Checking In: March 19, 2024
Compiled by Jessica Junqueira
Allman Spry Welcomes of Counsel Attorney
James G. Downey III has joined the firm as of Counsel. Downey will work with the firm’s family law and civil litigation sections. Downey brings more than ten years of experience as an attorney to this role. He has focused on family law for more than half of his career. He holds a J.D. from Appalachian School of Law, where he was captain of the Trial Advocacy Team. He earned a B.A. in history and political science from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. He is licensed to practice law in North Carolina, Florida and Michigan.
Baker Donelson Opens Charlotte Office and Adds New Shareholders
Baker Donelson has launched an office in Charlotte and has added eight new shareholders, seven of whom are NCBA members: John E. Branch III, Thomas G. Hooper, Paul J. Osowski, Evan M. Sauda, William M. Starr, Fred M. Wood Jr., and Noelle E. Wooten. Fred M. Wood Jr. will serve as the office’s managing shareholder. Hooper, Osowski, Sauda, Starr, and Wooten will also practice in the Charlotte office; Branch will be based in the Raleigh location.
Fred M. Wood Jr. has practiced for more than 30 years. He represents companies in matters involving unfair business practices and methods of competition, the North Carolina Trade Secrets Protection Act, business torts, and class actions. Wood also practices financial services litigation. He holds a J.D. from Wake Forest University School of Law, an M.B.A. from Wake Forest University Babcock Graduate School of Management, and a B.A. from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.
John E. Branch III focuses his practice on complex business, employment, and constitutional law. He advises clients on business matters and disputes involving contracts, shareholder and LLC member issues, fraud, unfair competition, defamation, and other business-related claims. He provides counsel to and advocates for clients in constitutional and political law issues and in educational matters. He graduated from the University of North Carolina School of Law, where he earned a J.D., and from UNC, where he earned a bachelor’s degree in history.
Thomas G. Hooper focuses on complex business and commercial litigation and consumer and commercial financial services litigation. He has experience representing clients in state and federal trials, as well as in appellate courts and arbitration. His clients have included financial institutions, lenders and insurance companies. He holds a J.D. from the University of North Carolina School of Law and a B.A. from Davidson College. Read more
Natalia Lynn Talbot has joined Capua Law Firm, and she is based in the Asheville office. She brings more than ten years of experience as an attorney to this role. She has practiced criminal prosecution, bankruptcy litigation, commercial litigation, and federal appellate litigation. She graduated from Boston College Law School. After earning her J.D., she became an assistant district attorney for the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. She served as a federal law clerk under W. Carleton Metcalf, U.S. Magistrate Judge in the Western District of North Carolina. Talbot serves on the board of directors for BarCARES and was an NC Pro Bono Honor Society inductee (2022).
Sam Maier has also joined the firm. He is experienced in litigation strategy development and trial preparation. Before joining the firm, he practiced in Wilmington. He also has experience as an attorney with the International Maritime Group in Seattle, Wash. He received his J.D., cum laude, from George Washington Law School, where he graduated with honors and was a Thurgood Marshall Scholar. He holds a B.S., cum laude, from the University of Wisconsin in Oshkosh. He majored in political science and philosophy with a minor in European studies. 
Michael Berwanger has joined Advocate Health as associate general counsel. Berwanger has experience in value-based care, managed care, privacy and data security and other health care regulatory matters. He previously held the role of vice president of compliance and legal affairs at CHESS Health Solutions since June 2019, where he served as corporate secretary. Prior to this role, Berwanger was director of quality management and compliance at MedCost LLC. Berwanger serves as the Communications Chair of the NCBA Health Law Section. He holds a J.D. from the New England School of Law and a B.A. from the University of North Carolina at Greensboro. He is certified by the Health Care Compliance Association in Health Care Privacy.
Lyndsay Medlin was promoted to counsel. Medlin has practiced with the firm for eight years. She helps clients in the areas of litigation, investigation and compliance needs, and she also offers counsel to clients in matters of privacy and cybersecurity. In 2017, she was inducted into the North Carolina Pro Bono Honor Society. Medlin serves as a volunteer with the Humane Society of Charlotte. She graduated from the University of Virginia School of Law, where she was the articles development editor for Virginia Sports and Entertainment Law Journal. She holds a B.A., cum laude, from Duke University.
Ryan Bostic, who practices in the firm’s Wilmington office, has been named a partner with the firm. Bostic is a litigation attorney focusing on high exposure personal injury matters, which include wrongful death, catastrophic injury, and sexual abuse cases. Bostic defends licensed professionals against claims of professional negligence and malpractice. He has served as outside council on behalf of local governments, and he also practices community association law. He received his J.D. from Appalachian School of Law and his bachelor’s degree from West Virginia University. 
Mark E. Sullivan has more than 50 years of experience practicing law. He is a nationally recognized expert in military divorce issues and has authored the Military Divorce Handbook published by the American Bar Association. Sullivan is a retired colonel with the U.S. Judge Advocate General Corps. He has served as an expert for military pension division in cases in more than 20 states. He has been a Board Certified Specialist in Family Law for more than 30 years. He received the Legion of Merit from the U.S. Army, the Grassroots Advocacy Award from the ABA and the 2023 NCBA Distinguished Service Award from the Family Law Section.
Kristopher Hilscher serves as a consultant in military family law cases, and he also handles child custody, divorce, and family law matters. He is a Board Certified Specialist in Family Law. He is the chair of the Military Committee with the ABA Family Law Section. In 2022, he was appointed to the ABA Standing Committee on Legal Assistance for Military Personnel. He is a certified parenting coordinator and family financial mediator. He has authored articles on family law and military divorce. He serves as an appointed member of the NCBA’s Continuing Legal Education Advisory Committee (2021-2024). He holds a J.D. from Campbell Law School and a B.A. in political science from Hampden-Sydney College.
Jon Ward is now an associate with the firm. Ward has opened the new Greensboro office located in Revolution Mill. He focuses his practice on plaintiff-side personal injury litigation. He has sixteen years of experience practicing law in Greensboro. Ward is a Board Certified Appellate Practice Specialist who handles a wide variety of personal injury cases across North Carolina in state and federal courts. He holds a J.D. with honors from the University of North Carolina School of Law, where he graduated Phi Beta Kappa in 2001.
Breann Burns has joined the firm as an attorney. Burns is a 2022 graduate of Campbell Law School, where she performed in the 2021 Mock Trial Competition and was recognized by earning the all-star bracket. She participated in the 2021 American College of Bankruptcy Fourth Circuit Moot Court Event and the Old Kivitt Moot Court Competition. She holds a bachelor’s degree in business administration from the University of Rhode Island, where she was a Division I athlete on the Women’s Varsity Track and Field team and served as captain of the team. While earning her undergraduate degree, she was a student athlete orientation leader and college and business mentor.
Corrie Seagroves has joined the firm. She has practiced law for 26 years. She graduated from Vanderbilt University Law School, where she was selected as a member of the Order of the Coif. Following law school, she moved to New York to serve in the U.S. Army as a JAG officer at Fort Drum. She served as Senior Defense Counsel in Bosnia-Herzegovina during the United Nations intervention, and she also practiced at Fort Gordon in Georgia. After moving to the Triangle, she practiced in several areas of law, including medical malpractice, civil litigation, and criminal law. She received an undergraduate degree in political science and government from the University of North Carolina.
Jonathan Hall is now a partner with the firm. Hall will lead litigation teams to help companies resolve high-profile, complex commercial litigation. He has supervised more than 100 bench and jury trials in North and South Carolina, Virginia, and across the U.S. He focuses his practice on complex commercial matters and products liability cases. From 2018-19, he served as the chair of the Trial Techniques & Technology Specialized Litigation Group with the Defense Research Institute – Products Liability Section. Since 2017, he has served on the North Carolina Supreme Court Historical Society Board of Trustees. He has significant experience leading trial teams in high-exposure cases. He received his J.D. from Wake Forest University School of Law and his B.A. from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.
Michele Livingstone has joined the firm. Her practice is focused on civil and commercial litigation matters. She represents businesses and professionals in state and federal courts, and she has represented governmental entities in litigation in state, federal and appellate courts. She is the recipient of the North Carolina Bar Association Young Lawyers Division’s 2022 Charles F. Blanchard Young Lawyer of the Year Award. Livingstone serves with the NCBA Young Lawyers Division as the 2023-24 Administrative Division Director. She received her J.D. from Wake Forest University School of Law and her bachelor’s degree in political science and economics from Santa Clara University.
Gerald Koinis has joined the regulatory and public policy practice group. He focuses his practice on municipal law, land use and real estate, health care and corporate law. He assists health care providers, businesses, governmental entities and non-profits on issues related to corporate governance, health care regulations, human resources, and more. He also advises clients in the sales and acquisitions of businesses. He holds a J.D. from the Catholic University of America Columbus School of Law and a B.A. in economics and political science from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.
Josh Plummer has joined the firm’s Corporate Law Team. Plummer, who was a 2022 summer associate at the firm, is a 2023 graduate of Wake Forest University School of Law, where he served as both a teaching assistant and research assistant. He also was a participant in the Veteran’s Legal Clinic. Before attending law school, Plummer served in the United States Marine Corps and retired as a major in 2019. During his service, he was an intelligence, infantry and reconnaissance officer. He led two academic faculties and served as a liaison with U.S. embassy officials.
Lama Sinno has joined the firm as of counsel. She has practiced law for 22 years. She has experience representing clients in workers’ compensation, social security, and employment claims; parents in abuse, neglect, and dependency claims filed by the Department of Social Services; juveniles in delinquency claims; and clients who have been charged with committing crimes. She has served as a Guardian ad Litem, and she has volunteered with the Junior Women’s League of Smithfield, My Kids Club, and the Juvenile Crime Prevention Committee. She is a graduate of Campbell Law School (2001) and the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, where she earned a bachelor’s degree in political science.
Jennifer L. Crawford, a trial lawyer, is now an attorney with the firm. Crawford is a member of the firm’s team handling Camp Lejeune Justice Act Cases. She received a B.A. from Muskingum University, where she earned highest honors. Crawford graduated from Campbell Law School in 2001. While in law school, she was a member of the Trial Advocacy Team and received The Barrister’s Award. After graduating from law school, she practiced with a criminal defense firm. Then, she joined the Wake County District Attorney’s office on the prosecutorial side. She served on the Governor’s Task Force for Domestic Violence, and in 2007, she moved to the Wake County Magistrate’s Office. She volunteers at a local nursing home and at the With Love from Jesus food pantry.
Zeke Bridges joined Capital Ready Mix Concrete as Executive Vice President of HR and General Counsel. As an Executive Vice President, he develops and implements human resource strategies that align with the overall business objectives that support the company’s success. He is also the chief legal officer at Capital as general counsel. He provides strategic legal advice to the CEO and her leadership team, manages legal risks, ensures compliance, and protects the company’s interests across a broad spectrum of legal matters. Bridges served as Vice Dean at Campbell Law School (2020-2023) and Assistant Dean of Administration (2014-2020). He was an adjunct professor at Campbell (2015-2023). Bridges graduated from Campbell Law School and from the University of Georgia, where he double majored in political science and criminal justice.
Drew Heath has joined the firm as a partner. He practices with the government relationships team in Raleigh. Heath served with the North Carolina Supreme Court as the chief justice’s director of the Administrative Office of the Courts. He also worked as the state budget director on the North Carolina governor’s senior leadership team and as the secretary for the Council of State and chairman of the North Carolina Industrial Commission. He served as a Superior Court judge in Raleigh from 2017 to April 2023. He graduated from Indiana University’s Robert H. McKinney School of Law. He received an L.L.M. from Nottingham Law School and a B.S. from the University of North Carolina Asheville.
In April, Jasmine McGhee was promoted to Senior Deputy Attorney General and Director of the Consumer Protection Division at the North Carolina Department of Justice. The division is responsible for consumer protection, antitrust, and economic justice enforcement and litigation, complaint mediation, and related policy issues. Prior to this role, she was Special Deputy Attorney General/Director of the Public Protection Section, where she directed public safety and civil rights policy at NCDOJ and served as lead counsel for the Governor’s Task Force for Racial Equity in Criminal Justice, which in 2020, published 125 recommendations to improve fairness in the state’s criminal justice system. McGhee holds a J.D. from Columbia Law School. While in law school, she was a member of the Columbia Law Review and a Paul Robeson Scholar. She received her undergraduate degree in history from UNC, where she graduated with honors and distinction.
Jennings Law opened in Raleigh on April 1, 2023. Barry Jennings, owner of Jennings Law, is a Board Certified Specialist in North Carolina workers’ compensation law and a North Carolina Dispute Resolution Commission Certified Mediator. Jennings has practiced law since 2003. He has represented insurance carriers and employers at Hedrick Gardner Kincheloe & Garafaloe, LLP and individuals at The Law Offices of James Scott Farrin, where he was a partner. Jennings focuses his practice on mediation and believes that mediation is one of the most powerful tools available to parties in civil disputes and North Carolina workers’ compensation claims. He served as chair of the NCBA Workers’ Compensation Section from 2020-2021. Jennings graduated with honors from the University of North Carolina School of Law. He holds a bachelor’s degree from North Carolina State University.