Rutherford College Lawyers

James J. Exum studied Juris Doctor (Law) at the University of North Carolina Chapel Hill. He has been licensed to practice law in North Carolina since 1990.

Erica Yarborough was born and raised in Davidson County, North Carolina. She attended Central Davidson High School and obtained her undergraduate degree from Appalachian State University. She then received her Juris Doctor from North Carolina Central University School of Law. Erica now focuses her practice on family law cases, including divorce, child custody, child support, alimony, domestic violence, and equitable distribution, in Mooresville, NC.

A graduate of Duke Law School, Manvel Vasilyev is admitted to practice as an attorney in New York. Prior to establishing IntelinkLaw, Manvel was a partner with an international law firm. He also practiced with several of the most prominent regional and national law firms in the United States. Manvel is an active member of the American Immigration Lawyers Association (“AILA”) and the New York Bar Association. Through the years, Manvel gained vast experience in the areas of business and investor immigration law. He focuses on providing solutions to the complex immigration issues that enable employers to reach...

I grew up in the small town of Ahoskie, North Carolina, in the eastern part of the state. After I finished high school, I studied architecture at the University of Virginia in Charlottesville. I developed an interest in aesthetics, form, proportion, and design. All these things are instrumental in my law practice, which, I believe, are to my clients’ advantage. After finishing college, I moved to Charleston, South Carolina, where I spent several years doing freelance architectural renderings and enjoying the beauty of the Lowcountry. After living in Charleston, I shifted gears to attend law school....

Kirk J. Angel, attorney and founder of The Angel Law Firm, PLLC, is a native of Western North Carolina. He received his BA in Philosophy from the University of North Carolina at Asheville. After graduating from UNC-Asheville, Mr. Angel attended the University of Tennessee where he received a Masters in Philosophy and his law degree in 1997. After graduating from UT, Mr. Angel practiced law with a small firm in Knoxville, Tennessee focusing his practice on employment law for employees as well as personal injury and worker's compensation. He returned to his home state to work as a Trial...

I am Jeremy Bradford, the founding and managing attorney of Bradford Law. From my offices in Charlotte, NC, I travel all across North Carolina helping injured people fight against insurance companies, in what could be life-altering circumstances. I have made a point to develop strong relationships with my clients. I take the trust my clients put in me personally and put myself into every case. If my client calls, my client will always be able to speak directly with me. You will get to know me as we work our way through the personal injury process. So when we make...

I represent clients in the states of Florida, North Carolina & South Carolina in various types of legal matters, including but not limited to business law and real estate law. My career has followed a dual trajectory in litigation and corporate practice. I’ve acted as general counsel to several small businesses with regard to business development and contract work while also representing individuals and entities in complex business litigation matters relating to contract disputes, lender and financial liability matters, and real estate transactions. at both the state and federal level. My previous experience as a judicial clerk gave me insight...

Heather Ziemba is a N.C. Board-certified specialist in immigration law. Ms. Ziemba represents individuals, families, and employers in all aspects of immigration law. She has extensive experience in family-based immigration, U visas and visas for victims of domestic violence and other crimes, deportation defense including cancellation of removal, adjustment of status, and asylum, waivers of inadmissibility, consular processing, and the immigration consequences of criminal convictions. She has traveled extensively throughout Central America and Mexico and is fluent in Spanish.

Diane DePietropaolo Price has dedicated her entire legal career to criminal defense, through direct representation as well as policy work. Upon graduating from the University of North Carolina School of Law in 2008, Diane began working as an assistant public defender in Mecklenburg County, representing defendants who could not afford counsel in District and Superior Courts. From 2014 to 2017, Diane was the Public Defense Training Manager for the National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers in Washington, D.C. In that role she organized training for public defenders and private assigned counsel and advanced reform efforts in various states. From 2017...

Richard "Rick" Anderson is a native Charlottean. He received his Bachelor of Arts Degree from The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill in 1990 and his Juris Doctorate law degree from The Wake Forest University School of Law in 1993.

Rick began his law career as an associate with Price & Smith Attorneys at Law, in Charlotte in 1993. After six years, in 1999, the firm named Rick as a partner. In 2017, Rick founded Price Petho & Anderson Attorneys at Law, where he practiced until 2020.

Rick focuses his practice on workers' compensation, medical negligence, and catastrophic personal...

Founded Stewart Law, P.A. in 1995

Drawing on my skills as an Attorney and CPA, I have a passion for working with business owners who are looking to grow and improve their companies. Personal estate planning is a natural extension to ensure that the company’s growth benefits the entrepreneur and his family. I have been personally involved with Strategic Coach in Chicago and other entrepreneurial coaching and am a Board Certified Specialist in Estate Planning and Probate Law. I am admitted to practice law in Virginia, North Carolina and South Carolina and maintain active licenses in both of the Carolinas.

In addition...

We offer a broad range of immigration services including Family/Marriage Green Cards, US Citizenship, Work Visas-Business Immigration , Waivers of Inadmissibility, US Visa, K1 Fiance Visas, Removal of Conditions on Green Card, Consular Immigration Assistance, Applications for LGBT Immigrants, Deportation/Removal Defense , Deferred Action Process, and more. We represent our clients before U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (“USCIS”), the Executive Office for Immigration Review (“EOIR” or “Immigration Court”), the Board of Immigration Appeals (“BIA”), and consular posts around the world.
How can we help? Schedule a consultation now! 704-944-3239

William Vásquez is a native of Queens, NY. He served in the U.S. Air Force from 2000-2007. He is a veteran of Operation Enduring Freedom and received the Joint Service Achievement Medal for his work as a Spanish linguist for the Defense Intelligence Agency in 2005. William graduated from Campbell University in 2007 with a degree in computer science. He earned his J.D. in 2011 from the North Carolina Central University School of Law. His practice areas include immigration law and criminal defense cases. He is licensed and in good standing with the State Bar of North Carolina and...

Stephen David Koehler earned his Bachelor of Science in English and Computer Science degree from State University of New York at Stony Brook in 1987 and his Juris Doctor from Wake Forest University School of Law in 1991. Mr. Koehler joined the firm in 2012 after owning his own firm since 1999. Mr. Koehler is admitted to practice in the State Courts of North Carolina, and in North Carolina's Middle and Western United States District Courts. Mr. Koehler has handled and tried cases in almost every area of business and tort litigation. Mr. Koehler has handled major cases involving General Civil...

I am a US Marine Core veteran committed to protecting your interests and providing excellent service.

I am a graduate of DePaul University College of Law. After law school, I moved to Colorado and worked as a public defender for several years. Through this experience, I gained extensive advocacy skills and learned to effectively fight for my clients’ rights. In 2006, I relocated to Washington, D.C. to work for the Department of Veterans Affairs on the Board of Veterans Appeals (Board). During this time, I developed a passion for helping Veterans. Working for the VA, I learned how to effectively navigate through the VA process, fully develop claims and get positive results for Veterans....

Family and relationships are so important to me and I know they are for you as well. It’s one of the reasons that, after practicing many types of law, I’ve settled into the areas of law that we all will eventually face: including end-of-life planning and estate administration. I know these are often difficult topics with challenging decisions for individuals and families, especially for adult children of elderly parents, the terminally ill or those who are in domestic partnerships not legally recognized as marriage under North Carolina law. My job is to provide you with clarity on the law and...

James O. Rice, Jr. is an experienced criminal defense attorney in Asheville, who can provide you with the strong legal representation you need to fight the charges against you. When your future is on the line, it’s critical that you have someone on your side who will fight zealously for your freedom. Attorney Rice has assisted numerous clients against criminal charges, and can offer you his expertise and resources in order to help you develop a solid legal defense against the prosecution. Attorney Rice has experience with a variety of criminal law matters in North Carolina, including but not...

Edward L. Bleynat, Jr. began his legal career by clerking for James G. Exum, Jr., then the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of North Carolina. He later went to work with a major Greensboro law firm in a general litigation practice, focusing on business litigation and tort law.

In 1995, Ed, his wife and children relocated to Asheville, North Carolina to continue his law practice and to raise their family in Western North Carolina, where Ed grew up. After Ed started his own firm in 1997, he and Joe Ferikes merged their practices into Ferikes & Bleynat, PLLC in 2001.

Ed...

Brian is a Western North Carolina native, having been born and raised in Asheville. He attended Enka High School and then UNC-Chapel Hill for college. Brian attended Wake Forest University School of Law. After passing the Bar Exam, Brian practiced law in the Raleigh area, focusing his practice on serious personal injury, catastrophic injury cases, and wrongful death cases, for almost 20 years. He then moved his family and his law practice back to Asheville. Brian is an aggressive litigator who enjoys trying cases in the courtroom. He is very direct with his clients and with opposing counsel, does not...

Providence Wills and Trusts is an Estate Planning Law Firm located in Weddington, North Carolina. The managing attorney, Zachary Setzer, graduated cum laude from Washington and Lee University School of Law where he was Lead Articles Editor of the Washington and Lee Law Review and received the James C.C. Treadway Law Scholarship. Before attending law school, Zachary graduated from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill with a B.A. in Religious Studies and a B.A. in Political Science. Being a solo practice, Zachary takes pride in having the opportunity to work with every client personally,...

Serge Semirog holds degrees in Finance and Economics from the University of Massachusetts at Amherst, where he graduated cum laude. His law degree Mr. Semirog earned at the University of California, Hastings College of the Law, where he was a member of the Hastings Business Law Journal. Mr. Semirog’s experience includes work at the Hampden County Superior Court in Springfield, Massachusetts, as well as at several medium sized firms in California and Massachusetts. Mr. Semirog also worked at the Massachusetts Family Institute (MFI) where he drafted legislative proposals for the Massachusetts State Assembly. For his work...

Chad Garrett, a former prosecutor, is a founding partner of Garrett, Walker, Aycoth and Olson, a firm that seeks to help clients navigate criminal cases, personal injury matters, family law cases, and business and civil litigation issues. Mr. Garrett concentrates on criminal law, traffic tickets and DWI trials. He is the author of the NCBAR Association's "ABC's of Criminal Court," and "ABCs of Traffic Law," among other publications. He teaches regularly on the topic of DWI trials. Mr. Garrett and his partners pride themselves on returning every call, everyday, and are always here to help. ...

Attorney Amro Elsayed, Esq., immigrated from Egypt to the United States in 2001 to live the American dream and to advance in his education and career. He attended business college in New York City and then moved to North Carolina. Attorney Elsayed established several businesses and was very engaged in several minority communities advocating for their rights. In 2018, Attorney Elsayed attended law school at North Carolina Central University where he received his Juris Doctorate degree in just two years. Attorney Elsayed is licensed in both North Carolina and Vermont. As an immigrant himself, Attorney Elsayed knows the complex immigration...

I am an AV-rated attorney, acknowledged by both Super Lawyers and Legal Elite for my professional conduct and capabilities. My practice areas include representing both individuals and businesses in employment law, malpractice law, and personal injury law. I hold a deep commitment to the well-being of my clients, ensuring that each one is treated with the utmost respect and consideration.

Following a successful 15-year career managing several well-known retail stores throughout the country, Mr. Lundell decided to refocus his passion for customer service and apply it to the practice of law. His determination to provide superior “customer” – or client – service is the keystone of his relationships with each and every client. “Whether carefully guiding parents through a highly emotional child custody dispute, or navigating a conflict between employer and employee, it is important to me that the people with whom I interact are provided sound legal advice in a language they understand. ‘You have to...

Chase is a native of Murphy, North Carolina and loves practicing in the Appalachian mountains. Chase has focused his work in trial advocacy, and spends a great deal of time on contracts, construction law, foreclosures, and other civil disputes. He has a talent for drafting contracts and leases, and he represents his clients in any litigation over those contracts and leases. At Wake Forest School of Law, Chase was the treasurer of the Public Interest Law Organization and an active member of the Inn of Court, a national ethics-based organization. Chase is a member of First Baptist...

I have practiced law since 2004, defending clients who were accused of everything from shoplifting to murder, trying more than 25 cases to a jury verdict. I have also represented clients in civil rights cases, personal injury, real estate, debt collection, divorce/custody, adult and child protective services, administrative adjudications, and appeals. My experience has given me a broad range of legal knowledge that I can readily adapt to new cases. I live in and love the mountains in the outskirts of Waynesville, Haywood County.

Leah Shellberg is a highly skilled and experienced trial attorney in Asheboro, North Carolina focusing on all areas of family law, as well as criminal defense and immigration matters. Ms. Shellberg appears in court weekly for her clients, and has an impressive record of success in even highly contentious family law matters. Although she is a fierce and zealous advocate in the courtroom, Leah Shellberg prioritizes exceptionally compassionate and kind client service. Ms. Shellberg practices in Randolph, Guilford, Forsyth, and Montgomery counties, and is currently accepting new clients in the areas of family law/divorce, criminal defense, and...