Banner Elk Lawyers

An Asheville native, Peter Kanipe has been practicing law since 2002. Considered a General Practice attorney, Mr. Kanipe has successfully represented his clients in many different areas of law. Please call 828-378-0058 for more information.

Prior to joining Ralston, Benton, Byerley & Moore in 2021, Catherine worked as an insurance adjuster for two large national insurance companies, where she gained valuable insight and experience on the innerworkings of claim handling. Thereafter, Catherine became an insurance defense attorney, where she represented a variety of insurance companies and employers against claims filed against them. In 2016, Catherine switched sides and began representing individuals in personal injury and workers’ compensation claims. Using her experience and insider knowledge, she now works vigorously to ensure each client is receiving all the benefits they are entitled to. Catherine’s practice primarily focuses...

Bucknell University (1999); Case Western Reserve University School of Law (2002) AV Peer Review Rating (Martindale-Hubbell)

Kayleigh L. Messersmith is an attorney licensed to practice law in North Carolina. She has a broad legal background with experience in Worker’s Compensation, Personal Injury, Compliance, Real Estate, and Lien Resolution. Currently, Kayleigh concentrates her practice in civil litigation and lien resolution for our personal injury and worker’s compensation cases

Mr. O'Connor's practice focuses on asset protection,complex litigation and real estate matters.

Celeste Harris is a member of Maynard & Harris, Attorneys at Law, PLLC. Ms. Harris graduated from the University of Missouri - Columbia with a BS in Nursing in 1983 and worked for the Veterans Administration before attending law school at St. Louis University. She completed her final year of law school at Wake Forest University in 1991. She is boad certified in Workers' Compensation and has been representing injured and disabled workers in private practice since 1991, adding representation of Social Security disability claimants and mediation to her practice in 2005. Ms. Harris is...

Whitney Staton was born in Hendersonville, NC in 1986 and grew up on an apple farm in Henderson County. Whitney graduated from East Henderson High School in 2004. After graduating high school, Whitney went to UNC-Charlotte where she graduated in 2008 with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Criminal Justice and a minor in American Studies. Whitney then decided to pursue her law degree and attended Charlotte School of Law, where she was on the Dean's list and graduated in December of 2010. After graduation Whitney took the February 2011 North Carolina Bar Examination and passed the Bar. Whitney was...