Sawmills Lawyers

Christian Ayers has been fighting for the rights of injured workers with the firm since 2014. On a typical day, Christian litigates cases before the North and South Carolina Industrial Commissions, takes client meetings and phone calls, and drafts court filings to get weekly payments and medical treatment for his clients. Christian was recently recognized by his peers and selected to the Super Lawyers Rising Stars list for 2019 and for 2020. This selection is based off of an evaluation of 12 indicators including peer recognition and professional achievement in legal practice. He primarily assists injured persons with Workers’...

Steve Hayes was born in Winston-Salem, NC in 1965. He earned his undergraduate degree from the University of North Carolina at Greensboro in 1988 and his JD degree from Campbell University School of Law in 1991. Throughout his career, Steve has focused on personal injury and worker's compensation law, authoring a chapter on ad valorem taxation for the Minister's Legal Desk Reference. He has practiced law in Charlotte since 1991, and continues to be a trusted legal resource for individuals and businesses across North Carolina. Steve has extensive experience representing clients who have been involved in a wide range of accidents,...

I am a Board Certified Specialist by the North Carolina State Bar in both State Criminal Law and Federal Criminal Law. Multiple times I have been selected by Super Lawyers and by Business North Carolina Magazine as Legal Elite. Also, I have selected by peer review in Best Lawyers in America in 2 different categories - White Collar Criminal Defense and Non-White Collar Criminal Defense. I have been practicing law since 1978 and seen just about every kind of case and client.

I am a State Bar Councilor at The North Carolina State Bar (the regulatory agency of all lawyers in...

My name is Laura C. Rivers, and I assist families living in North Carolina and South Carolina to create their comprehensive estate planning documents. I also help families navigate through the probate process after a loved one passes away. The estate planning and probate can be a time-consuming and intimidating process. At the same time, you know you need to do it, and perhaps it is something that has been lingering on your to-do list for far too long. Planning for yourself and for your family is one of the most important steps you can take...

James obtained a Bachelor of Business Administration with concentration in Trust Management from Campbell University in May, 1986. Prior to attending law school, James was a Personal Banker and Assistant Branch Manager with Wachovia Bank. He then obtained his Juris Doctor degree in 1990 from Samford University, Cumberland School of Law in Birmingham, Alabama. After working with another law firm for approximately two years, James started his own law firm in 1993, representing clients in almost every county of North Carolina. Vann Attorneys currently has attorneys who handle creditors’ rights, unmanned aircraft systems, construction litigation, contract law, business planning, business...

Morenike Omole is the Founder of Omole Law Office. She is a Maryland licensed attorney who is very passionate about immigration and Naturalization law. She earned her Bachelor’s degree in Foreign Affairs from the University of Virginia, and later earned her Juris Doctorate from American University Washington College of Law. Attorney Omole is a member of the American Immigration Lawyers Association, American Bar Association, and Maryland Bar Association. She is fully licensed to represent clients before the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services, Immigration and Customs Enforcement, Federal Courts, and the Board of Immigration Appeals. She has experience handling a...

In 1997, Attorney Lee Schwilm founded his bankruptcy law firm, Schwilm Law Firm, PLLC. Since then, he has been devoted to helping individuals get their life back on track by helping them obtain relief from their debts. Over the last 15 years, Mr. Schwilm has successfully handled thousands of bankruptcy cases. To learn more about working with Attorney Schwilm and the counsel he may be able to provide you with, be sure to contact the firm today!

Jim Hickmon assists clients with wealth transfer, estate planning, trust, tax, and probate law issues. He also works with clients to resolve trust and estate related disputes, including representing beneficiaries and fiduciaries in litigated matters. He is a member of the American Bar Association’s Committees on Estate Planning and Employee Benefits and is Vice Chair of the ABA’s Probate & Real Property Section’s Uniform Acts Committee for Trusts and Estates. He is a Council member of the North Carolina Bar Association’s Section on Estate Planning and Fiduciary Law and also sits on the Section’s Legislative and Fiduciary...

Education:
Emory University (BA in Political Science, 2002)
Campbell University (J.D., 2007)
-SBA representative
-Honor Court Justice
-Dean of Delta Theta Phi
-Moot Court Team
-ATLA Trial Team

Professional Memberships:
North Carolina State Bar
Judicial District 19A Bar
North Carolina Bar Association
North Carolina Advocates for Justice (formerly North Carolina Academy of Trial Lawyers)
American Bar Association
American Association for Justice (formerly American Trial Lawyers Association)

Family:
Married to fellow attorney and former law partner: Luke Baker
Two children: Garrett and Audrey
Two dogs: Phoebe and...

Corry has a strong work ethic that was instilled in him at a very young age by his family and he has carried that with him into law practice. Soon after becoming licensed Corry was able to fulfill a life-long dream of opening a law firm. In December 2012 the Brannen Law Firm was born. Corry primary practice areas include wills and estate planning, criminal law, bankruptcy law, veteran affairs disability, and civil litigation. Within the criminal law practice Corry works cases ranging from traffic matters to felony jury trials. Corry does most of the wills and estate planning in...

James is a North Carolina Board Certified Specialist in Federal and State Criminal Law and Family Law with a trial practice in criminal, domestic, and general litigation. He is deeply committed to excellence and professionalism in the practice of law, having served on the North Carolina State Bar Specialization Criminal Law Committee, the North Carolina State Bar Board of Continuing Legal Education, and was Issue Planning Editor of the Law Review at Regent University. James also lectures at criminal, family law, and trial practice continuing legal education (CLE) programs, and is regularly designated by the Capital Defender as lead counsel...

After graduating from Wake Forest Law School in 1970, Michael J. Lewis began his practice in the Triad area. Early in his career, he obtained record verdicts in several North Carolina counties, leading him to focus his practice on personal injury law and eminent domain. As a lawyer, Michael creates a special bond with each of his clients. He enjoys solving problems and finding the best answer for his clients. His clients find him caring and interested in their well being. Since 1995, Mike Lewis has been listed in The Best Lawyers in America in Personal Injury Litigation. He has also...

Clients often ask me about the "boutique" nature of my practice which I have limited to immigration matters only. There are several reasons why my practice is limited to only immigration matters.

First, all areas of law have become complicated. Government regulations, constantly revised administrative guidelines and rules, and many court cases impact any area of law practice. I think it is difficult to be a "general practice" lawyer in 21st century America. I am not comfortable "shooting from the hip" in my legal practice. Rather than be a "jack of all trades" I'd rather...

Shiloh Daum has been practicing as an attorney since 2004, and his entire career has been devoted to helping those who have been harmed by the actions of others. He began his practice in Raleigh, North Carolina where he worked at a boutique firm handling many types of complex civil litigation cases. He has experience in a variety of complicated matters, including federal class action cases and those that have been designated as "Exceptional Cases" by the North Carolina Courts. He currently focuses his practice on representing clients throughout North Carolina in eminent domain, condemnation, and related complex litigation matters....

James B. Wilson, Jr. is a Winston-Salem native and graduated from R.J. Reynolds High School in 1981. He then went on to attend North Carolina State University where he received a B.A. in Criminal Justice in 1987. After Wilson graduated from N.C. State, he received his Juris Doctorate in 1991 from the University of Tennessee where he was a founding member of the Sports Lawyers Association and, an editor for the Tennessee Law Review.

Wilson worked for Blue Chips Sports management of Boston and helped to develop the Minor League Football System in the late 1980’s. In the...

Corey McManus was born in Monroe, North Carolina where he attend Monroe High School and graduated in 1994. Corey attended the University of North Carolina Central in Durham, North Carolina on an academic scholarship. At North Carolina Central he majored in Political Science and minored in English and graduated with Honors in 1998. He then attended Law School at Campbell University as a Campbell Law Scholar and Robert A. Dyer Scholar. While there, Corey was a Campbell Law Observer Case Writer, competitor in the Judge Conrad Duberstein National Bankruptcy Moot Court Competition, North Carolina Academy of Trial Lawyers member and...

Tyler Brooks represents clients throughout the United States in cases involving free speech, religious liberty, and individual rights. He also represents clients in complex business litigation, employment disputes, and bankruptcy matters, as well as in business transactions and estate planning. Before starting his own practice, Tyler worked for six years, first as an associate attorney and then partner, at a civil litigation firm based in Raleigh, North Carolina, where he primarily represented railroads and other clients in the transportation industry. Much of this work focused on wrongful death and serious personal injury cases as well as employment law,...

I began my legal career in private practice in Eastern North Carolina, where I represented both individuals and businesses in various areas including civil litigation, family law, fiduciary litigation, and criminal defense. I later moved my practice to Raleigh, North Carolina, and took on the role of a Post-Conviction Attorney with North Carolina Prisoner Legal Services, Inc. Subsequently, I served as an Assistant Public Defender at the Guilford County Public Defender’s Office in Greensboro, North Carolina. In this capacity, I represented clients in both District and Superior Courts, focusing on providing client-centered criminal trial-level defense. In May 2018, I was appointed as...

Drew Brown founded this law firm in 2006. He believes strongly that his first and foremost role as an attorney is to advocate for his clients. At age 42, he is already an experienced trial lawyer who has appeared on behalf of clients in contested hearings in over 50 different courthouses throughout the Carolinas. In an era where cases often settle before litigation or at mediation, Drew Brown has repeatedly taken personal injury and business disputes to trial. Brown distastes wasted legal time in hourly matters as he believes reducing the attorney fee burden on the client can be as...

While growing up in the small township of Redford, Michigan, I developed aspirations to become a person who helps those in need. I chose to pursue a social work degree from Eastern Michigan University, which is when I first became interested in the law and our justice system. My education and experience in social work taught me that the law is a tool that can be used to effectuate change and help those who need help the most. After finishing my social work degree, I relocated to North Carolina to attend law school at North Carolina Central University. I was drawn...

Phyllis (PJ) Lile-King is a lawyer in Greensboro, North Carolina, licensed for 25 years and engaged in a civil rights practice, including police misconduct and discrimination cases. She has lectured and written in the areas of discrimination, medical malpractice and drug overdose cases. PJ is on the faculty at Duke Law School. For several years, PJ's practice included medical malpractice, wrongful death and drug overdose cases. She grew up in Hopkinsville, Kentucky, and graduated from Georgetown College with a B.A. and the University of Virginia School of Law with a J.D. PJ clerked for the Honorable Pierce Lively...

Rodney attended North Carolina State University and graduated cum laude with honors in 1991 with a degree in Political Science with a Criminal Justice concentration. He then obtained his Juris Doctor at the Wake Forest University School of Law in 1995. While at Wake Forest, Rodney was the Captain of the International and Constitutional Law Moot Court teams which won several awards in inter-school competition. Rodney joined the Buncombe County District Attorney's office in 1995 and worked as an Assistant District Attorney until 2009. While there, he tried over 160 jury trials, including capital murder, adult and child sex offenses, armed...

I help new and established businesses solve their legal challenges. My practice includes entity formation, corporate documentation, drafting and negotiating contracts and leases, and general corporate counsel. I also represent businesses and individuals in litigation in the state and federal courts throughout North Carolina.

A native of Asheville, Brad graduated from The Florida State University College of Law in 2005, magna cum laude, where he was a member of Law Review. Brad is currently a member of The Order of the Coif; a prestigious national society recognizing academic excellence in the legal arena.

Brad is personal injury trial attorney representing the injured in State and Federal Court. In addition to serving clients, Brad is a past President of the 28th Judicial District Bar (Buncombe County). Brad is also a member of the North Carolina Advocates for Justice (NCAJ).

Rob Heroy is an experienced and aggressive trial attorney. He left a prominent Charlotte law firm to join Goodman Carr as a partner in January of 2012. Prior to that, he served as an assistant district attorney in the Mecklenburg County District Attorney's Office. He has significant trial experience and believes that standing up to the Government provides his clients with the best possible results.

Rob represents clients in criminal matters in state and federal courts both in Charlotte and throughout North Carolina. He handles high-stakes criminal matters such as white collar criminal charges and investigations, large-scale drug trafficking conspiracies,...