NORTH CAROLINA (May 12) - Kilpatrick announced today that Business North Carolina has once again named Kilpatrick’s Winston-Salem Office Managing Partner Steve Berlin, Employee Benefits Team Lead Lois Colbert, and Raleigh Office Managing Partner Ford Robertson to the 2026 Power List.
The 2026 Power List is based on nominations, source interviews, considerable research, and years of experience covering North Carolina’s business community from the magazine’s unique statewide perspective.
Business North Carolina profiles each 2026 Power List honoree:
Steve Berlin: An experienced environmental litigator, Berlin has worked about 40 years at Kilpatrick's Winston-Salem office, where he is Managing Partner. In February, he joined the national Keep America Beautiful Board of Directors. He received the N.C. Bar Association's Citizen Lawyer Award in 2023 for his longtime advocacy of the arts. He serves on the UNC School of the Arts Board of Trustees and chairs the Board of the Arts Council of Winston-Salem and Forsyth County. The Atlanta-based law firm has about 650 attorneys, including 60 in Winston-Salem, 36 in Raleigh, and five in Charlotte.
Lois Colbert: Colbert has spent her 33-year career focusing on employee benefits, joining Kilpatrick in 1993. She leads the national firm's employee benefits practice group. An author and editor of several professional publications and frequent speaker on employee benefits and equity compensation, Colbert has been consistently recognized by Super Lawyers, Best Lawyers in America®, and other industry journals for her expertise in employee benefits and executive compensation.
Ford Robertson: Robertson joined Kilpatrick’s Raleigh office in 2004 and became its Managing Partner in 2017. The N.C. Bar Association recognized him with its Citizen Lawyer Award last year. He practices in all areas of commercial real estate, with a focus on development, leasing, and joint venture formation. He helped attract the United States Golf Association's second headquarters to Pinehurst. Robertson's real estate expertise consistently lands him on top lawyers lists by industry publications. He is a member of the Board of Directors for the Boys & Girls Club of Wake County and Communities in Schools.
Click here to read Steve, Lois, and Ford's columns on pages 91, 92, and 100, respectively.
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