Semora Workers' Compensation 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...

In his law career, Dan has helped countless injured workers and their families obtain the medical care and the compensation they deserve. In fact, he has achieved some of the highest workers’ compensation settlements in the State of North Carolina. Dan is one of a select group of Board Certified Specialists in Workers’ Compensation Law practicing in North Carolina. He also is a member of the prestigious Million Dollar Advocates Forum. Dan is deeply committed to community service and volunteer work. He supports a number of charities and community organizations through gifts of his time, expertise and financial contributions. Along with his...

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...

Valerie A. Johnson graduated from the University of North Carolina and from the UNC School of Law in 1994, with honors Before entering law school, Valerie was an elementary school teacher.

Valerie is a specialist in workers' compensation law. She teaches trial advocacy at the University of North Carolina School of Law. Valerie also has taught workers' compensation law at Wake Forest University's School of Law.

Valerie serves on the Board of Directors of the North Carolina Advocates for Justice and chaired the workers’ compensation committee. She is a former board member of the Lawyers Coordinating Committee...

Gene Riddle is the founding partner of Riddle & Riddle Injury Lawyers, a distinguished North Carolina personal injury law firm with more than 190 years of combined legal experience. Gene and his team have secured over $850 million in compensation for clients. His unwavering commitment to integrity, honesty, and client-focused service has been the backbone of his legal career. Gene’s deep North Carolina roots are an essential part of his story. Born in Stanly County and raised in Aberdeen, his passion for law was inspired by his father, a respected superintendent of Moore County Schools, and his mother, a dedicated teacher....

Casey Francis has a strong desire to help people, whether it’s through her work as an attorney or her role as a volunteer for numerous community groups. She joined the Deuterman Law Group in 2011 as an associate attorney in workers’ compensation, following previous stints here as a law clerk and new client coordinator.

Casey is one of a select group of board certified specialists in workers’ compensation law practicing in North Carolina.

Since she joined the firm, Francis has been the lead attorney on workers’ comp cases involving Spanish-speaking clients with a focus on representing undocumented workers in their claims....

Zachary Marquand began his professional career as a high school math teacher with Teach for America, working in a rural community in Eastern North Carolina.

Zachary is one of a select group of board certified specialists in workers’ compensation law practicing in North Carolina.

Originally from Knoxville, Tenn., Zach earned his bachelor’s degree in economics and Latin from DePauw University in Indiana. As a college undergraduate, Zach was senior captain of the men’s swim team.

After devoting two years to Teach for America, Zach attended law school at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. There, he became...

Ben Burnside is passionate about representing the rights of mentally and physically disabled and injured people. He focuses his practice on helping disabled workers and veterans receive the Social Security Disability and VA benefits to which they are entitled, especially when they have been denied those benefits in the past.

Ben is a proven advocate for his clients. In 2008, he became a member of the Million Dollar Advocates Forum, a prestigious association of trial lawyers. Membership is limited to attorneys who have won million dollar or multimillion dollar verdicts, awards or settlements for their clients. Fewer than 1 Social Security...

Ben Ridings a Board Certified Specialist in Workers’ Compensation Law by the North Carolina State Bar Board of Legal Specialization. He is a member of the firm practicing primarily in the areas of workers’ compensation and general civil litigation.

Ben graduated from the University of North Carolina at Asheville in 2003 with a Bachelor of Arts, with Honors and Distinction, in History. He received his law degree from the University of North Carolina School of Law in 2007, where he served as Articles and Comments Editor of the First Amendment Law Review and interned with The Honorable Robin E. Hudson of...

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...

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...

As an injury attorney, he’s found a job that combines his passion for research and for helping people who have often been wronged by the system that is supposed to protect them.

Jack graduated summa cum laude from N.C. Central University with a double major in political science and criminal justice. He earned his juris doctor from the University of Alabama School of Law in 2016.

Originally from Basingstoke, England, Jack came to the United States on a tennis scholarship at N.C. Central. He started playing tennis at age 5 and was part of England’s national program as a junior.

While at...

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...

Mr. Jacob Goad is a workers’ compensation and personal injury attorney with Law Office of Jacob Goad, PLLC. Mr. Goad graduated from the University of North Carolina (UNC) Chapel Hill where he majored in Spanish and minored in Social and Economic Justice. At UNC, Mr. Goad earned membership in Sigma Delta Pi, a Hispanic Collegiate Honor Society. After earning his undergraduate degree, Mr. Goad lived and worked in Peru, where he got involved with environmental advocacy and also coordinated international delegations. He accompanied CNN producers and Dr. Sanjay Gupta to the town of La Oroya where Mr. Goad introduced Dr. Gupta...

Steven maintains a varied practice focusing on representing workers who have been injured on the job and people who have been injured due to the negligence of others. His practice also includes representing consumers who have been harmed by unfair or deceptive business practices.

Steven started his legal career with the office of the North Carolina Attorney General, where he worked primarily defending the state of North Carolina in workers’ compensation cases, before deciding to join Martin & Jones out of a desire to help real people who have been injured or harmed. Steven understands how difficult it is for people...

Chris Hyland is an experienced personal injury lawyer and managing partner at Hyland, Padilla, & Fowler, PLLC. He is committed to protecting the rights of injury victims in Raleigh and Durham. Chris attended the College of Wooster for his undergraduate degree and earned his Juris Doctor from Campbell University School of Law. Active in the legal community, he is a current member and former Durham County Bar Association president. He is also a part of the North Carolina Advocates for Justice, the Fourteenth Judicial District, the North Carolina Bar Association, and more. For his dedication and success, he was awarded...

Mr. Spain was admitted to the State Bar in 2013 and practiced as an estates and business law attorney prior to joining BHSPA in 2018. Jason focuses on Estate Planning and Probate law, helping clients plan for their family’s future and to assist clients in administering the estate of a loved one. He also is proficient in helping small business owners set up business succession plans that will allow their companies to be passed on to the next generation and help provide financial security for their families in the event of retirement, death, or disability. ...

Matthew Burkert was raised in Durham, North Carolina, and still resides in the same area he grew up in. He is a graduate of East Carolina University, where he received a bachelor’s degree majoring in Criminal Justice in 2008. Matt then attended North Carolina Central University School of Law, earning his Juris Doctor degree in 2012. He passed the North Carolina Bar Exam in February, 2013, becoming a licensed attorney in the State. Matt joined the Constantinou Law Group, PA as a law clerk while in law school in 2010. He remained at the firm after passing the bar, becoming...

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...

Kelly A. Stevens is a co-founder and managing member of the law firm of Hemmings & Stevens, P.L.L.C. and has been practicing as an attorney since 1994. She grew up in the mid-west and graduated from the University of Missouri-Columbia in 1991 with a Bachelor of Arts degree in political science. While in college she was elected President of her pre-law fraternity, Phi Alpha Delta. She attended law school at the University of Missouri-Columbia and graduated in 1994. While in law school she performed an internship at the Attorney General's Office for the State of Missouri and later clerked for...

A North Carolina native, David was born and raised in a commercial fishing family on the Outer Banks. He decided to attend law school while he was at North Carolina State University earning dual BAs in Economics and Business Management. Even then, he knew that “fighting for the little guy” was his destiny. After 20 years, he and his partners continue to stand for the same principles.

An avid Top Dragster racer (with an IHRA Class B license), David has written articles on the importance of adequate insurance coverage and appropriate legal representation for several racing industry publications.

He spent years dedicated...

As an attorney, my goal is to provide you, my client, with the best legal services possible. My law firm has concentrated on representing plaintiffs in all injury areas since I started practice in 1972. The firm provides the most up-to-date and qualified job accident legal services available. We received the very highest rating given (AV) by Martindale-Hubbell Law Directory of Attorneys in North America. In addition, the North Carolina State Bar has designated me as a board-certified specialist in workers’ compensation law. I was among the first group of attorneys in the state so designated and among only a small...

Attorney Mark V.L. Gray, founder of the North Carolina law firm of Gray Legal Group has been practicing law since 1982.

Our founding lawyers are trusted in the legal community and are members of many prestigious organizations. Mark V.L. Gray is a member of the Multi-Million Dollar Advocates Forum, a group that is limited only to those who have recovered many millions of dollars for victims of negligence, as well as the National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers (NACDL). We are respected by our peers for our diligence in standing up for the rights of our clients.

Attorney Grays’ longevity means that...

Have you been injured at work? Are you concerned about losing your employment because of a work related injury? Is your employer advising you relative to your medical care?

I am a North Carolina Board Certified Specialist in Workers' Compensation Law and a Certified Superior Court Mediator. I have been practicing law and negotiating successful outcomes for my North Carolina clients since 1999. My practice is concentrated in the area of workers' compensation. I am an aggressive advocate focused on understanding and achieving the outcomes that matter to my clients.

I added mediation to my practice...

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,...

Durham disability, personal injury and traffic lawyer representing clients in Durham, Raleigh, Cary, Hillsborough, Chapel Hill and throughout North Carolina.

Nathaniel “Nat” Smith heads up the firm’s civil litigation practice. He handles serious personal injury and workers’ compensation cases in addition to business litigation, trust and estate litigation cases. He also works on civil appeals on behalf of the firm’s clients. Mr. Smith grew up in Raleigh, where he was a member of Broughton High School’s 50th graduating class in 1979. He attended the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, graduating in 1983 with a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Economics. He graduated with honors from UNC School of Law in 1993. While in law school, he clerked...

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...

Hank graduated from the University of North Carolina in 1963 and from UNC Law School in 1966, where he was elected to the Order of the Coif. Before entering private practice, he served as law clerk to the Honorable J. Braxton Craven, Jr., of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit and worked as an attorney in Region 11 of the National Labor Relations Board. He has served on legislative study commissions and as Chair of the Workers' Rights Section of the North Carolina Academy of Trial Lawyers, Co-Chair of the North Carolina Bar Association's Workers' Compensation Committee, and...

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...

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...

Aaron C. Hemmings is a co-founder of the law firm of Hemmings & Stevens, PLLC, and has been a practicing attorney since 1999. His practice includes Consumer Class Actions, Banking Law, Insurance Bad Faith, Professional Negligence and other Civil Litigation. In 2005, Aaron Hemmings and Kelly Stevens decided to start their own law firm and co-founded Hemmings & Stevens, PLLC. They opened their doors on September 5, 2005. Since then and throughout his career, Aaron has aggressively represented individuals and small businesses in cases involving consumer fraud, and wrongfully denied insurance claims. Aaron has represented clients in numerous jury...

John Wright’s law practice is primarily bringing claims on behalf of people who have been injured in some way by the acts of another. This includes motor vehicle accidents, products liability, catastrophic injury, wrongful death and personal injury that result from another’s negligence or purposeful harm. John also advises clients on business formation, business disputes, buying and selling of businesses and avoiding liability.

John has a background in business consulting. Additionally, he was the head coach for the University of Oregon Men’s lacrosse team and later coached for a number of years at Grimsley High School. He served in the United...

After graduating from Duke University School of Law, I was offered a position with a North Carolina law firm, and I have practiced law in Greensboro ever since. The most rewarding aspect of my practice has been working with individual clients and helping them get benefits they are owed. I work to maintain a personal relationship with each of my clients and stay available to them by phone or in person as needed throughout the representation. Since the start, my clients have included people injured at work. I have handled many types of workers' compensation claims from on-the-job accidents to occupational...

Narendra graduated from Harvard University, summa cum laude, in 1998, and from the New York University School of Law, magna cum laude, in 2005. Prior to attending law school, Narendra was a computer programmer for several companies in Silicon Valley, including Network Appliance, Inc. In law school, he served on the NYU Review of Law and Social Change as a Staff Member and a Managing Editor. After graduation, he was a law clerk to the Honorable A. Wallace Tashima of the United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit and to the Honorable Emmet G. Sullivan of the United...

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....

John Jensen is an accomplished trial attorney who over the course of his career, has helped his clients achieve record setting recoveries. John dedicates substantial time, energy and resources to helping victims of catastrophic injuries, as well as the families of wrongful death victims, obtain the compensation and justice they deserve. With more than 25 years practicing law, Mr. Jensen possesses sophisticated litigation and trial experience. He can evaluate your situation from every angle to determine the best course of action. During his years of practice, John has represented people who have been critically injured on...

Mr. Jennings joined the Law Offices of James Scott Farrin in 2006 and practices in the Firm's Workers' Compensation Department. He received his J.D. with honors from the University of North Carolina School of Law, and graduated magna cum laude from North Carolina State University, where he received his B.S. in Animal Science. Since obtaining his law degree, Mr. Jennings has practiced in the area of workers' compensation, and is now representing workers having suffered catastrophic injuries as a result of a work accident. "After working in insurance defense as an attorney for workers' compensation insurance carriers, I sought to make an...