EMPLOYMENT
AUGUST 2023
TABLE OF CONTENTS
KENNETH P. CARLSON JR..........................19
BARTINA EDWARDS...................................19
BRODIE ERWIN..........................................20
JEREMY FALCONE.....................................20
NARENDRA K. GHOSH...............................20
MARC E. GUSTAFSON................................20
KATIE WEAVER HARTZOG...........................21
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BETH TYNER JONES..................................21
D. BETH LANGLEY......................................22
MARGARET BEHRINGER “MEG”
MALONEY..................................................22
J. MICHAEL McGUINNESS..........................22
LAURA NOBLE...........................................22
J. HEYDT PHILBECK...................................23
SABRINA ROCKOFF....................................23
p o we r L I S T T H E
NICHOLAS J. SANSERVINO JR....................23
EDWARD S. SCHENK III..............................24
KERRY A. SHAD.........................................24
PHILLIP J. “PHIL” STRACH..........................24
BENTON L. TOUPS.....................................25
JOSHUA R. VAN KAMPEN...........................25
TRAVIS W. VANCE......................... .............25
ANGELIQUE VINCENT.................................26
JONATHAN WALL................... ...................26
HEALTHCARE
JEREMY R. SAYRE.....................................24
LAURA J. WETSCH....................................26
Admitting he has a strong aversion to boredom, Ken Carlson chose a career in law for its variety and opportunities to move in the myriad of practice areas. Just to keep things interesting.
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“I also loved the idea of being a professional in a field with unlimited opportunities to make a positive difference,” he said.
p o we r L I S T T H E
Motivated to empower individuals and companies to use the law to improve their lives and businesses, Bartina Edwards followed her passion for entrepreneurship and started her own firm.
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“It seemed a most fulfilling way to effectuate change one person and one business at a time while encouraging others to see law as an avenue of change rather than a symptomatic remedy,” she said.
HEALTH CARE
Carlson, a partner at Constangy, Brooks, Smith & Prophete in Winston-Salem, co-chairs the firm’s trade secrets and unfair competition practice group. With a focus on mediation, he handles virtually every aspect of employment law.
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He was drawn to the field for the intellectual stimulation. As a defense attorney, he enjoys building relationships with his clients and helping them be the kind of employers they want to be.
“Simply stated, when properly approached and practiced, being a lawyer is one of our highest callings,” Carlson said. “The primary challenge, of course, is living up to its ideals.”
As an employment lawyer, Edwards is on a mission to help protect workers' rights and improve the workplace.
“I'm not sure I've realized that idealized goal because the challenges change,” she said. “But those ideals still drive me today, as I believe we have made some progress in this area, despite forces intent on moving workplace equity and fairness backwards.”
Edwards feels she is making progress when she hears from satisfied clients.
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“The look in a client’s eye or the sound in their voice when they express gratitude for our services keeps me uplifted, even in the most challenging times,” she said.
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Brodie Erwin can’t remember a time when he did not want to be a lawyer.
“The prospect of being part of a learned profession, steeped in tradition, whose function is to assist members of the community in achieving their goals and protecting their rights was too much to pass up,” he said.
Erwin practices as counsel with Kilpatrick Townsend in Raleigh and was drawn to labor and employment by the field’s diversity.
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“Any given case requires you to become an expert on the ins and outs of a particular industry, the rules governing it, and the priorities for your clients,” he said. “You learn something new with each case that comes your way.”
Erwin most values relationships with his clients and has forged personal relationships with many of them.
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“I am fortunate to have the opportunity to represent businesses and employers that I believe in and care about both inside and outside the courtroom,” he said.
Jeremy Falcone’s broad experience gives him a decided edge when it comes to representing his clients.
Falcone began his career litigating high-stakes cases for Skadden in New York and honed his skills as an in-house corporate attorney at Wells Fargo. But he also has experience as a small-town lawyer, handling everything from traffic tickets to family law.
He has cultivated his wide-ranging expertise over the course of his career and is both passionate about his work and intrigued with the background his clients bring.
“From departing-employee trade secrets matters to allegations of wrongful termination, there is always an interesting backstory that we get to work through in litigating the case,” he said.
Falcone credits attorneys and mentors with influencing his successful career.
“I have been fortunate to work with some of the best attorneys in the state, he said. “I honed my craft by learning from the very best of our profession.”
Narendra Ghosh started his career as a computer programmer in Silicon Valley before enrolling in law school at New York University. He joined Patterson Harkavy in 2005.
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Today he is a partner, with many high-profile cases under his belt. The desire to help people find justice led Ghosh to choose employment law.
“Representing working people is way to achieve some measure of economic justice for individuals in an environment that if often very unfair to workers,” he said.
In 2016, the N.C. Legislature passed a bill to eliminate tenure for public school teachers. Ghosh and his firm represented the N.C. Association of Educators in challenging the new law, taking it all the way to the North Carolina Supreme Court, where they prevailed.
“Our work resulted in the North Carolina Supreme Court declaring the law unconstitutional,” he said. “This was a significant ruling for teachers, and I consider it my most important case.”
Known as a “go-to lawyer” among toptier law firms for executives in non-compete and trade secrets matters, Marc Gustafson views his role as a true counselor of law, and values the relationships he builds with clients.
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He also serves as a mediator in civil disputes, bringing a variety of approaches to resolving matters in the best interest of all parties involved.
“Too many times lawyers start off matters aggressively and then have a hard time pulling back,” he said. “It’s our role to be the calming voice in the room, to focus on the end goal, and to try to work to a reasonable solution that all parties can live with.”
He added that despite a small number of cases ever going to trial, litigation is often played like a zero-sum game.
“But that is rarely the outcome,” he said. “And the cost of playing it that way oftentimes outweighs the benefits.”
A founding partner of the Hartzog Law Group in Raleigh, Katie Hartzog discovered her passion for law when she interned with a small firm in her hometown and participated in a high school moot trial competition.
“I quickly learned that the legal field provides an opportunity to work in a dynamic environment that is constantly changing and differs from day to day,” she said. “It was important for me to help people and have a fulfilling challenging career and I saw that the legal field would provide me with both.”
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Hartzog found her niche in employment law and appreciates the opportunity to practice litigation. She also enjoys developing and maintaining relationships with longterm clients who wish to avoid litigation and need advice on how to do that.
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“I get a lot of satisfaction from helping employers prevent or stop problems before they grow into something larger,” she said.
Beth Jones builds upon over 30 years of experience as an human resources professional, an in-house employment lawyer, and a college faculty member to defend employers and serve as a valued adviser to educational institutions.
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A managing partner at Womble Bond Dickinson and leader of the firm’s employment and pensions service team, Jones is known as a focused, go-to lawyer for high-stakes employment law matters and credits her colleagues for helping her achieve success.
“I appreciate that my colleagues make me a better attorney, and I value working together as a great team for our clients’ benefit,” she said.
Jones focuses a substantial portion of practice in the higher education sector in both the employment arena and across their operations.
“I’m mindful of the tremendous positive impact these institutions have in our ever-changing world, and I’m grateful of the opportunity to help them achieve their missions,” Jones said.
Right Client. Right Case. Right Law Firm.
Right Client. Right Case. Right Law Firm.
Right Client. Right Case. Right Law Firm.
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These
These are the three pillars to successfully representing individuals in employment litigation.
These are the three pillars to successfully representing individuals in employment litigation.
At Van Kampen Law, PC., we take the time to ensure our firm is the right fit for each client we choose to represent.
At Van Kampen Law, PC, we take the time to ensure our firm is the right fit for each client we choose to represent.
Van Kampen Law has established a reputation as being one of the most aggressive and well resourced employment litigation firms in North Carolina, and that reputation has enabled the firm to deliver premium se lements on a faster track than is typical in employment cases. The firm brings big firm savvy and expertise to bear on behalf of individuals from the factory floor to the board room. For the past five years, founder Josh Van Kampen has been included in Super Lawyers Top 100 a orney list for North Carolina in any area of practice. Van Kampen Law boasts a talented group of associates and professional sta capable of matching the deep bench typically relied upon by corporate defendants.
Van Kampen Law has established a reputation as being one of the most aggressive and well resourced employment litigation rms in North Carolina, and that reputation has enabled the rm to deliver premium settlements on a faster track than is typical in employment cases. The rm brings big rm savvy and expertise to bear on behalf of individuals from the factory oor to the board room. For the past ve years, founder Josh Van Kampen has been included in Super Lawyers Top 100 attorney list for North Carolina and Top 25 list for Charlotte. These are not top lists for employment attorneys; Josh is recognized among the top lawyers in North Carolina in any area of practice. Van Kampen Law boasts a talented group of associates and professional staff capable of matching the deep bench typically relied upon by corporate defendants. www.ncemploymenta orneys.com
Van Kampen Law has established a reputation as being one of the most aggressive and well resourced employment litigation rms in North Carolina, and that reputation has enabled the rm to deliver premium settlements on a faster track than is typical in employment cases. The rm brings big rm savvy and expertise to bear on behalf of individuals from the factory oor to the board room. For the past ve years, founder Josh Van Kampen has been included in Super Lawyers Top 100 attorney list for North Carolina and Top 25 list for Charlotte. These are not top lists for employment attorneys; Josh is recognized among the top lawyers in North Carolina in any area of practice. Van Kampen Law boasts a talented group of associates and professional staff capable of matching the deep bench typically relied upon by corporate defendants.
are the three pillars to successfully representing individuals in employment litigation.
At Van Kampen Law, PC., we take the time to ensure our firm is the right fit for each client we choose to represent.
D. BETH LANGLEY PARTNER, BROOKS PIERCE GREENSBORO
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Beth Langley’s first job put her on the path to the legal world, though the job itself — at a financial institution — was not part of that world.
“I worked closely with the general counsel’s office and was fascinated by the legal profession, particularly the problem-solving aspect of attorneys’ roles,” she said. “I applied for law school as a result.”
She credits timing and good fortune for leading her to employment law. She started her practice around the time several landmark federal employment laws were in motion, and was assigned to do research around them.
“I also had a supportive partner mentor who encouraged me to take ownership of my client relationships and grow the employment practice,” she said.
Her favorite aspect of her work is helping clients navigate complex issues.
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“Whether representing companies or individuals, I’m advising and strategizing with clients on issues that affect peoples’ lives profoundly,” she said. “I’ve loved employment law since day one.”
BEHRINGER “MEG” MALONEY FOUNDER, MALONEY LAW & ASSOCIATES CHARLOTTE
As founder of Maloney Law & Associates, Meg Maloney feels most successful when she exposes abuses of power, stands up for victims of sexual harassment and sexual assault, and makes a difference in the workplace at large.
“My biggest professional achievements come when I can improve my clients’ lives beyond the legal services I provide,” she said.
She started her career representing employers. Today, she works with individuals, sharing her knowledge and experience to help them become successful in the workplace, or recover from discrimination, harassment or retaliation.
Maloney believes that in life and in law, compassion is essential.
“This means making a commitment to do whatever it takes to know the facts better than anyone else involved in a case, to take the time to express empathy, and to understand the personalities and psychologies of those involved,” she said. “Success means being willing to stand up and fight to make a difference.”
With a broad array of experiences in many walks of life, Michael McGuinness brings a unique perspective to a practice that has shaped employment law in North Carolina.
McGuinness provides trial and appellate advocacy from his hometown of Elizabethtown, in a wide variety of civil litigation, including employment and labor relations disputes.
McGuinness earned a college scholarship from the N.C. Veterans Administration and labored on farms, in factories, on construction sites, and as a research associate to put himself through school.
A board-certified civil trial advocate, McGuinness has litigated and resolved hundreds of cases in the eastern United States and before the U.S. Supreme Court. Many of his cases have paved the way for employment lawyers in North Carolina to get justice for their clients.
“My career has been mostly fun and very challenging, and it has presented opportunities to help restore dignity for my clients and mend wounds from often devastating loss,” he said.
Laura Noble’s passion for civil rights and her interest in business matters led her to employment law.
A seasoned litigator with over 30 years of diverse legal experience, Noble finds satisfaction in offering clients personal and powerful representation. She also helps businesses minimize risk and says her goal is to “level the playing field for employees.”
Noble launched her firm in 2009, focusing on core values of collaboration, leadership, empathy, integrity and innovation. It is recognized as a leader in employment law, with offices in Chapel Hill, Charlotte and Mount Pleasant, S.C.
“My practice allows me to work with individual clients on a personal level to help them succeed in their workplaces,” she said.
Along with her practice, Noble hosts the podcast “Worksights: Insight Into the Workplace,” and interviews key individuals in the world of employment law and analyzes news stories on employment law issues.
J. HEYDT PHILBECK PARTNER, BAILEY & DIXON RALEIGH
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Heydt Philbeck has brought justice to countless clients from all walks of life who have been subjected to wrongdoing by employers on the job.
He spent the early part of his career in general practice, but found his passion when he began focusing on civil rights and employment law.
“At some point, instead of being familiar with all, and master of none, I decided to focus my practice and discovered a particular passion for representing those who try to treat others as they wish to be treated, but encounter individuals who kick them in the teeth,” he said. “This passion led me to civil rights and employment law, and not a day goes by that I don’t appreciate having the privilege to serve those who put their lives and legal interests in my hands.”
Philbeck was recently elected as a fellow in the American College of Labor and Employment Lawyers.
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Sabrina Rockoff credits her leadership roles at her law firm and in a variety of civic groups with helping her understand the needs and issues affecting employers across western North Carolina.
The Asheville native is the managing shareholder of McGuire, Wood & Bissette in Asheville and serves on the boards of the Asheville Independent Restaurant Owners Association, the Asheville Chamber of Commerce and other organizations.
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In a 2020 interview with Law Practice Today, Rockoff said effective leaders are those who show up with their hearts open.
That means “having an intense love for the organization you lead and for the people in it,” she said. “It means being able to put your own ego aside and do what is best for the organization every time, and it also means being able to meet those who disagree with you and lash out at you with compassion, while remaining steadfast in supporting the organization as a whole.”
Nick Sanservino can trace his interest in employment law back to his childhood, when his mother introduced him to her practice. He recalls being intrigued by the attorneys at her firm.
“My mother worked at a labor/employment firm when I was young and I started working there as a file clerk in high school and college,” he said. “The attorneys seemed to enjoy their jobs and they had great war stories.”
Over his 20-year career, Sanservino, of counsel at Edwards Beightol, has brought unique and invaluable experience to his practice. He is known for his focus on a “triple-bottom line”: client impact, financial impact and social justice.
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Sanservino finds it rewarding when he can play a role in helping his clients reach a favorable outcome, and when his clients feel they were heard and had passionate representation.
“In that vein, it is most rewarding when I receive an unsolicited, heartfelt ‘thank you’ note from a client,” he said.
R.
With a background in math and computers, Jeremy Sayer enjoyed a brief career in software engineering before pursuing his interest in law. Over time, he has realized his analytical qualities have allowed him to approach legal issues from a perspective that is often different from his clients and other attorneys.
“I’ve become a big believer in the value of having diverse perspectives and the importance of being able to differentiate yourself,” he said.
As a partner at Fox Rothschild in Raleigh, Sayre enjoys the fact that employment law is all about people and he takes a personal approach to his profession.
“We’ve all been employees at one point in our lives, and the issues employment professionals deal with are issues that just about everyone can appreciate on a personal level,” he said. “I found working in this familiar environment was much more rewarding to me than other legal disciplines which were harder to relate to personally.”
EDWARD S. SCHENK III PARTNER,
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As an English major in college, Edward Schenk had a professor who emphasized Greek argumentation, a discussion model that emphasizes reasoning, systematic questioning and persuasive communication of ideas.
Schenk found that method translated to the practice of law and discovered it was a perfect career fit.
Before joining Williams Mullen, he practiced insurance defense, representing employers in workers compensation claims, and discovered an entrepreneurial opportunity.
“I had a captive audience of potential employment law clients, and I couldn’t answer their employment law questions, so a law partner and good friend of mine pitched the idea of starting that firm’s first labor and employment practice,” Schenk said. “They gave us the chance to do it. and we built it from the ground up.”
In addition to his practice, Schenk enjoys mentoring associates.
“Watching younger attorneys grow, mature and become successful in their own practices with their own clients is one of my greatest rewards,” he said.
Kerry Shad calls herself a “practical lawyer” who views her clients’ problems as puzzles to be solved in a way that is efficient, principled and beneficial to their philosophy and values.
Known as a powerful litigator and trusted colleague, Shad’s practice focuses on representing employers in all types of employment-related litigation, and she is often called on to solve her clients’ most pressing and difficult problems.
She is an elected member of her firm’s management committee and co-chairs its diversity and inclusion committee.
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Of all her successes, she most appreciates the relationships she has forged with clients and colleagues, and she cites her love of people as motivation for practicing employment law.
“Employment law is all about people, at their best and at their worst,” she said. “Relationships with my clients have provided interesting and challenging work and relationships with my colleagues at Smith Anderson have provided opportunities to be a leader.”
Phil Strach was drawn to employment law because he enjoys helping clients solve real-world problems.
“Whether my work involves handling an employment lawsuit or advising on day-to-day HR legal issues, many of my clients’ problems are unique and call for creative solutions which makes my practice always interesting,” he said.
Strach is a trial lawyer who represents management in labor and employment law, including defending clients in employment discrimination cases. He counsels management on how to prevent or reduce risk.
Strach says being a good listener helps lead to positive solutions for his clients.
“I find that listening helps me assess clients’ issues more thoroughly and develop creative solutions to the legal problems they face,” he said. “Whether I am litigating a case or providing general counseling advice to a client I see myself first and foremost as a problem solver, and active listening is essential.”
Benton Toups’ career was set in motion when he began interviewing for summer clerkships in college. One day, he had two interviews: one with a full-service law firm and the other with a labor/employment firm. He got them mixed up.
During his first interview with the employment law firm, he was asked to explain his interest in working there, and he responded that he looked forward to being exposed to different practice areas.
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“When the interviewing attorney responded, ‘That was too bad because all we do is employment law,’ I thought I had blown it,” Toups said. “However, I got the job, enjoyed the work, and have focused my practice on employment law ever since.”
Toups chairs the employment law practice group at Cranfill Sumner and is a certified mediator. He is known for helping clients implement effective policies to avoid litigation and his knack for helping them make rational decisions amidst emotionally charged situations.
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TRAVIS
Celebrated for his client service and ability to help companies tackle their most difficult and high-profile issues, Travis Vance has established himself as an aggressive advocate and workplace safety thought leader.
Vance, regional managing partner at Fisher Phillips’ Charlotte office, is a workplace safety attorney who has handled Occupational Safety and Health Administration and Mine Safety and Health Administration cases in 40 states, Washington, D.C., and Puerto Rico. He co-chairs the firm’s national workplace safety and catastrophe management practice group and is well known as a dynamic speaker, presenting to organizations across the country on safety-related topics.
Vance credits his parents for sparking his interest in employment and workplace safety.
“Growing up blue-collar with parents who worked hard to give me a decent childhood taught me the important values of honesty, transparency, and a good work ethic,” he said. “It’s one of the things that makes me a successful attorney in the workplace safety space.”
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As the founder and CEO of Van Kampen Law, Joshua Van Kampen is devoted to representing victims of employment law violations.
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He developed the passion in high school when he participated in an aviation program for at-risk kids.
“I was not an at-risk kid, but I grew up in a diverse town, and wanted to learn to fly planes,” he said. “I was the only white student in the program, and I was treated equally and embraced my African American and Latino counterparts.”
Van Kampen’s aversion to losing has been key to his career success, and he’s at his best when he stops overthinking and just lets his instincts take over.
“I don’t have a photographic memory, and I imagine many of my opponents would test higher if we compared IQ tests,” he said. “However, I have yet to encounter an opposing counsel who outworked me or who was more determined.”
ANGELIQUE VINCENT
ROBINSON BRADSHAW CHARLOTTE
Widely regarded as one of the top management-side employment lawyers and mediators in Charlotte, Angelique Vincent is known for being thorough, tenacious, and tough.
A shareholder at Robinson Bradshaw, Vincent said she loves her practice for the relationships she forges with her clients.
“I enjoy serving as a business partner to my clients,” she said. “Working with many of them year after year allows me to learn about each client’s business, strategy, vision and culture.”
JONATHAN WALL MEMBER HIGGINS BENJAMIN,
A talented attorney who serves his clients, his colleagues, and his community with distinction, Jonathan Wall’s litigation over non-compete agreements has helped shape the law in North Carolina.
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A member in the Greensboro law firm of Higgins Benjamin, Wall has built a significant practice that includes both discrimination employment cases and a focus on non-compete agreements.
Wall says he’s not sure if he chose employment law or if it chose him.
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Vincent co-chairs Robinson Bradshaw’s employment and labor practice group and its diversity, equity and inclusion committee. She also serves on the firm’s board of directors.
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She is an American Bar Foundation Fellow, serves as outside general counsel for the Economic Development Partnership of North Carolina, and holds a Fostering Inclusion and Diversity Certificate from the Yale School of Management.
She enjoys mentoring young attorneys and watching them succeed.
“I take pride in knowing I was part of their development, and the reality is they were part of mine,” she said.
“I had covered employment law for the legal publications at the association I worked at out of law school,” he said. “When I started practicing law in North Carolina, the other lawyers in the firm did not want employment law cases and I was happy to have cases that were my own.”
Wall enjoys employment law because he finds the facts of his cases intellectually stimulating.
“The law is more fluid and developing than in some other legal pursuits, and interesting legal questions are raised in almost every case,” he said.
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With many of your clients and prospects working from home, now is a great time to engage them through a webinar.
Known for her encyclopedic knowledge of employment law, Laura Wetsch literally wrote the book on it. She is the author of the "Practitioner's Guide to North Carolina Employment Law," and for many years she has been the co-author of the North Carolina chapter in "Employment at Will: A State-by-State Survey," co-published by the Bureau of National Affairs and the American Bar Association.
Hosting a webinar is a powerful way to connect with your target audience,and with North Carolina Lawyers Weekly - you won’t have to worry about any of the logistics.
With many of your clients and prospects working from home, now is a great time to engage them through a webinar.
Hosting a webinar is a powerful way to connect with your target audience,and with North Carolina Lawyers Weekly - you won’t have to worry about any of the logistics.
Whether you’re looking to move an in-person event online,or just need to generate quality sales leads,our team can help provide turnkey service from marketing to execution!
Whether you’re looking to move an in-person event online,or just need to generate quality sales leads,our team can help provide turnkey service from marketing to execution!
What is included in your webinar:
• 45-60 minute webinar
What is included in your webinar:
• 45-60 minute webinar
• Dedicated project support
• Dedicated project support
• Email marketing
Email marketing
• Social media
Social media
• Print ad
• Print ad
Over her 30-year career, Wetsch has analyzed and addressed all types of legal dilemmas facing individuals and businesses. She has represented both employers and employees on a wide range of employment law issues.
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A tenacious attorney in practice, Wetsch describes herself as a “bulldog” and consistently strives to learn answers, whether in law or in facts. She also cares deeply about her clients and their cases.
For more information,please contact Sheila Batie-Jones at 704.817.1350 or sbatie-jones@nclawyersweekly.com.
For more information,please contact Sheila Batie-Jones at 704.817.1350 or sbatie-jones@nclawyersweekly.com.
“Nothing makes me happier than a day spent going through discovery production and piecing together what happened, especially when it proves that what my client said was true, and what the employer said was not,” she said.