Checking In: April 25, 2023

Compiled by Jessica Junqueira

Hensen Fuerst Announces New Attorney

Jordan Godwin has joined the firm, where he focuses on complex litigation. He serves on the Board of Directors for Methodist University’s Legal Studies Department and as Co-Regional Coordinator for the North Carolina High School Mock Trial Program. Godwin received his J.D. from Samford University’s Cumberland School of Law in 2020. There, he joined the American Journal of Trial Advocacy. He directed Cumberland’s Arbitration and Mediation program and led the Arbitration Team as they participated in the ABA national Arbitration Competition. He holds a bachelor’s degree from Methodist University.

Ragsdale Liggett Welcomes New Partner

Elizabeth H. Overmann has joined the firm, where she is a partner in the civil litigation group. Overmann works in the Raleigh office. She has practiced as an attorney for twenty years. Overmann has expertise in trucking, personal and catastrophic injury, construction, premises and product liability. She is admitted to practice in state and federal courts in North Carolina and South Carolina and state courts in Virginia. She holds a J.D. from Campbell Law School and a B.S. in criminal justice, cum laude, from Appalachian State University.

New Attorney Joins Smith Anderson

Tess Rogers has joined the firm, and she is a member of the Real Estate Development and Litigation groups. She has prior experience working with financial, construction and other clients in connection with internal investigations, compliance with financial, securities, banking and licensing regulations and evaluating risk of potential litigation. She holds a J.D. from Duke University School of Law, where she served as the executive editor of Duke Environmental Law & Policy Forum, and a bachelor’s degree in environmental science, cum laude, from the University of North Carolina at Wilmington.

Wagner Hicks Selects New Partner

Tyler B. Peacock has joined the firm as a partner, and he will practice with the firm’s Complex Commercial Litigation, Labor & Employment, Class Action Litigation, and Healthcare teams. Peacock has close to ten years of experience in advising clients in business, employment, and healthcare law. He represents clients in state and federal courts and before the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission and Office of Administrative Hearings. Peacock holds a J.D. from the University of Michigan School of Law and a B.A. in psychology and political science from the University of Michigan.

Wake Family Law Group Names Two New Partners

Rachel Beard is now a partner with the firm. Her practice is focused on family law litigation and negotiation, as well as mediation and parent coordination. Beard is a Board Certified Family Law Specialist. She is a certified Dispute Resolution Commission mediator in North Carolina. Before she attended law school, she was a sports reporter and a website sports producer. She graduated from Campbell University School of Law and from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, where she received a B.A. in journalism and mass communication and history.

Melanie Phillips was also selected as a partner. Her practice is focused on family law litigation, negotiation and appeals. Phillips is a Board Certified Family Law Specialist. She received her J.D. from the University of Michigan Law School. During law school, Phillips was admitted to the Child Advocacy Law Clinic and was a participant in the Campbell Moot Court Competition. She served as an intern with the California Attorney General’s Office and the San Francisco City Attorney’s Office. She holds a B.A. in English, cum laude, from the University of California, Los Angeles.

Whitley, Jordan, Inge & Rary, P.A. Adds New Attorney

Evan S. Hiatt has joined the law firm. He will represent clients accused of traffic offenses, impaired driving and misdemeanor and felony criminal offenses, and he will also handle child support and matters in abuse, neglect and dependency court, referred to as “DSS Court.” He is a 2019 graduate of the University of North Carolina School of Law. There, he was involved in student government and was the third-year class president. He served as an intern in the offices of Chief Judge Frank D. Whitney in the Western District of North Carolina U.S. District Court, and Chief Justice Paul M. Newby in the North Carolina Supreme Court. He received his B.S. in secondary history education from Appalachian State University.