Top Rated Employment & Labor Attorney in Winston-Salem, NC

Honors/Awards:

• Best Lawyers in America - Employment Law - Individual , Best Lawyers in America, US News & World Report, 2021
• Fellow, Litigation Counsel of America, Litigation Counsel of America, 2020
• Everyday Award Recipient, Winston-Salem Ambassadors, 2019
• Outstanding Women in Business Honoree, Triad Business Journal, 2016
• This award recognizes and honors the top professional women in the Piedmont Triad., Women Extraordinaire Award Recipient, Piedmont Triad, Business Leader Media, 2010
• Chosen for selection in 2011 and 2012 Legal Elite, Young Guns.  Legal Elite winners represent less than 3% of the state's lawyers., Legal Elite, Young Guns, Business North Carolina, 2011
• Who's Who in American Law 2009-2010, Who's Who in American Law , MarquisWhosWho, 2009
• Charles F. Blanchard Outstanding Young Lawyer of the Year 2007-2008 North Carolina Bar Association Young Lawyers Division - presented to one YLD member for service to public and bar, Charles F. Blanchard Outstanding Young Lawyer of the Year , North Carolina Bar Association Young Lawyers Division, 2007

Bar/Professional Activity:

• Board of Governor North Carolina Bar Association Foundation 
• North Carolina Bar Association Board of Govenors
• Forsyth County Bar Association Executive Committee - At Large Member
• North Carolina Association of Defense Attorneys (Board of Directors, 2011-2014; Women Litigators Committee Chair, 2013-2014; Young Lawyers Executive Committee, Chair 2009-2010, Vice-Chair, 2008-2009, Member, 2004-2007)
• Supervising Attorney - Wake Forest University School of Law Litigation Clinic 
• NCBA Leadership Academy Co-Chair, 2014-2019
• North Carolina Bar Association: Young Lawyers Division: Chair, 2010-2011; Chair-Elect, 2009-2010; Chair of Disaster Legal Services Committee, 2008-2009; Division Director, 2007-2008; Chair of Poverty Issues Committee, 2006-2007; Poverty Issues Committee Member, 2005
• North Carolina Bar Association: CLE Committee, Chair, 2016-2018; Vice-Chair, 2014-2015; Marketing Subcommittee Chair, 2012-2014
• American Bar Association Young Lawyer’s Division District 9 (North Carolina) Representative 2008-2009, 2008

Pro bono/Community Service:

• Greensboro Women's Resource Center, pro bono hotline volunteer (2016-present)
• Immediate Past President Board of Directors of Susan G. Komen Norwest North Carolina (2017-2018); President (2016-2017); Vice-President (2014-2015), Board Member (2012 -present); Public Advocacy Committee Chair (2013-2014; 2017-2018); Board Development Committee Chair (2014-2015).
• United Way Young Leaders United Young Leaders United (YLU) is made up of Forsyth County 18-40 year olds who demonstrate leadership by helping to make lasting positive changes in our community. The group’s mission is to promote and encourage the spirit of philanthropy and volunteerism among young people in Forsyth County. YLU members are recognized as community leaders. Members will enjoy exclusive opportunities to participate in service projects, social gatherings, professional development meetings and more and give 24 hours a year of volunteer time., 2011

Scholarly Lectures/Writings:

• CLE Presentation: “Ethical Considerations Regarding Expert Witnesses.”, “Ethical Considerations Regarding Expert Witnesses” , Part of Mastering the Expert Witness Deposition CLE for the North Carolina Association of Defense Attorneys, August 1, 2013., 2019
• “Legal Landmines Facing Small Business Owners,” Fearless Winston-Salem, September 18, 2018., “Legal Landmines Facing Small Business Owners,”, Fearless Winston-Salem., 2018
• CLE Presentation , “The Nitty Gritty of Depositions, Part 1,” The Nitty Gritty of Discovery, Annual Trial Skills CLE , North Carolina Association of Defense Attorneys Young Lawyers Committee, 2016
• "Ethical Considerations Regarding Expert Witnesses," part of Mastering the Expert Witness Deposition CLE for NCADA, August 1, 2013, Instructor, 2013
• Presenter of 2-hour continuing education program for nurses, “Legal Aspects to the Faith Community Preparation Course” for the Congregational Nurse and Health Ministry Program approved by the International Parish Nurse Resource Center, October 21, 2010, October 20, 2011, October 18, 2012, October 16, 2013, and October 22, 2014., Instructor, Legal Aspects to the Faith Community Preparation Course, 2010
• Presenter at “Medicine and Law 101 – A Medical Legal Liability Seminar for Health Care Providers": May 30, 2009, March 25, 2011, April 12, 2013, annd May 15, 2015.  Wake Forest University Baptist School of Medicine.  This was a continuing medical education program.  , Instructor, “Medicine and Law 101 – A Medical Legal Liability Seminar for Health Care Providers, 2009
• A Survey of Rule 11 in North CarolinaJudge W. Erwin Spainhour (Cabarrus County Senior Resident Superior Court Judge) and Roberta B. King (Bennett & Guthrie, PLLC), 28th Annual Meeting North Carolina Association of Defense Attorneys (June 2005). , Co-author, A Survey of Rule 11 in North Carolina, 2005

Verdicts/Settlements:

• Clayborn v. Novant Health, Inc., ___ N.C.App. ___, 656 S.E.2d 15 (2008).  On the night of 2 July 2001, Ms. Grier was admitted to Forsyth Medical Center in Winston-Salem, complaining of weight loss, decreased appetite, and nausea. Ms. Grier was 102 years old at the time of her admission, and her admitting records indicated that she was at a high risk for falls. At some point during the early morning hours of 3 July 2001, Ms. Grier fell in her hospital room and fractured her right hip.  The Court of Appeals affirmed a jury verdict in favor of Forsyth Medical Center in which the jury found that the nursing staff of Forsyth Medical Center provided appropriate care to the plaintiff's decedent. I defended this case at trial with Richard Bennett.  , 2008
• Babb v. Graham, 660 S.E.2d 626 (2008), discretionary review denied, --- S.E.2d ----, 2009 WL 1245006 (April 30, 2009.)  The Court of Appeals affirmed a grant of directed verdict and jury verdict in the amount of $810,647.39 in favor of Trust beneficiaries who brought claims against former Trustee alleging breach of fiduciary duty and constructive fraud, seeking both compensatory and punitive damages. The Court of Appeals also affirmed the Trial Court's award of costs in the amount of $388,664.54, plus pre-judgment interest.   The North Carolina Supreme Court recently denied the former Trustee’s Petition for Discretionary Review. I represented one of the Trust beneficiaries along with Richard Bennett. , 2008

Representative Clients:

• BAYADA Home Health Care, Inc.
• Group Management Services, Inc.
• Emergency Restoration Experts

Other Outstanding Achievements:

• Hinson v. Jarvis, ___ N.C.App. ____, 660 S.E.2d 604 (2008). The Court of Appeals affirmed the Trial Court's grant of summary judgment in favor of wife-passenger as to claims of negligence, negligence based upon aiding and abetting and negligence based upon joint enterprise where the husband-driver was operating his pickup truck at the time of the subject accident and the wife, who never possessed a drivers license, was in no way responsible for the care, control, maintenance, or operation of the pickup owned by her husband. I successfully defended the wife-passenger along with Rodney Guthrie. The Hinson v. Jarvis decision was selected as one of the “50 Most Important Opinions” for 2008 by Lawyer’s Weekly. , 2008

Newsletters:

• Parting Comments of the YLC Chair for the NCADA 2009-2010 discussing committee activities for the year, Parting Comments of the YLC Chair

Educational Background:

• Wake Forest University School of Law [ Edit ]JD, Law  Activities and Societies: Law Review, Moot Court Board, CALI Award for Legal Research and Writing, Tutor to First Year Legal Reseach and Writing Students, 2002
• Wake Forest University, BA, Politics 1994 – 1997Activities and Societies: Golden Key International Honour Society; Pi Sigma Alpha (National Political Science Honor Society); Delta Gamma Fraternity (Vice-President Pledge Education; House Manager), 1997