We are proud to announce the inclusion of 13 MLG attorneys across several practice areas in Best Lawyers in America, 2018.
Corporate
Kenneth G. Carroll
Ken has represented buyers and sellers in numerous acquisitions, divestitures and mergers ranging in size from $100,000 to over $750,000,000. Ken has represented business entities in structuring and negotiating joint ventures and strategic alliances. Ken also provides general corporate and business advice to many of North Carolina’s leading companies.
W.H. “Kip” Johnson III
Kip is an experienced securities and technology attorney and has helped raise more than $500 million of venture capital, private equity and angel investments to grow client. Kip also assists clients on strategic alliances, technology transfer and licensing arrangements, mergers and acquisitions, employee recruitment and retention issues and commercialization strategies for new technologies. Kip works with clients from seed-stage start-ups to mature operating companies. His practice primarily focuses on representing information technology, software-as-a-service, apps, gaming, telecommunications, e-commerce, social media, life science, green development and socially responsible companies. Kip also represents a number of investment funds in fund formation, syndication and portfolio company investments.
Gene Jones
Gene has been a corporate and securities attorney in the Triangle for over 18 years and has worked with a broad range of public and private companies. Gene regularly advises clients on corporate governance, mergers and acquisitions, divestitures, spin-offs, fund formation and investment, corporate finance, private equity, securities offerings and financings, venture capital and complex commercial transactions. Gene’s industry experience includes the following: pharmaceutical, software, information technologies, electronics, military/defense contractors, furniture, textiles, communications, building products, real estate, convenience stores, energy, electric membership corporations (EMCs) and manufacturing, distribution and service companies.
Employment
Amie Flowers Carmack
Utilizing more than 21 years of experience in workforce law and litigation, Amie works closely with her clients to help them achieve their organizational and professional goals, all while mitigating the risk associated with work-related strategies and decisions. She helps business leaders do the right thing and position themselves to prove what they did, in compliance with complex local, state, national and international workforce regulations and case law.
Intellectual Property
J. Christopher Jackson
Christopher Jackson is an experienced business litigator who represents both plaintiffs and defendants in complex commercial matters. A significant portion of his practice involves technology (e.g., software, healthcare IT, and e-commerce) and intellectual property (e.g., copyright, trademark, and patent) disputes. He also has considerable experience in matters involving unfair competition, trade secrets, business torts, fraud, artistic property, and privacy concerns. Christopher has litigated cases successfully in both federal and state courts throughout North Carolina, as well as in various other courts throughout the southeastern United States. His clients range from publicly traded, market-leading technology companies to mid-size and small privately held businesses, as well as entrepreneurs, artists, and other individuals.
Mitch Tuchman
Mitch helps publishers and authors develop mutually beneficial business relationships. He also helps copyright and trademark owners optimize the value of their intellectual property and defend their intellectual property rights. His copyright clients include publishers of books and scholarly journals, authors, authors’ and artists’ estates, architects, photographers, filmmakers, software and Web site owners and developers, colleges and universities. Before becoming an IP attorney, Mitch spent 10 years as a freelance writer and editor and 14 years as publisher of exhibition and collection catalogues at the Los Angeles County Museum of Art. Because he has been both a publisher and writer, he understands copyright matters from the client’s perspective.
Litigation
William J. Brian, Jr.
Bill focuses his practice in the areas of business litigation, land use and municipal law. He has extensive experience in obtaining development permissions from local governments, handling real estate and land use related litigation matters, and negotiating leases, contracts, and other commercial real estate documents. Bill regularly represents clients in litigation involving business disputes and disputes with governmental entities, in quasi-judicial and administrative proceedings and in eminent domain actions.
J. Christopher Jackson
Christopher Jackson is an experienced business litigator who represents both plaintiffs and defendants in complex commercial matters. A significant portion of his practice involves technology (e.g., software, healthcare IT, and e-commerce) and intellectual property (e.g., copyright, trademark, and patent) disputes. He also has considerable experience in matters involving unfair competition, trade secrets, business torts, fraud, artistic property, and privacy concerns. Christopher has litigated cases successfully in both federal and state courts throughout North Carolina, as well as in various other courts throughout the southeastern United States. His clients range from publicly traded, market-leading technology companies to mid-size and small privately held businesses, as well as entrepreneurs, artists, and other individuals.
Shannon R. Joseph
Shannon Joseph joined Morningstar in 2014 after serving as a state Superior Court Judge and a North Carolina Administrative Law Judge. Since her return to private practice, she has been recognized as a Super Lawyer, a member of Business North Carolina’s Legal Elite, and has become a member of the American Arbitration Association’s Panel of Arbitrators for Commercial and Employment matters. With over 20 years experience from a career in private practice and judicial service, Shannon now advises business and individual clients with every aspect of dispute resolution and management – from Early Dispute Resolution, to trial and arbitration representation and consultation, through appeal.
Mack Paul
Mack focuses his practice on zoning, land use, environmental permitting, public financing, and public policy. He specializes in regulatory approvals for large, mixed used developments and urban infill. He also focuses on public-private-partnerships and public finance of infrastructure that supports development projects. He has represented owners, developers, coalition groups and businesses in all types of development and governmental issues such as the proposed ban on disposers by the City of Raleigh and rental registration for the apartment industry. At the coast, Mack has represented local governments, property owners and environmental groups on fisheries issues, sea level rise policy, coastal development and large infrastructure projects such as inlet relocations.
Real Estate and Land Use
Jason Barron
Jason focuses on land use and zoning and has represented land owners and developers on a wide range of development projects. He is well-versed in development projects, able to guide clients from the rezoning stage, through the issuance of building permits, and enforcement issues that arise during the life of a development.
Michael Birch
Michael focuses his practice on land use and zoning, commercial real estate, and land use and real estate-related litigation. He’s experienced in obtaining and protecting development approvals from local governments and state agencies. Michael regularly represents landowners and developers before local governing boards, planning boards and boards of adjustment in communities across the state and assists in the development process at the zoning, site plan, conditional and special use permit, variance, building permit, and enforcement stages of a project.
William J. Brian, Jr.
Bill focuses his practice in the areas of business litigation, land use and municipal law. He has extensive experience in obtaining development permissions from local governments, handling real estate and land use related litigation matters, and negotiating leases, contracts, and other commercial real estate documents. Bill regularly represents clients in litigation involving business disputes and disputes with governmental entities, in quasi-judicial and administrative proceedings and in eminent domain actions.
Patrick L. Byker
Patrick focuses his practice in the areas of zoning, land use and municipal law, real estate litigation and commercial real estate law. Having received a law degree from UNC-Chapel Hill in 1992 and a Master’s Degree in Regional Land Use Planning from UNC-Chapel Hill in 1994, Patrick is uniquely suited to advise clients on how to obtain the appropriate governmental approvals to move real estate development projects forward. He has extensive experience representing clients before local elected officials to approve high-quality real estate development throughout the Triangle.
Mack Paul
Mack focuses his practice on zoning, land use, environmental permitting, public financing, and public policy. He specializes in regulatory approvals for large, mixed used developments and urban infill. He also focuses on public-private-partnerships and public finance of infrastructure that supports development projects. He has represented owners, developers, coalition groups and businesses in all types of development and governmental issues such as the proposed ban on disposers by the City of Raleigh and rental registration for the apartment industry. At the coast, Mack has represented local governments, property owners and environmental groups on fisheries issues, sea level rise policy, coastal development and large infrastructure projects such as inlet relocations.
Stephanie C. Powell
Stephanie’s main area of practice is real estate development, with a focus on the acquisition, leasing, financing, development, sale and exchange of various types of commercial properties, including office, medical office, multi- family, shopping center, retail, flex and multi-use projects. She is experienced in negotiating, drafting, reviewing and analyzing complex and multiple integrated documents such as purchase and sale agreements, options, leases, loan documents, easements, declarations and covenants. Stephanie has also implemented defeasance transactions, Section 1031 exchanges, reverse exchanges and tenant in common exchanges. Stephanie’s approach to her work is to achieve the client’s goals and identify and reduce risk. Stephanie also works with clients in business and corporate transactions including acquisitions, entity formation, mergers, and purchase and sale of assets and ownership interests.
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