WINSTON-SALEM (January 2) – Kilpatrick announced today that sixteen of the firm’s attorneys were selected for recognition on the annual Business North Carolina’s 2024 “Legal Elite” list.

Winners were selected through an online, peer-to-peer voting process conducted by a third-party research company. Ballots were sent to lawyers from the North Carolina State Bar to nominate the best lawyers across multiple practice areas. Attorneys who received the highest number of votes were given special distinction as Hall of Fame members.

The following Kilpatrick attorneys were recognized on the Business North Carolina’s 2024 “Legal Elite” list:

Appellate Law
Adam Charnes focuses his practice on appellate, constitutional, and complex commercial litigation. Mr. Charnes has extensive experience in cases pending in federal and state courts of appeals across the nation, including the United States Supreme Court.

Corporate Law
Sarah Elizabeth Barnes advises public and private companies on a wide range of corporate issues including mergers, acquisitions, joint ventures, financing transactions, and other complex commercial transactions. She has in-depth experience representing companies in the healthcare industry.

Brian Brown focuses his practice on a wide range of corporate matters, from counseling start-ups on business formation to representing industry leaders on corporate reorganizations, divestitures, and complex, large-scale mergers, acquisitions, and joint ventures.

John Erwin represents public and private businesses in a wide range of corporate issues including strategic mergers, acquisitions, joint ventures, and other complex commercial transactions, both domestically and internationally. His clients include health care providers, technology companies, and industry leading global corporations.

Will Joyner focuses his practice on business and corporate law, mergers and acquisitions, and private equity. In his M&A practice, he regularly represents public companies, private equity funds, major nonprofit organizations and private middle market businesses across a wide range of industries.

Employment Law
Sarah Spangenburg focuses her practice on focuses her practice on labor and employment law.

Environmental Law
Steve Berlin* has significant experience in several areas of environmental law, including environmental litigation, business transactions involving environmental issues and environmental compliance matters. (*Hall of Fame)

Alan McConnell provides environmental representation, counseling and litigation services on a wide range of legislative, administrative and regulatory matters in the field of environmental law, with a particular emphasis on the Clean Air Act.

Benjamin Smith concentrates his practice in the area of energy regulation and related energy policy and regulatory work. 

Intellectual Property Law
Alton Absher III focuses his practice in patent litigation, licensing, and proceedings before the Patent Trial and Appeal Board and International Trade Commission. He has significant experience in all phases of litigation, including trials and appeals.

Steven Gardner is a nationally recognized attorney focusing on counseling and representing clients seeking to strategically meet objectives, solve problems, and grow in the intellectual-property field.

Litigation
Dustin Greene litigates complex commercial, securities, construction, real estate development, Native American, and other legal issues for both plaintiffs and defendants.

Real Estate Law
John Livingston devotes his practice to sustainable development, including mixed-use projects, LEED certified projects, and renewable energy transactions.

B. Ford Roberston is the Managing Partner of the firm’s Raleigh office. He practices in virtually all aspects of commercial real estate.

Young Guns
Mikail Clark focuses his practice on business and finance, mergers and acquisitions, and securities.

Kasey Koballa focuses her practice on patent litigation matters. She has handled cases throughout the litigation process, including pre-litigation strategy, motions to dismiss, claim construction, summary judgment, through trial and post-trial motions, in various U.S. district courts as well as patent infringement and importation investigations at the International Trade Commission.

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