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.
David Needham has joined the firm and is a member of the eminent domain practice. Needham has experience with eminent domain cases in North Carolina and Georgia. For more than 15 years, he has represented clients in real estate closings and eminent domain cases. He has founded both eminent domain and real estate owned practices. He received a J.D. from Texas A&M University School of Law and a B.A. in political science and criminal justice from Indiana University.
Parry Law Welcomes Andrew Kasper
Andrew Kasper has joined Parry Law, PLLC and will practice complex commercial litigation with the firm. Kasper will represent businesses, government entities, nonprofit organizations, and individual clients in state and federal courts across North Carolina. Kasper has previous experience as a senior legal advisor to the Office of Governor Roy Cooper. He served as General Counsel to the North Carolina Departments of Public Safety and Revenue. Kasper earned a J.D. from the University of North Carolina School of Law, an M.S. in economics from the University of Texas at Austin, and a B.A. with highest honors and distinction from the University of Michigan at Ann Arbor.
Amanda Just Joins Ragsdale Liggett
Amanda Just will practice in the firm’s Raleigh office and is a part of Ragsdale Liggett’s litigation group. She has 16 years of experience in complex litigation, and her practice is focused on health care, construction, insurance, and trucking and transportation. She earned a J.D. from the University of Maryland School of Law and a B.A. from Hamilton College.
Robinson Bradshaw Announces New Attorneys
Akya S. Rice is a litigation attorney who focuses on employment disputes and counseling. She has argued in state and federal courts in matters of employment discrimination and wage-and-hour claims under state and federal statues. Rice received a J.D. from Vanderbilt University, where she was a Student Writing Editor with the Vanderbilt Journal of Transnational Law. She also holds a B.A., magna cum laude, from the University of Alabama.
Hana M. Crandall graduated from the University of Virginia School of Law with a J.D. There, she was an editorial board member of the Virginia Law & Business Review. She received a bachelor’s degree, summa cum laude, in cognitive studies and communication studies from Vanderbilt University. Crandall has experience serving as a clerk for Judge Thomas A. Varlan of the Eastern District of Tennessee.
M. Bennett Wright graduated from Duke University School of Law, magna cum laude, with a J.D. and L.L.M. in law and entrepreneurship. While in law school, he was a member of the Duke Law Journal editorial board. He was also a Mordecai Scholar and a member of the Order of the Coif. He holds a bachelor’s degree, magna cum laude, in engineering from Baylor University, where he was a Regents’ Gold Scholar. He served as a clerk for Judge Todd M. Hughes of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit.
Smith Anderson Adds New Attorneys
Lauren Davis is a member of the firm’s Banking and Finance group and focuses her practice in the areas of commercial lending, corporate finance, private equity, mezzanine financing and commercial real estate finance transactions. Davis received her J.D. from the University of North Carolina School of Law. During her time in law school, she worked for the startup NC Law Clinic in Chapel Hill as a Certified Student Practitioner. She earned a B.A. in finance, with honors, from Michigan State University.
Deborah McDermott will work with the Trusts and Estates practice at the firm. She advises clients on estate planning, estates administration and other matters involving trusts and estates. McDermott is a Board Certified Specialist in Estate Planning and Probate Law and a Certified Financial Planner. She obtained a J.D., with honors, from the University of North Carolina School of Law. Prior to law school, she worked at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill as associate director of gift planning. She holds a B.A. from UNC Chapel Hill.
James Todd will practice with the firm’s real estate development group. Todd’s area of expertise is in commercial real estate, land use and zoning. He has experience assisting contract purchasers, shopping center owners and landowners. He earned a J.D., summa cum laude, from Campbell Law School, where he was a Chief Submissions Editor for Campbell Law Review. He also holds a B.A. from Rhodes College.