Norlina Lawyers

Managing partner Benjamin T. Cochran oversees the operation of Hardison & Cochran Attorneys at Law in addition to representing individual clients in cases involving workers’ compensation and personal injury law.

A lifelong North Carolinian, Cochran knew from his high-school days in High Point that he wanted to be an attorney. He received a B.A. degree in economics and African-American studies from the University of North Carolina in 1999 and then enrolled at the Norman Adrian Wiggins School of Law at Campbell University.

As a second-year law student, Cochran started working part-time in the law firm he now manages. During his third year...

North Carolina Professional License Defense Attorney Nicholas Dowgul, or “Nick” as he prefers, began his legal career in 2008 in the Public Defender’s Office in Harrison County, Mississippi. In this position, Dowgul found his passion for the litigation of cases. Being in a courtroom felt like home to him. While he loves the mental battle within a courtroom, he believes resolving cases outside the courtroom is typically in the client’s best interests when it’s a valid option. However, when the time calls for it and resolution measures outside of the courtroom have been exhausted, Dowgul is well-prepared to obtain the best results for...

Laurie Biggs' practice focuses on business and consumer bankruptcy, including chapter 7, chapter 11, chapter 12, and chapter 13 cases. Ms. Biggs primarily represents small business owners, individuals, and those in the agricultural sector who need help addressing their debts or exploring their legal options. Ms. Biggs has been certified as a specialist in business and consumer bankruptcy by the North Carolina State Bar. With almost twenty years of experience helping clients navigate their financial difficulties, Ms. Biggs In addition to bankruptcy cases, Ms. Biggs also practices in the area of out of court financial restructuring, business disputes, civil...

In joining Hardison & Cochran in 2008, Joel Jackson Hardison made a transition from defending insurance companies in Workers Compensation cases to representing injured and disabled workers. He applies the insights he gained from representing insurance companies to assist the injured workers he represents. There is little doubt about which type of practice he prefers. Hardison received a B.A. degree in journalism from the University of North Carolina in 1999 and a J.D. from the UNC School of Law in 2004. He was a member of the law school’s Holderness Moot Court team and was named to the Dean’s List. He launched his...

Lawrence founded Tickle Law Office in 2013 after graduating from Campbell University School of Law and passing the North Carolina State Bar. Lawrence earned his Bachelor of Science in Political Science from East Carolina University in 2010 as well as his Master of Science in Criminal Justice and Public Administration from Liberty University in 2015. Lawrence served in the United States Marine Corps after high school where he learned the essential leadership and management skills necessary to be successful as a zealous advocate for his clients. A native of Reidsville, NC, Lawrence now calls Franklin County home. He prides himself...

Construction & Business Lawyer representing Owners, Developers, Sureties, General Contractors, Subcontractors, Suppliers, and other Construction Industry Participants in Litigation, Mediation, and Arbitration. Federally Certified Mediator for the EDNC, United States District Court. Certified Arbitrator for Wake County District Court. Private Arbitrator for Construction and Commercial disputes. Arbitrator and Mediator, Construction Industry Panel of Neutrals, American Arbitration Association (AAA)

Workers who have been injured on the job or who suffer occupational diseases oftentimes must face a frustrating waiting game to receive the benefits they deserve. Attorney James Adam Bridwell, who focuses his practice solely on workers’ compensation cases, knows what it takes to help clients get their lives back together. Bridwell is a native South Carolinian. He received a B.A. in marketing and management from the University of South Carolina before coming to Raleigh to attend Campbell University Norman Adrian Wiggins School of Law. While in law school, he was a case summary writer for the Campbell Law Observer and...

Raleigh corporate lawyer Bob Morton is a true business and civil litigation generalist. He has successfully tried multiple civil jury trials. He regularly assists his business clients with planning, litigation avoidance, employment matters and virtually all other legal matters that his business clients face.

Bob believes that providing personal service and going the extra mile for clients isn’t just a good way to do business — it’s the only way to do business.

He has been featured as a consumer advocate on ABC’s “Good Morning America,” has served Three Terms as Chairman of the local Better Business Bureau (BBB), been recognized as...

Carter Whittington concentrates his practice in North Carolina workers’ compensation law, helping injured workers seek the benefits they need and deserve after sustaining a job related injury. Whittington started working at Hardison & Cochran while he was a third-year student at Campbell University’s Norman Adrian Wiggins School of Law. After graduating cum laude and receiving his J.D. in 2016, he joined Hardison & Cochran as a full-time attorney. A North Carolina native, Whittington grew up in Winston-Salem and attended the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, where he received a B.A. in political science in 2012. In law school, Whittington was...

Attorney Rebecca A. Olla was raised in Austin, Texas. She obtained her undergraduate degree from Bryn Mawr College in Pennsylvania and her Law Degree from the University of Texas School of Law in Austin. Before joining The Bishop Law Firm, Rebecca worked for the Texas State Office of the Attorney General and the U.S. District Court of Southern New York. After working for the government (by the people), Rebecca refocused her practice to represent clients in federal appeals in U.S. District Court (for the people). Through her prior legal experience, Rebecca has learned that lawyers are needed to ensure positive outcomes for their...

Mysty Blagg is a second-career Health Law Attorney that brings 20 years of previous health care industry experience into her practice of law. She has lived the full health care life cycle. In her previous career, Mysty was a health dental hygienist, Medicaid Appeals Specialist, and a Health Care Compliance Investigator. Mysty is uniquely positioned to understand the business of health care, the power of health care innovation, and the pressures the intense regulatory environment. She advises health care clients on issues stemming from regulatory matters, licensing disputes, health care fraud and abuse, digital health matters,...

Ms. McCray loves the practice of law and enjoys helping people. She was born in Orangeburg, South Carolina and attended South Carolina College (the University of South Carolina's honors college) receiving undergraduate degrees in English and Psychology. Ms. McCray graduated from the University of South Carolina School of Law in Columbia, South Carolina. During law school, she clerked for Judge C. Tolbert Goolsby at S.C. Court of Appeals and interned one summer in Raleigh for the North Carolina Family Policy Council where she gained intimate knowledge of the legislative process in North Carolina. During her third year, she clerked...

I serve as the managing attorney at Maginnis Howard, a civil litigation firm based in Raleigh, NC, in Wake County. Our firm is unique in that we represent both plaintiffs and defendants in legal disputes. On the plaintiff side, my work primarily involves consumer class actions and business litigation. I previously held the position of chair for the Consumer Areas of Practice at the North Carolina Advocates for Justice. Our firm handles consumer cases on a contingency basis, covering issues under the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act (FDCPA), Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA), the Telephone Consumer Protection Act (TCPA), and related...

North Carolina personal injury lawyer Brenton D. Adams has represented individuals against insurance companies since 1973. Mr. Adams is board certified by the National Board of Trial Advocacy and is a member of the Million Dollar Advocacy Forum. He has been selected as one of the top 100 trial lawyers in North Carolina by the American Trial Lawyers Association. Mr. Adams has given lectures to trial lawyers at numerous seminars dealing with trial advocacy and trial practice issues. Among the trial lawyer organizations at which Mr. Adams has lectured are the North Carolina Academy of Trial Lawyers, The North Carolina Bar Association,...

Michelle Dewkett-Kochhar found her passion for workers’ compensation law dabbling in personal injury, workers’ compensation, and criminal defense law after graduating from law school. Dewkett-Kochhar graduated from Campbell University’s Norman Adrian Wiggins School of Law in 2019, and passed the North Carolina Bar Exam that same summer. A northerner at heart, Dewkett-Kochhar grew up in Rhinebeck, New York. She first moved to Raleigh to attend North Carolina State University, where she received a B.A. in International Studies and a minor in Spanish. While at law school, Dewkett-Kochhar served as a research assistant and interned with the Wake County Public Defender’s Office, a personal...

For Joey DeMartin, officially joining the team at Hardison & Cochran, Attorneys at Law feels like a homecoming. He worked at the law firm, writing motions and assisting in the call center while attending Campbell Law School in Raleigh. DeMartin graduated from the Norman Adrian Wiggins School of Law at Campbell University in 2018 and passed the North Carolina Bar Exam in 2019. The Washington, N.C., native is the first attorney in his family. “My grandfather was pretty happy with that,” DeMartin said, noting that the law had interested him from a young age. “I was definitely the family debater. … I...

Buxton Reed Bailey is a practicing attorney in Raleigh, N.C. He represents clients in North Carolina and other states, including Maryland, Delaware, Georgia and Pennsylvania. His law firm, Buxton R. Bailey, P.C., focuses on a general practice of law with a special focus on Immigration and Nationality Law. Bailey, a native English speaker, is also fluent in Spanish. Immigration law is a unique area of law without boundaries and Attorney Bailey represents corporate and individual clients locally and globally. Attorney Bailey represents his clients before the Bureau of Citizenship and Immigration Services, The Bureau of Immigration and Customs Enforcement, The...

I’m a North Carolina native and a graduate of the CUNY Law School class of 2017. Prior to law school, I worked at an international reproductive rights and health organization and founded a local nonprofit to help people in North Carolina access medical care.

My legal interests include remedying the collateral consequences of having a criminal record and ensuring civil rights. Outside of the legal profession, I enjoy playing roller derby and trying new foods in the Triangle area.

For more than a decade, K. Gregory Gunter has been working hard to protect the rights of his North Carolina clients with their workers' compensation - personal injury cases and is a member of the North Carolina Advocates for Justice, a prominent group dedicated to doing the same.

We are the largest Consumer Debtor Bankruptcy law firm in North Carolina, with a reputation for providing quality services in a rapid and efficient manner for people burdened with debt or being harassed by creditors. At the same time, we realize that taking care of our clients, answering all their questions, and addressing all their concerns is the most important part of the services we provide. Don't take our word for it. Read our client testimonials at www.billsbills.com. Offices: RALEIGH, DURHAM, FAYETTEVILLE & WILSON, and serving clients in the 28 surrounding counties of North Carolina.

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...

Kimberly Blackwell (maiden name) was born and raised in Salisbury, North Carolina. She obtained her undergraduate degree from the University of North Carolina at Charlotte and her Law Degree from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. In 2008, she married her husband, Malcolm F. Bishop, III. In 2012, she changed her name to Kimberly D. Bishop. Kimberly D. Bishop, Attorney at Law has dedicated her practice to Social Security Disability Law since 2009. She has appeared before Raleigh, Greensboro, Fayetteville and Charlotte Administrative Law Judges. She also has experience with the Appeals Council and Federal Court. She...

Jack Keener, Attorney at Law, handles Workers’ Compensation cases for The Bishop Law Firm. He enjoys protecting the rights of NC injured workers and understands how difficult the NC Worker’s Compensation system can be for those injured on the job. He is a member of the North Carolina Advocates for Justice and is part of the NCAJ Workers’ Compensation section.

Jack is fluent in Portuguese and Spanish and uses his language skills to support The Bishop Law Firm’s Latino clients. Jack is focused on providing honest, reliable, and effective legal representation to his clients, including those in the North Carolina Latino...

Ms. Armstrong has been licensed to practice law in North Carolina since 1991. She earned her juris doctorate from the North Carolina Central University School of Law Evening Division and her bachelor of arts in journalism from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. During her 30 years of legal experience, Ms. Armstrong has alternated between private practice and the federal government. She has served as Counsel on the staff of two U.S. Senators, and as District Counsel for three U.S. House Representatives. In January, 2021, Ms. Armstrong retired from federal service and has reopened her private immigration...

Jeff brings 25 years of business and legal experience to his business/corporate transactional and general civil practice. Earning his Juris Doctorate from Valparaiso University School of Law and his MBA from North Carolina State University, Jeff specializes in commercial transactions (contracts, vendor relationships/negotiations, M&A due diligence) and enjoys the art of the deal. Jeff’s popular Software Licensing Handbook is consistently reviewed as the bible for technology licensing instruction and he’s frequently sought as a recognized expert in negotiation by publications such as Inc, CBS and MSNBC. Jeff is licensed in both North Carolina and Indiana and is admitted to...

Ava Lynch was born in Boone, North Carolina. In 2001, her family moved to Cary, North Carolina. Ava obtained her undergraduate degree from North Carolina State University and her Law Degree from Campbell University. In August 2017, after a six-year courtship, Ava married her husband, Colby G. Lynch. They live with their two dogs, Dixie and Sophie, in Raleigh, North Carolina.

Ava Lynch, Attorney at Law handles The Bishop Law Firm’s personal injury and worker’s compensation clients. She has appeared before Superior Court Judges in Wake County, Harnett County, Cumberland County, and Pender County. She also has experience in Federal Court....

I help people charged with traffic tickets, driving while license revoked, driving while impaired, drug charges and other criminal matters protect their rights! The reason I'm so passionate about what I do is because I know how hard it is to fight the system. As a child, I watched my mother fight for and win her freedom, after being arrested for a crime she didn't commit. Her courage is what inspired me to come back to Louisburg, where I was born and raised, to practice law. Prior to starting my own law firm, I served as an Assistant District...

Michael Paul grew up in a Navy family who lived all over the country, returning to their home base of San Diego every two years. He graduated cum laude from the University of San Diego with a Bachelor’s Degree in Political Science and then earned his Juris Doctor degree from the National Law Center at George Washington University. As early as law school, he was involved in estate planning, working in clinics to assist low income families with their wills and probate administration. After graduation, Michael joined Reid & Priest, (a large DC law firm) as a corporate litigator and compliance...

Federal Practice: • Member of the United States Supreme Court Bar • Accredited Attorney by the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs • Admitted to practice before the Court of Appeals for Veterans Claims State Practice: • Member of the North Carolina Bar since 1994 • Licensed to practice in all NC Courts and Eastern NC Fed. District Court Memberships: • Member of the National Academy of Elder Law Attorneys • Member of the National Organization of Veterans Advocates Teaching: • MBA, concentrations in Finance and Decision Sciences • Traditional and online college instructor for 6 years • Founder of CLE.LawDox continuing legal education courses for attorneys • Founder of mentoring.LawDox teaching the business of law

Joseph P. Tunstall is a trial lawyer through and through, having been successful in numerous personal injury, auto accident, Social Security, and workers’ comp cases, many of them before a jury. He has handled cases at both the federal and state levels, including the Supreme Court of North Carolina. Joe has tried close to 100 jury trials to verdict always representing the injured and never corporations or insurance companies in Eastern North Carolina. If you ask other lawyers who handle personal injury they know Joe tries his clients’ cases to juries. He is on the Board of Governors for the...

Laura graduated with honors from the University of South Carolina in 1997. During law school, Laura was on the Law Review, was active in the American Trial Lawyers Association trial competition, and received other academic honors.

Laura began her practice in 1997 working in civil litigation as defense attorney in automobile collisions and insurance law. Thereafter, Laura ran the North Carolina office for a multi-state firm, practicing as a Plaintiff’s attorney in the areas of worker’s compensation and personal injury, and other civil litigation.

From 2000 through 2003, Laura operated Laura S. Jenkins, P.C. serving the community mainly in the areas of...

Glenn was born and raised in Rhode Island. He has traveled and lived in various places during his ten years of service in the United States Marine Corps. Glenn graduated magna cum laude from the University of North Carolina at Charlotte in 2002 with a B.S. in Accounting. He worked for PricewaterhouseCoopers for two years before attending law school at George Washington University. Since graduating in 2007 from George Washington University, he sharpened his trial skills while serving as a prosecutor in the Alamance County District Attorney's Office. Glenn currently manages the Wilmington...