North Carolina Lawyers Weekly Commercial & Consumer Litigation Power List 2024

MEDICAL MALPRACTICE

EDWARD L. BLEYNAT JR. PARTNER

FERIKES BLEYNAT & CANNON

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Ed Bleynat has practiced law for more than 30 years, and along the way, he has found that consumer and commercial litigation offers excellent opportunities to help people and businesses emerge from conflicts and refocus on the future.

“I work to level the playing field for my clients and help them solve their problems,” he says.

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HEALTHCARE

Bleynat began his legal career as a clerk to the Honorable James G. Exum Jr., then the chief justice of the North Carolina Supreme Court. After practicing law for a short time in Greensboro, he moved to his hometown of Asheville to launch a firm and raise his family.

Today, his firm has expanded to five attorneys and is named Ferikes Bleynat & Cannon.

“In my early years of law practice, commercial and consumer litigation were natural extensions of both my educational background and interests,” he says. “My top goal is to offer zealous advocacy and sound counsel to clients as they face difficulties and challenges.”

DANIEL K. BRYSON SENIOR PARTNER

For over 34 years, Dan Bryson has handled hundreds of insurance-rated disputes. He was drawn to practice commercial litigation because he liked the complexity of the cases.

As a founding partner of Milberg, Coleman, Bryson, Phillips, Grossman, Bryson is a highly respected and experienced attorney in the areas of consumer class actions, mass torts and commercial litigation. It is a role he loves.

He has written and taught numerous continuing legal education courses on a variety of insurance-related topics and has significant experience working with attorneys, funders and other partners on international litigation projects.

“My overarching goal is to bring justice to people who have been cheated by corporations,” he says. “We have a large team that can go toe-to-toe with the largest corporations.”

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Bryson is a past president of Public Justice and is now an emeritus board member. In his leadership role with Public Justice, one of his proudest accomplishments was strengthening its committee and initiatives on diversity, equity, inclusion and accessibility.

BUCKMILLER, BOYETTE & FROST RALEIGH

An attorney at Buckmiller, Boyette & Frost, Matt Buckmiller’s boutique practice represents small businesses across North Carolina.

Buckmiller has a bachelor’s degree in economics from Columbia University and received his Juris Doctor and Master of Business Administration from Temple University’s Beasley School of Law, graduating magna cum laude.

He is a past president of the commercial litigation and professional malpractice sections of the North Carolina Advocates for Justice. In May 2012, he won the first known jury verdict in North Carolina finding a bank in violation of the Equal Credit Opportunity Act. The verdict was selected by North Carolina Lawyers Weekly as the No. 1 defense verdict of the year.

“My mission is to provide professional, efficient, direct and cost-effective advice to my clients while not backing down from any challenge,” he says. “I have always felt most purposeful standing up for the little guy and small business, and I believe that is what I do best.”

J. NICHOLAS ELLIS

PARTNER

POYNER SPRUILL

ROCKY MOUNT

Nick Ellis relies on a mix of knowledge and pragmatism to help his clients resolve their problems in his practice at Poyner Spruill.

With over 36 years of experience, he represents businesses, government agencies and individuals needing someone to advocate for them in civil litigation. In 2022, the N.C. Association of Defense Attorneys awarded Ellis the J. Robert Elster Award for Professional Excellence.

“I spent the first 10 to 15 years of my practice primarily doing insurance work,” he says. “But the more I got into the commercial litigation world, the more I realized that each of my cases is unique.”

Ellis has tried nearly 100 civil jury trials, which have provided a wealth of experience.

“My experience has helped me understand how to best present my client’s case in court and the confidence to know I’ve been there before and can assess risks of litigation,” he says. “Hopefully, this puts my clients in a position to know best about going to trial or working towards a resolution of their dispute.”

FRED W. DEVORE III FOUNDING PARTNER

DEVORE, ACTON & STAFFORD CHARLOTTE

As the founding partner at DeVore, Acton & Stafford in Charlotte, Fred DeVore believes attorneys are service professionals who show compassion for their clients.

“It is important to spend time learning about the issues they face to be a strong advocate for them,” he says.

While DeVore appreciates having the opportunity to stand up for his clients and earn their trust, he also strives to inspire them to be clients for life.

“Perhaps the greatest benefit is knowing that when the case is over, you have accomplished a result that they alone could not have accomplished,” he says. “Their gratefulness is a rewarding and humbling experience.”

While strong and compassionate advocacy for clients is a hallmark of his practice, DeVore also believes demonstrating respect toward opposing counsel is key to success.

“This means treating the other attorneys as you would want to be treated,” he says. “I call it the ‘Golden Rule of Advocacy.’”

CAREN D. ENLOE PARTNER

SMITH DEBNAM RALEIGH

Caren Enloe filled a void at her firm when she agreed to defend a Fair Debt Collection Practices Act lawsuit, and along with that, she launched a new practice area. Today, she leads Smith Debnam’s consumer financial services litigation and compliance group.

“In law school, I loved the academic side of things — analyzing cases and writing,” she says. “Because most of my practice is in federal courts, those traits make me well-suited for this practice area.”

Enloe also is an active and well-known thought leader in consumer litigation and says this practice area is constantly changing and fulfills her “inner nerd.”

“My practice requires a broad base of knowledge, ranging from constitutional issues to regulatory compliance,” she says. “With the advent of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau and a new sea of regulation, it is an exciting time to be in this field, which requires curiosity and a passion for lifelong learning.”

Congratulations Alex J. Hagan, CEO of Ellis & Winters LLP, on your selection to North Carolina Lawyers Weekly’s “2024 Power Players” list.

• Fellow, American College of Trial Lawyers

• Secretary-Treasurer, International Association of Defense Counsel

• Benchmark Litigation Star, 2016 - present

• North Carolina Super Lawyer, 2006 - present

• The Best Lawyers in America®, 2006 - present

• Best Lawyers “Raleigh Lawyer of the Year”, Medical Malpractice and Personal InjuryDefendants, 2015, 2021, 2022, 2023

• Past-President, IADC Foundation

• DRI National Director, 2017 - 2020

ROBERT W. FULLER

As a shareholder at Robinson Bradshaw, Robert Fuller focuses on counseling business clients and resolving business disputes through litigation, negotiation or alternative dispute resolution mechanisms. In addition to representing corporate entities, he provides legal counsel to a collegiate sports conference in litigation and general business matters.

In recent years, most of his work has been defending class actions in courts nationwide.

“My goal is to help clients resolve disputes and move on with their business and their personal lives,” he says. “Sometimes that requires a trial, and sometimes a resolution can be achieved short of a trial, but the objective is to reach a result in the client’s best interest.”

Fuller earned his law degree with highest honors from Duke University. As an economics and business major in college, he gravitated to business-related disputes.

“My background knowledge brings value to my clients, and I find the topics both interesting and challenging,” he says.

JONATHAN HEYL PARTNER FOX ROTHSCHILD

As a member of Fox Rothschild’s litigation team, Jon Heyl focuses his practice on commercial litigation.

“I like the excitement of the high stakes and had always had an interest in business, so it has been a natural fit,” he says. “Over the years, I have found that learning new businesses and industries with each case keeps things interesting.”

He credits his mentor, Larry Sitton, with helping him forge a foundation in commercial litigation that would help him be successful as a young attorney.

“Larry happened to be one of the preeminent commercial litigation attorneys in the state,” Heyl says. “Through him, I engaged in large commercial matters.”

Heyl believes in treating those in the legal community the way he would want to be treated.

“I strive to understand what my clients want to accomplish and how they like to receive counsel,” he says. “My objective in every engagement is to achieve the best result possible for my clients, which includes evaluating different possible options.”

ELLIS & WINTERS

When Alex Hagan was in law school, a professor’s advice on how to choose a practice area set the tone for his career. She told him if he practiced with attorneys he respects and is happy to call his work family, his career would be interesting and fulfilling.

“That response has stuck with me throughout my career,” he says. “I have been lucky to work with the very best trial attorneys, some of whom I still work with today.”

Hagan, a founding member of Ellis & Winters, is known as a forward-thinking and compassionate lawyer. He played a crucial role in helping build the firm into one that provides exceptional client service.

“I have intentionally built my practice to serve many industries, and I work with many types of clients on a variety of legal issues affecting their business,” he says. “This keeps my work interesting and challenging, and I’m always looking for the next story to figure out and the next client to get to know.”

JOHN ALAN JONES FOUNDING

For John Alan Jones, honesty and trust are essential to establishing a successful law practice.

“At the same time, demonstrating your commitment to clients and refusing to be outworked will generate both trust and respect and enable you to obtain excellent results for your clients,” he says.

Jones, founding member and managing partner at Martin & Jones of Raleigh, started his career representing workers with occupational diseases caused by toxic chemicals and cotton dust.

“I was aware of the plight of North Carolina cotton mill workers who were contracting a lung disease caused by long-term exposure to cotton dust,” he says. “The cotton textile companies were well aware of the risk to their employees arising from cotton dust exposure.”

Over a seven-year period, Jones successfully represented hundreds of cotton mill workers across the state.

“My greatest reward is the profound, positive impact I have on my clients’ lives, and their expressions of gratitude are priceless,” he says.

HARRISON A. LORD

Growing up in Harnett County, Harrison Lord followed his father’s footsteps into law.

“My father was a longtime law professor who taught contracts, so I grew up immersed in conversations and considerations of contract law,” he says.

While he eventually became a trial lawyer, contracts and business continued to fascinate him. He pursued a law practice focusing on cases and issues related to commercial litigation and has never looked back.

He is the managing member of Lord & Lindley and has tried cases before judges and juries across North Carolina. He is known as a skilled problem solver and takes pride in his pragmatism.

“I think lawyers often forget that we are not just advocates and attorneys; we are counselors at law, and while it’s good to give clients right answers, that’s table stakes,” he says. “What separates good lawyers from great lawyers is the ability to go beyond what is technically correct and find an answer that is right for the client’s circumstances.”

EDWARD H. MAGINNIS MEMBER

When Ed Maginnis started Maginnis Law in Raleigh 15 years ago, he focused on building a niche plaintiff’s practice.

“There weren’t a ton of consumer litigation lawyers in North Carolina at the time, and there were tons of consumer protection cases with opportunities to represent good people with strong cases who had no idea there were lawyers who would help them,” he says.

Today, he is a member at Maginnis Howard, which has grown into a firm with 14 attorneys and offices in Raleigh, Fayetteville and Charlotte. He has remained true to his original mission of leveling the playing field for average North Carolinians and takes pride in going the extra mile with his cases.

“Big companies sometimes rely on the fact that a consumer doesn’t know their rights or that they won’t act to protect them,” he says. “Standing up against powerful entities on behalf of individuals who may feel voiceless has become my passion.”

Originally from St. Louis, Kelly Stevens has represented individuals and consumers for almost 25 years since moving to North Carolina in 1999.

She began her professional journey in plaintiffs’ civil litigation, including representing clients with personal injury, medical negligence, insurance and workers’ compensation claims. But in more recent years, she has represented multiple clients at a time in larger mass tort and consumer class action cases.

“One of the best rewards to being a lawyer is helping people and making a difference in someone’s life,” she says. “To be effective, a lawyer has to be able to navigate complex legal situations in a manner that is best for the client, and at the end of the day, that is often standing up to companies who take advantage of consumers.”

According to Stevens, companies left unchecked can reap enormous profits from deceptive consumer practices. Her mission is to stand up for North Carolina residents to halt this behavior.

Born and reared in the small communities of Salisbury and Spencer, Mona Lisa Wallace showed early leadership skills and excelled in high school and college, graduating from Wake Forest University School of Law in 1979.

With her law degree in hand and her eye on litigation, she returned to Salisbury to practice law but struggled to get a job as a female trial lawyer. So, she began focusing on family law and representing victims of domestic abuse. She became a highly sought-after attorney, and as her reputation grew, she expanded into other practice areas, including complex class actions.

“Our firm has decades of experience representing wronged consumers, employees and borrowers in state and federal court,” she says.

Wallace is a long-time supporter of Public Justice, a national nonprofit legal advocacy organization that aims to protect consumers, employees, civil rights and the environment. She also is a founding member of the American Museum of Tort MONA LISA WALLACE

Robert Zaytoun began his career in 1976 in Tampa, Florida, where he practiced at a personal injury plaintiff firm before returning to North Carolina, his home state, in 1979 to accept a position as assistant district attorney for

Zaytoun returned to private practice in 1982, focusing on criminal defense. His practice eventually evolved, and he began representing clients in a variety of matters, including business litigation, catastrophic personal injury, medical malpractice and health care fraud.

Today, he is a principal at Zaytoun & Ballew in Raleigh.

“As a plaintiff’s attorney, I am usually confronting corporations backed by huge insurance companies with lawyers from large firms, well-funded and usually formidable adversaries,” he says. “I like fighting for the underdog.

Zaytoun credits his father, a U.S. Marine in World War II, with influencing his life and career.

“My father told me, ‘Keep your head down, prepare for your adversaries’ best, and never give up.’ He was my all-time hero and role model,” Zaytoun says.