Checking In: Dec. 14, 2021
Compiled by Jessica Junqueira
Bradley Arant Boult Cummings LLP Adds Brett Lawrence
Brett Lawrence has joined Bradley Arant Boult Cummings LLP. He is a member of the firm’s Cybersecurity and Privacy Practice group, as well as the Banking and Financial Services Practice group. His practice is focused on data privacy and cybersecurity issues, insurance coverage and professional liability, and he is a Certified Information Privacy Professional by the International Association of Privacy Professionals. He holds a J.D. from the Washington and Lee University School of Law and a bachelor’s degree in business administration and finance from Florida Atlantic University.
New Associates Join the Law Offices of James Scott Farrin
Patrick Clare has joined the firm and practices in the workers’ compensation department. He has represented plaintiffs in workers’ compensation cases. He also has experience in personal injury litigation, premises liability, and general negligence. Clare earned a J.D. at Campbell Law School, where he was an articles editor for the Campbell Law Review. While in law school, Clare served as an NCBA Law Student Representative. He received a B.A. in psychology from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.
Tom Wilmoth has joined the firm. He has more than ten years of experience practicing law as a corporate litigator. During that time, he has represented Fortune 500 companies. Before becoming a litigator, Wilmoth served as a law enforcement officer in Greensboro for more than eight years. He received a J.D. from Elon University School of Law and a B.A. in political science from the University of North Carolina at Greensboro.
April Giancola has joined the senior staff of Campbell Law School as the Assistant Dean of Career Services and Professional Development. Giancola has 21 years of experience in legal and program management. She was the Director of Public Interest Advising for the University of North Carolina School of Law’s Career Development Office. She served as the Chief Legal Program Officer for Disability Rights N.C., as well as a civil attorney and post-conviction managing attorney for N.C. Prisoner Legal Services Inc. After earning her J.D. from the New England School of Law, she worked in the Maricopa County (Arizona) Public Defender’s Office as a trial attorney. Giancola also holds a B.S. in speech and communications from Emerson College. Giancola is certified to practice law in the Eastern, Middle and Western District Courts of North Carolina, the Fourth Circuit Court of Appeals and the U.S. Supreme Court. She is a member of the NCBA Minorities in the Profession Committee.
Hall Booth Smith announced that Brock Wolf has joined the firm’s Charlotte office. His area of focus is medical malpractice defense, data privacy and cyber security, and general liability litigation. Wolf has experience serving as a law clerk and summer associate with the firm. He received a J.D. from Wake Forest University School of Law. There, he was the managing editor of the Wake Forest Journal of Law & Policy. He obtained a B.A. from Virginia Tech.
Emily L. Guarascio has joined the Law Office of Manisha P. Patel, PLLC. Guarascio will focus her practice on family law. She earned a J.D. from Elon University School of Law, where she was a member of the Innocence Project, the Women’s Law Association, and Phi Alpha Delta Law Fraternity. She also holds a B.A. in Business Administration, magna cum laude, from Adelphi University.
Matt Wolfe serves on the North Carolina Bar Foundation Board of Directors. He is a member of the American Health Lawyers Association and currently serves as vice chair of its Behavioral Health Practice Group. He is also a member of the North Carolina Society of Health Care Attorneys Board of Directors and previously chaired the national Health Law Section of the Federal Bar Association. A member of the Health Law and Administrative Law Sections of the North Carolina Bar Association, he co-chairs the Legislative and Ethics Committee of the Health Law Council and has served on the NCBA’s Strategic Planning and Emerging Trends Committee and the Future of the Law Committee.
Kenneth Burgess previously served as the Senior Director of Legal Services and Facility Operations of the American Health Care Association and as the General Counsel of North Carolina Health Care Facilities Association. He is past president of the North Carolina Society of Healthcare Attorneys, and a past member the NCBA Health Law Section Council. He received the Health Law Section’s Distinguished Service Award in 2016. He is a legal consultant and member of the North Carolina Medical Society Ethical and Judicial Affairs Committee and serves as chair of the North Carolina Health Care Facilities Association Associate Advisory Committee. He currently serves as chairman of the board of directors of FutureCare Foundation of North Carolina.
Matt Fisher represents health care providers, with an emphasis on HIPAA compliance, privacy, and information security matters, and Certificate of Need law. He is a member of the American Health Law Association and the North Carolina Bar Association, and is active in the North Carolina Society of Health Care Attorneys, where he currently serves as chair of the Governance & Planning Committee. 
Matthew G.T. Martin has joined First Citizens Bank as chief counsel. He will oversee corporate and general bank legal functions and litigation management, and he will advise executive management and its corporate board on legal matters. Martin will also serve as Corporate Secretary to the First Citizens BancShares Board of Directors. Before his role with First Citizens Bank, Martin was the U.S. Attorney for the Middle District of North Carolina, and as part of this role, he led the U.S. Department of Justice prosecution office. Martin has prior experience as Associate General Counsel of Duke Energy. He received a J.D. from the University of North Carolina School of Law, where he was the editor in chief of the North Carolina Law Review, and a bachelor’s degree from the University of North Carolina.
Brian Assessor has joined the firm as a senior associate attorney. Assessor helps companies obtain patent protection for their computer and software technologies. He oversees U.S. and international patent drafting and prosecution in a number of technical areas including hardware, software, network infrastructures, semiconductors, and more. Assessor has previous experience in international law and intellectual property law, and he worked as a patent examiner at the U.S. Patent and Trademark office. He holds a J.D. from the University of Baltimore School of Law and a B.S. in computer engineering with a concentration in cognitive science from Villanova University.
Deborah Gerhardt has joined Michael Best as of counsel and will work in the Intellectual Property practice group. She represents a variety of clients who include Fortune 500 corporations, small businesses, nonprofits, museums, and more. She was in private practice for nearly 10 years before becoming a professor of law at the University of North Carolina School of Law. While practicing with Michael Best, she will continue to work as the Reef C. Ivey II Excellence Fund Term Professor of Law at UNC School of Law. Gerhardt received a J.D., cum laude, from Case Western Reserve University School of Law, and she holds an A.B. from Duke University. 
J. Michael Wilson has joined Bradley Arant Boult Cummings LLP as partner in the Charlotte office. He will practice in the firm’s Tax and Trusts and Estates groups. His areas of focus include taxation, mergers and acquisitions, joint ventures and fund formations. He has experience in real estate transactions, such as joint ventures, acquisitions, development, sales, and more. Wilson also has prior experience as a tax consultant. He graduated from the University of North Carolina School of Law with a J.D. and from UNC Chapel Hill, where he received a B.S. in business administration with a concentration in accounting.
Austin Rowe Kessler has joined the Asheville office of Hall Booth Smith. He focuses on insurance defense and general liability. Kessler has experience conducting trials and hearings in District Court and Superior Court. He has practiced in the areas of family law and civil litigation, estate planning, and criminal defense. Kessler graduated from Campbell Law School with a J.D. and from Guilford College with a B.A. in criminal justice and a minor in sociology.
The Law Offices of James Scott Farrin announced that Sheri Bangura has joined the firm as a personal injury attorney. Bangura has worked for insurance companies for more than 15 years as a multi-state insurance claims adjuster. Sheri graduated cum laude from North Carolina Central University School of Law, where she earned a J.D. While in law school, she was a torts tutor and research assistant and was involved in the NCCU Student Bar Association as a 2L representative. She holds a a Bachelor of Science in criminal justice with a minor in sociology from Old Dominion University.
Bradley Arant Boult Cummings LLP has announced that 24 attorneys have joined the firm’s offices, including Lissette C. Payne, who has joined the Charlotte office as an attorney in the Banking and Financial Services Practice Group. She is designated as a Certified Information Privacy Professional by the International Association of Privacy Professionals, with U.S. Private Sector (CIPP/US) and European (CIPP/E) concentrations. Payne received her B.A. in political science from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and her J.D. from the University of North Carolina School of Law.
Scott Harkey established Harkey Litigation, located in Winston-Salem. Harkey was the Senior Financial Crimes Prosecutor for the the North Carolina Conference of District Attorneys. He specializes in white collar defense, investigations, and complex civil litigation. A Board Certified Specialist in North Carolina Criminal Law, Harkey is a member of the North Carolina Bar Foundation Civic Education and Engagement Committee. He holds a B.A. from North Carolina State University and a J.D. from Campbell Law School.
The Law Offices of James Scott Farrin announced that Alexandria Tuttle is now an associate attorney with the personal injury department. Tuttle obtained a B.A. in political science from North Carolina State University and a J.D. from North Carolina Central University School of Law. During law school, Tuttle worked full-time as a paralegal with The Law Offices of James Scott Farrin. As an attorney with the firm, she serves on the Social Services Committee to help local non-profits.
William S. Smoak Jr. has joined Nelson Mullins Riley & Scarborough LLP as a partner in the firm’s Charlotte office. Smoak is a corporate attorney who represents clients in a variety of mergers and acquisitions and general corporate activities. He graduated with a J.D. from Duke University School of Law, where he was a member of the Order of the Coif. Smoak received a B.A., magna cum laude, in history from Davidson College.
Alexander M. Gormley has joined Williams Mullen. Gormley, an attorney in the firm’s Litigation Section, will practice in the Raleigh office. Gormley has more than 10 years of experience as a litigator. He has experience in complex commercial litigation, professional liability, ERISA and employment law. Gormley obtained a J.D., summa cum laude, from the University of Maryland School of Law and a bachelor’s degree, summa cum laude, from the University of Pennsylvania.
The Fresh Market, Inc., based in Greensboro, announced earlier this month that Gerald L. Walden Jr. has been appointed to serve as its first Vice President, Deputy General Counsel and Head of Diversity. He joined The Fresh Market in 2004 and was serving as Vice President, Head of Legal at the time of the announcement. Walden graduated summa cum laude from North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University in 1996 with a Bachelor of Science in mechanical engineering. He received the Juris Doctor in 2001 from North Carolina Central University School of Law, where he served as Director of Externships (Adjunct Clinical Professor) from 2011-19. Walden earned an MBA from the Elon University Martha and Spencer Love School of Business in 2014. He served on the NCBA Board of Governors and NCBF Board of Directors from 2016-19, is a former co-chair of the Minorities in the Profession Committee, and in 2013 received the NCBA’s Citizen Lawyer Award.
Kent Jones focuses his practice in commercial real estate development, finance, commercial leasing, loan workouts and general corporate law. He assists developers, public/private partnerships, investors, and lenders in managing and closing commercial real estate transactions. Jones graduated from Sewanee: The University of the South with a Bachelor of Arts and from the Cumberland School of Law at Samford University with a J.D.
Josh Stone focuses his practice in commercial real estate transactions. He has assisted clients in many transactional matters, such as real estate acquisitions and development and real estate based financing, as well as other corporate matters. Stone also has prior experience as a financial advisor. He graduated from West Virginia University with a Bachelor of Science in economics and from West Virginia University College of Law with a J.D.
Samantha Hovaniec is now an associate at Brooks, Pierce, McLendon, Humphrey & Leonard, LLP, and she will work in the Raleigh office. Hovaniec practices transactional law and represents businesses in corporate matters: mergers and acquisitions, corporate governance, and equity and debt financing. She graduated from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill with a B.A. in political science and economics and from UNC School of Law with a J.D.
Cranfill Sumner LLP (CSH Law) welcomes Joan Welborn, who is now a paralegal in the Raleigh office. She will work with the firm’s Workers’ Compensation Practice Group. Welborn has previous experience in employment and family law, as well as workers’ compensation defense. She received her paralegal certificate from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Welborn earned a B.S. in business administration, management and organizational development from Mount Olive College and an MBA in human resource management from Strayer University.
Ragsdale Liggett recently welcomed Paula Murray as the newest partner in the firm. Murray joined the firm in 2016 and practices in the Residential Real Estate Group. Her skills have been recognized in peer-reviewed publications including Best Lawyers in America “Ones to Watch,” Super Lawyers Rising Stars, and Business North Carolina magazine Legal Elite editions. Murray is a 2007 graduate of Meredith College, where she earned a B.A. in political science with a concentration in law and justice. She is a 2011 graduate of Campbell Law School. Murray resides in Raleigh with her husband and daughter.