth Voltz, Weatherspoon & Voltz LLP, Raleigh (2018); Annika M. Brock, The Brock Law Firm PLLC, Asheville (2019).
Tax / Estate Planning: Robert C. Vaughn Jr., Vaughn Perkinson Ehlinger Moxley & Stogner, Winston-Salem (2002, 2003); W. Curtis Elliott Jr., Culp Elliott & Carpenter PLLC, Charlotte (2004); Ray S. Farris, Johnston, Allison & Hord PA, Charlotte (2005); Elizabeth L. Quick, Womble Carlyle Sandridge & Rice PLLC, Winston-Salem (2006); James W. Narron, Narron, O’Hale & Whittington PA, Smithfield (2007); E. William Kratt, Herring Mills & Kratt PLLC, Raleigh (2008); Christy Eve Reid, Robinson, Bradshaw & Hinson PA, Charlotte (2009); Michael H. Godwin, Schell Bray Aycock Abel & Livingston PLLC, Greensboro (2010); Maria M. Lynch, Lynch & Eatman LLP, Raleigh (2011); Graham D. Holding Jr., Robinson, Bradshaw & Hinson PA, Charlotte (2012); Andrew H. Veach, Edwards Craver Veach PLLC, Winston-Salem (2013); Robert H. Haggard, The Van Winkle Law Firm, Asheville (2014); Michael A. Colombo, Colombo, Kitchin, Dunn, Ball & Porter LLP, Greenville (2015); Jason Walls, The Walls Law Firm PLLC, Apex (2016); Debra L. Foster, Foster Royal PA, Charlotte (2017); Elizabeth “Liz” K. Arias, Womble Bond Dickinson, Raleigh (2018); Jean Gordon Carter, McGuireWoods LLP, Raleigh (2019).