Practice Areas: 

Workers’ Compensation, Mediations/Alternative Dispute Resolution, Personal Injury, Insurance Defense, Property Disputes, Homeowners’ Association Litigation, Business Litigation, Construction Law, Landlord/Tenant Law, Family Law

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Education / Licenses / Other Certifications:

New York State Regents Diploma, Frontier Central High School, 1991

B.A. Biology, State University of New York at Geneseo, 1995    

Juris Doctor, North Carolina Central University, 2001

North Carolina Certified Mediator, 2018

Martindale-Hubbell AV Preeminent Rating, 2018-2020

Admitted to Practice: 

North Carolina, 2001

U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of North Carolina, 2001

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Member:

North Carolina Bar Association
North Carolina Bar Association Workers’ Compensation Section
North Carolina Bar Association Dispute Resolution Section
North Carolina Association of Defense Attorneys

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Professional Experience:

I grew up in Hamburg, New York, a small town south of Buffalo. I have held a job since the age of 14. I first started working as a dishwasher in several local fish fry restaurants. Throughout high school and college, I worked as a tinsmith in a sheet metal shop and painted houses. During the summer months, I also worked as a lifeguard on Lake Erie. I enlisted in the US Army Reserve following college and became a Parachute Rigger. After a short stint as a genetics lab technician, I became a middle school special education teacher in Durham, NC.

After teaching a few years I decided to attend Law School. Upon receiving my law degree, I worked for several, established Plaintiff’s Injury Firms in the Raleigh/Durham area, where I primarily handled motor vehicle accident cases and workers’ compensation claims. These positions led me to Wilmington in 2005 and into workers’ compensation defense for all varieties of employers, public entities, and insurance companies. Since 2012, I have defended more than 400 workers’ compensation matters for a myriad of clients ranging from mom and pop businesses, to large corporations, municipalities and school systems. I have also had the privilege of handling traffic matters, child custody and divorce cases, homeowners’ association litigation, and property disputes.  My mediation practice has been growing steadily the last few years as well.

In addition to my practical experiences. I am also extremely involved in the profession. I maintain an AV Rating by Martindale-Hubbell. The Martindale-Hubbell AV Rating is a peer review rating system designed to reflect an attorney’s ethical standards and professional ability. It surveys attorney colleagues across multiple geographic locations and jurisdictions. Attorneys are rated using five key areas including Legal Knowledge, Analytical Capabilities, Judgement, Communication Ability and Legal Experience. I am also a member of the North Carolina Bar Association and the North Carolina Association of Defense Attorneys. I have written and presented at my former law firm’s annual education seminar multiple times, the NC PRIMA conference, and most recently I have been involved in creating a continuing ed seminar regarding the opioid crisis and how it relates to the practice of workers’ compensation.

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Dispute Resolution Training:

I underwent formal mediation training with Andy Little’s, Mediation Inc., in January 2018 and became a Certified Superior Court Mediator in April 2018. Andy Little was one of the first certified mediators in North Carolina and is considered a premier negotiator. His instruction helped me to better understand the art of negotiation and to fine-tune my own negotiating tactics as both practitioner and mediator. 

Additional Skills, Training or Experience:

My diverse experiences as a student, soldier, employee, educator, coach, boss, husband and parent have provided me with ample insights regarding the negotiation process and the value of reaching agreement. I am also the son of a hardworking, truck driver and have a blue-collar background. These factors enable me to communicate with individuals from all walks of life and to better understand their experiences. Over the years I have also advocated and fundraised for the non-profit organization Kids’ Chance of North Carolina that serves children who have lost a parent in a work-related accident. It is the culmination of these life experiences and skills that will enable me to best serve my clients