2022
WORKERS’ COMPENSATION The Power List recognizes the most respected and accomplished attorneys in an area of practice—a lawyer you might call yourself if you needed legal help in his or her field.
THE POWER L I S T
2022
"Helping lawyers practice better, more efficiently, and more profitably." ■ PUBLISHER Liz Irwin lirwin@bridgetowermedia.com ■ EXECUTIVE EDITOR Andy Owens aowens@scbiznews.com ■ EDITOR IN CHIEF David Donovan david.donovan@nclawyersweekly.com ■ EDITORIAL Heath Hamacher, Reporter hhamacher@nclawyersweekly.com Scott Baughman, Digital Media Manager sbaughman@mecktimes.com ■ ADVERTISING Sheila Batie-Jones, Advertising Account Executive sheila.batie-jones@nclawyersweekly.com ■ ACCOUNTING & ADMINISTRATIVE Michael McArthur, Business Manager mmcarthur@bridgetowermedia.com ■ CIRCULATION Disa Ehrler, Audience Development Manager dehrler@bridgetowermedia.com Circulation: 1-877-615-9536 service@bridgetowermedia.com ■ PRODUCTION & OPERATIONS Ryan O’Shea, Production Supervisor roshea@molawyersmedia.com ©2022 BridgeTower Media. Material published in North Carolina Lawyers Weekly is compiled at substantial expense and is for the sole and exclusive use of purchasers and subscribers. The material may not be republished, resold, recorded, or used in any manner, in whole or in part, without the publisher’s explicit consent. Any infringement will be subject to legal redress.
WORKERS’ COMPENSATION ■ THE POWER LIST ANDY AVRAM.........................................................................2
JULIA HOOTEN.....................................................................10
M. RYAN BISPLINGHOFF.........................................................3
BARRY C. JENNINGS.............................................................10
FRANCISCO J. BRICIO............................................................3
VALERIE JOHNSON...............................................................11
SUSAN H. BRIGGS..................................................................4
JENNIFER MORRIS JONES....................................................11
SHEILA CHAVIS.......................................................................4
TRACEY JONES....................................................................12
MELISSA CLEARY...................................................................5
TODD OXNER.......................................................................12
STEVEN CORRIVEAU...............................................................6
C.D. TAYLOR PACE................................................................13
DREW CULLER.......................................................................6
ANNEMARIE PANTAZIS.........................................................13
KATHLEEN QUINN DUBOIS......................................................7
MARTHA RAMSAY................................................................14
DAVID GANTT.........................................................................8
STEVEN SIZEMORE...............................................................14
ANNA HAMRICK......................................................................8
VERNON SUMWALT..............................................................15
JOEL JACKSON HARDISON.....................................................9
JOHN TOMEI........................................................................15
Lawyers Media
ANDY AVRAM PARTNER, CRANFILL SUMNER CHARLOTTE Andy Avram has handled workers’ compensation matters for employers and workers’ compensation carriers since joining the Charlotte office of Cranfill Sumner in 1990. He is a partner in the firm and serves as the workers’ compensation section leader. Avram is experienced at all levels of workers’ compensation litigation, including mediation and hearings at the deputy Commissioner and full Commission levels and the state’s Court of Appeals. “I enjoy representing employers and carriers because they are typically very responsive to requests for information and helpful in gathering all of the facts necessary to defend their claim,” Avram said. “It is also probably a lot less emotional on the defense side.” He has had several interesting claims over the years such as legionnaire’s disease, parrot fever, organ transplants, staged robberies, and workplace violence. A case that stands out involved a worker who suffered a traumatic injury and ended up losing about 90% of his tongue. Avram’s employer and carrier clients wanted him to have treatment that involved a reliable tongue reconstruction procedure, using his own body tissue. But the plaintiff wanted a tongue transplant procedure, which had at that point only been done once in Europe. The defendants had retained several leading otolaryngologists as experts who raised concerns about the outcome of the tongue transplant. “After a hearing, multiple depositions with several of the top otolaryngologists in the country, and several mediations, the parties were finally able to craft what I would consider a win-win settlement to resolve this issue and the tongue transplant procedure did not take place at that time,” Avram said. Avram believes effective attorneys must be good listeners, and responsive. “To be an effective advocate, we must listen to our clients and be aware of the outcome they are seeking and not just seek the outcome we think is appropriate,” he said. “My father, Garry Avram who was a corporate attorney, emphasized to me the timely return of phone calls. It sounds very simple, but many people cannot pull this off. I always get back to my clients the same day by either email or phone.”
2B | THE POWER LIST: WORKERS’ COMPENSATION
MARCH 2022
THE POWER L I S T
M. RYAN BISPLINGHOFF CLANCY & THEYS CONSTRUCTION COMPANY WILMINGTON Ryan Bisplinghoff’s career has focused on workers’ compensation defense since receiving his law degree from Campbell University. Formerly a managing member in the Wilmington office of McAngus Goudelock & Courie, he recently joined Clancy & Theys Construction Company. He is also a board certified specialist in workers’ compensation law. Bisplinghoff represents a wide variety of employers, carriers, and third-party administrators in all stages of workers’ compensation litigation before the North Carolina Industrial Commission and North Carolina appellate courts. Starting out in MGC’s Raleigh office in 2007, he moved to Wilmington in 2014 where he expanded the firm’s footprint to the coast. He is a regular presenter on hot topics in workers’ compensation both for clients and at larger conferences, including the Workers’ Compensation Defense Institute’s Multi-State Breakout at the WCI’s annual Workers’ Compensation Educational Conference in Orlando. Bisplinghoff enjoys workers’ compensation defense work because it gives him the ability to develop processes that help his clients navigate their cases. “I like helping employers develop good policies and procedures to prevent costly litigation on the front end,” he said. “If litigation ensues, I enjoy helping them navigate the process and hopefully reach a favorable outcome or resolution.” A graduate of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill with a Bachelor of Arts degree in political science and a minor in history, Bisplinghoff earned his law degree from the Campbell University School of Law. He is an active member of the Wrightsville Beach United Methodist Church, where he serves on the administrative counsel and serves on the board of Kids’ Chance of North Carolina. For Bisplinghoff, good organizational skills coupled with the ability to be creative problem solvers are key to being an effective attorney and client advocate. These traits often pave the way to success. He defines victory as obtaining favorable opinions from the North Carolina Industrial Commission for his clients, without having to take matters further into the court system. “I have only gone to the Court of Appeals two times,” he said. “Both decisions were favorable to my clients, and those are among the highlights of my career.”
FRANCISCO J. BRICIO ATTORNEY, THE BRICIO LAW FIRM CARY Recognizing a need for attorneys to represent Spanish-speaking employees in North Carolina, Frank Bricio devotes his law practice to representing Latino plaintiffs in workers’ compensation matters. Together, Frank and his wife, Katie Bricio, also an attorney, own The Bricio Law Firm in Cary where they represent individuals who’ve been injured on the job. Bricio is a member of the North Carolina Advocates for Justice and has served on the executive committee of the workers’ compensation section, the board of governors, the committee on the judiciary, and as chair of the Hispanic-Latino division. One of Bricio’s top client outcomes involved representing a farmworker who had a neurological disease. “He had three different attorneys review and turn down his case because the pathology report suggested that his disease was not work-related,” Bricio said. The attorneys had to work quickly because the age of the case made the claim susceptible to a dismissal. Working with an N.C. State University professor, Bricio established that the bacteria that caused the worker’s neurological disease was prevalent on the farm where he worked, and most likely constituted his only exposure to that bacterium. “Ultimately, we reached a six-figure settlement for this gentleman,” Bricio said. Bricio, who has served as a leader with the NCAJ’s workers’ compensation Section, has been handling workers’ compensation cases on his own for more than 20 years. For Bricio, empathy is one of the most important traits of successful attorneys because it leads to a greater understanding of what injured workers are going through, helps attorneys allay their concerns and fears and motivates them to do the best for their clients. “I genuinely care about the workers in North Carolina who come from Mexico and other Latin American countries,” he said. “I want to hear about their hometowns, their families and what brought them to this state, and I feel blessed to be given the opportunity to help them navigate the workers’ compensation system and receive the benefits to which they are entitled.”
MARCH 2022
THE POWER LIST: WORKERS’ COMPENSATION | 3B
THE POWER L I S T
SUSAN H. BRIGGS SHAREHOLDER, DICKIE, MCCAMEY & CHILCOTE CHARLOTTE As a shareholder at Dickie, McCamey & Chilcote of Charlotte, Susan Briggs concentrates her practice in the areas of workers’ compensation defense and appellate practice. She also regularly teaches seminars regarding workers’ compensation law. A member of the Lumbee Tribe of Native Americans, Briggs is past chair of the Defense Research Institute Diversity Committee for Workers’ Compensation Substantive Law Committee. She is an elected member of the National Judicial College Board of Trustees and was named as one of Charlotte’s 50 Most Influential Women. “These two honors mean a lot, especially as a member of the indigenous community.” Briggs is a board certified specialist in workers’ compensation law and a North Carolina Dispute Resolution Commission certified mediator. She chose to practice workers’ compensation law because she enjoys the legal counselling she is able to provide her clients. Briggs often counsels clients with complicated, catastrophic cases that have been open for many years, often incurring millions of dollars in expenses over the life of the claim. “These cases are extremely complicated with Medicare issues, liens, lifetime medicals and custodial annuities,” she said. “I productively work with opposing counsel to maneuver through these complicated issues and craft a settlement that is beneficial to all parties, and I take great professional satisfaction in concluding longstanding claims for my clients that for them seemed impossible to resolve.” Briggs believes that honesty and integrity foster client trust and are key to success as an attorney. These traits also lead to maintaining a good reputation in the legal community, and signal to other attorneys that fairness and professionalism are at the forefront. “We work with the same attorneys over and over, and it’s important to have a positive and collaborative relationship with opposing counsel and the Industrial Commission so you can be an effective advocate for your clients,” she said. “An attorney’s word is everything, and knowing you can be trusted helps you represent your clients in a consistently professional and successful manner.”
SHEILA CHAVIS PARTNER, BRENT ADAMS & ASSOCIATES RALEIGH Sheila Chavis, a partner with Brent Adams & Associates, has had 20 years of litigation experience, including 15 years as the firm’s dedicated workers’ compensation lawyer, helping injured workers successfully put their lives back together. As Chavis’ career progressed, she realized that helping injured workers enabled her to make a strong impact on the lives of people who reminded her of her parents. That’s when she began focusing on workers compensation law. Chavis has enjoyed success in the courtroom and in appearances before the North Carolina Industrial Commission. She has successfully represented thousands of clients and helped them recover full benefits after they were injured on the job. Most recently, she prevailed at the deputy commission and full commission levels on an issue involving a client who was performing work for a company when he was involved in a car crash and was denied workers compensation benefits due to his independent contractor status. “I reviewed the facts, performed extensive discovery, and went through two hearings on the jurisdictional issue before prevailing on that issue at both levels of the Industrial Commission hearing process,” she said. After litigating for three years, Chavis obtained a settlement of a few hundred thousand dollars and enabled her client to go back to the third-party claim and recover the $10,000 that had been held in trust for the workers’ compensation carrier, pending the outcome of the workers’ compensation litigation. For Chavis, both technical skills and soft skills are key to being an effective client advocate. “While you have to know the law, and know how to research, write and convey it to the decision-makers, you must also be able to communicate with and interact with your clients and other individuals on a personal level,” she said.
4B | THE POWER LIST: WORKERS’ COMPENSATION
MARCH 2022
THE POWER L I S T
MELISSA CLEARY MEMBER, MCANGUS GOUDELOCK & COURIE RALEIGH Melissa Cleary enjoys practicing workers’ compensation defense because she appreciates the opportunity to build long-lasting relationships with her clients who represent both large and small businesses. “On the insurance and risk management side, I partner with people who have been in the industry and have a wealth of knowledge to share,” she said. “On the employer side, I learn so much about a business and the impact that litigation has on it.” As a member of McAngus Goudelock & Courie in Raleigh, Cleary focuses her practice exclusively on workers’ compensation. Cleary is a board certified specialist in workers’ compensation law and the first female defense attorney in North Carolina to be inducted into the College of Workers’ Compensation Lawyers. She’s also held leadership positions with the National Workers’ Compensation Defense Network She graduated magna cum laude from Saint Mary’s College of Notre Dame with a Bachelor of Arts degree in economics and earned her law degree from the University of North Carolina. She considers empathy, sincerity, and objectivity as important characteristics of successful attorneys. “If you can put yourself in your client’s shoes and really see how the case or litigation is impacting their business, that perspective will help you to dial in to the case and handle it with care,” she said. “It is essential to take a step back and remember while these issues are something you deal with every day, the same is not true for your client.” Cleary relies on listening to clients and prioritizing their issues. For her, representing businesses is an important component of legal defense work. “We have opportunities to advocate for both large and small businesses, many of whom are dealing with the workers’ compensation system for the first time, and businesses are all made up of people who deserve advocacy just as much as individuals,” she said.
CONGRATULATIONS
on being chosen to the 2022 POWER LIST for Workers’ Compensation
Social Security Disability Workers’ Compensation Personal Injury
MARCH 2022
THE POWER LIST: WORKERS’ COMPENSATION | 5B
THE POWER L I S T
STEVEN CORRIVEAU ATTORNEY, MARTIN & JONES RALEIGH Driven by his desire to make a difference in people’s lives, Steven Corriveau found his calling as a workers’ compensation attorney. “I think representing plaintiffs in workers’ compensation cases is an excellent way to achieve my goals,” he said. “All my clients are working men and women who have suffered injuries on the job and are trying to recover and return to work and live the most normal life possible.” Corriveau, an attorney at Martin & Jones in Raleigh, started his legal career with the office of the North Carolina Attorney General, where he worked primarily defending the state in workers’ compensation cases. In 2015, he decided to join Martin & Jones out of a desire to help people who have been injured or harmed. A few professional achievements stand out—the complicated and difficult cases involving spinal cord injuries and paralysis. “In one of those cases, the recoveries we obtained allowed our client to purchase a new home suitable for her needs and a van with hand controls that allowed her to regain a significant level of independence,” he said. “Later, we negotiated a settlement of the claim which resulted in a total recovery of over $2,400,000.” Corriveau says he takes pride in his firm’s synergy between its practice groups. In another case, the firm represented a worker who was severely burned in a plant explosion and fire. Attorneys pursued workers’ compensation benefits on his behalf and through discovery were able to establish a basis for a civil lawsuit against the at-fault party. “Between the third-party settlement and the workers’ compensation settlement, the total recovery was over $9,000,000,” Corriveau said. Corriveau says successful attorneys are always thoroughly prepared for each phase of their cases and are willing to litigate issues when it is the best interest of their clients. “In every case where we obtain a recovery or decision that allows our clients to obtain the medical treatment they need and provide for their families after a workplace injury, that is what I consider my top professional accomplishment,” he said.
DREW CULLER ASSOCIATE, JOHNSON & GRONINGER DURHAM Believing a deep understanding of clients is the most important trait to being an effective advocate, Drew Culler’s personal values have always been guided by a desire to serve others. Culler, an associate attorney at Johnson & Groninger of Durham, dedicates his practice to helping injured workers and residents navigate the justice system. “Justice for one client does not mean justice for another,” he said. “Clients are diverse, their life experiences inform their view of the legal system, and attorneys must be conscious of those diverse backgrounds in order be effective representatives of injured workers.” In one of Culler’s most significant cases, he represented a client who had developed cubital tunnel syndrome because of his job at a paper plant, which involved using a metal rod to strike hardened debris from inside a boiler. “He had to strike the debris repeatedly, which required grip and flexion in his hands,” Culler said. “The cubital tunnel syndrome caused his hand to atrophy so severely that my client could not even grip his toothbrush.” The client’s workers’ compensation claim was denied, but Culler felt strongly that it was compensable. “We prevailed before a deputy commissioner and the full commission, and although his claim involved a lot of hard work, including multiple medical experts and ergonomists, it was all worth it to get compensation for a deserving client,” Culler said. In another matter, Culler represented a client who had a long-standing back injury and developed an emergency onset of pain so severe she couldn’t walk. “Although this was an accepted case, the emergency room visit was denied,” Culler said. “We prevailed before the full commission, and my client received the medical compensation she was entitled to.”
6B | THE POWER LIST: WORKERS’ COMPENSATION
MARCH 2022
THE POWER L I S T
KATHLEEN QUINN DUBOIS SHAREHOLDER, CRUMLEY ROBERTS GREENSBORO Kathleen Quinn DuBois focuses her law practice in workers’ compensation because she enjoys helping people, and that area of the law is a natural fit for her personality. “I remember taking a workers’ compensation seminar class while in law school, and I was immediately drawn to this field, particularly from the perspective of representing injured workers,” she said. DuBois is a shareholder and workers’ compensation practice group leader at Crumley Roberts in Greensboro. She has been a board certified specialist in workers’ compensation law since 2013 and considers it among her top professional accomplishments. In the beginning of DuBois’ career as a lawyer, she worked in corporate defense, but since joining Crumley Roberts, she has exclusively represented injured workers. She is active in the workers’ compensation section of the North Carolina Bar Association and has served on the section’s executive council. DuBois considers the opportunity to guide clients through tough situations as the most important aspect of her work. She believes patience and the ability to listen carefully to clients’ concerns are the two most critical attributes of a successful attorney. “My clients face some of the most challenging circumstances of their lives when they suffer work-related injuries,” she said. “Having that ability to provide guidance, counsel, and advice for my clients while helping them navigate through these challenges is perhaps the greatest reward of my career.” For DuBois, success means the having the skills to help clients obtain medical treatment and disability benefits which leads to the most important outcome—client satisfaction. “A top outcome in a case is when a client tells me ‘thank you, I could not have been able to handle this without you,’” she said.
Take your events online
Wilder Pantazis Law Group 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! What is included in your webinar: • 45-60 minute webinar • Dedicated project support • Email marketing • Social media • Print ad For more information, please contact Sheila Batie-Jones at 704.817.1350 or sbatie-jones@nclawyersweekly.com.
MARCH 2022
CONGRATULATIONS!
Annemarie Pantazis was named one of the NC Power List Honorees for Workers’ Compensation.
Board-Certified Workers’ Compensation Specialist, Fellow in the College of Workers' Compensation Lawyers, and Certified Mediator 3501 Monroe Road, Charlotte, NC 28205
704. 342. 2243
www.wilderlawgroup.com
THE POWER LIST: WORKERS’ COMPENSATION | 7B
THE POWER L I S T
DAVID GANTT FOUNDING PARTNER, THE LAW OFFICE OF DAVID GANTT ASHEVILLE David Gantt has over 40 years’ experience representing injured and disabled clients across western North Carolina. At the David Gantt Law Office in Asheville, he practices social security disability and workers’ compensation law and is a board certified specialist. Gantt chose to represent plaintiffs in his practice to give back to his community and help people receive justice and fair compensation for injuries incurred on the job. “I have always been comfortable and happy representing working people who often feel like they don’t have a chance of justice against larger, more powerful, and more influential employers, insurance companies, and defense lawyers,” he said. “Once clients are convinced that they have a good chance of fair treatment and justice, they become much easier to work with and have a more positive outlook on the choices they face and the situations they find themselves involved in.” He launched the Law Office of David Gantt in 1981 and considers it as one of his most important career accomplishments. “I am proud of starting a law firm from nothing—no office, no furniture, no staff, and not much hope—to a successful, honest, efficient, and profitable group that caters to the working people of western North Carolina,” he said. “I am also proud of helping moderate-to-low-income clients gain some degree of financial help with ongoing temporary total disability payments and settlements that make a difference in the quality of their lives.” Gantt believes the most effective advocates are those who care about their clients, put their best interests above all other considerations, and won’t give up even when cases take bad turns for the worst. “When lawyers care and identify with their clients, they will do whatever is necessary to fight for them,” he said. “Sometimes the fight requires long hours to the detriment of other aspects of our lives. Effective advocates are more concerned about justice and fair compensation for our clients than the financial benefits we might receive when we are paid.”
ANNA HAMRICK PARTNER, GRIMES TEICH ANDERSON ASHEVILLE Anna Hamrick practices workers compensation law to help people navigate tough circumstances. Hamrick, a partner at Grimes Teich Anderson in Asheville, concentrates her practice in the areas of workers’ compensation and Social Security disability. She is a North Carolina board certified specialist in workers’ compensation law. “I really like help people get through a system that can otherwise be scary and confusing,” she said. “I hope that helping to get them through a difficult time in their life can bring them some measure of comfort.” Hamrick started her legal career in Virginia and Washington, D.C. before moving to North Carolina, where she has maintained her practice for more than 25 years. Hamrick cites empathy as key to success when representing individuals in workers’ compensation cases, and she strives to assist her clients as they navigate complicated legal processes by giving them reasonable expectations and making the process more tolerable. “I think the one of most helpful outcomes I can achieve for my clients is to help them understand how the workers’ compensation system works, and what they are arguably entitled to and not entitled to under our statutes,” she said. Hamrick is in her third term as North Carolina State Bar Councilor for Buncombe County and considers this service as one of her top professional accomplishments. “Serving as a bar councilor for my district [Buncombe County] has been a very rewarding and educational experience. I have learned a lot and made some wonderful friends,” she said. For Hamrick, patience and strong listening skills are the top traits that make attorneys effective advocates for their clients. “Advocating strongly for the client when you are taking a reasonable position or having a good basis to try and expand a general legal principle are essential practices,” she said. “Knowing when a position is not reasonable for you to take, and clearly explaining that to the client.”
8B | THE POWER LIST: WORKERS’ COMPENSATION
MARCH 2022
THE POWER L I S T
JOEL JACKSON HARDISON PARTNER, HARDISON & COCHRAN RALEIGH By joining Hardison & Cochran in 2008, Jack Hardison pivoted from defending insurance companies in workers’ compensation cases to representing injured and disabled workers. Today, he is a partner in the firm and a board certified specialist in workers’ compensation law. He set his sights on practicing litigation even before he started law school because that area of the law fits his strengths, he said. “I love helping hard-working, everyday people through their adversities, and representing them suits my personality,” he said. “I also like having many different, diverse clients whose cases come and go rather than representing the same smaller group of clients over and over for years on end.” He cites the 2015 settlement of a $3.5 million workers’ compensation claim as his most important career accomplishment to date. The client, a tree trimmer, was a veteran, and in 2008 was paralyzed from the waist down when a tree fell on him. His employer didn’t have insurance, and while other contractors and subcontractors involved at the jobsite did have insurance, they hadn’t obtained a valid certificate of insurance from the client’s employer. The matter was further complicated by uncertainty over whether the client was an independent contractor or an employee of the uninsured employer. “I did not have an associate or assisting attorney assigned to me at the time, so I was the only attorney working on that case,” Hardison said. “The litigation went on for few years, and it was a long haul.” As the case worked its way through the courts, the plaintiff lived at the VA hospital in Richmond because that was the only place he could receive care, Hardison said. “If he was not a veteran that had access to the VA treatment, I do not think he could have lived though that period,” he said. “It was gratifying and rewarding to be able to help the client obtain a settlement so he could live on his own and obtain the medical care that he needed and required.”
Congratulations
Attorney Sheila White Chavis of Brent Adams & Associates for being named one of the NC Power List Workers’ Compensation
Honorees
MARCH 2022
THE POWER LIST: WORKERS’ COMPENSATION | 9B
THE POWER L I S T
JULIA HOOTEN PARTNER, TEAGUE CAMPBELL ASHEVILLE A Raleigh native, Julia Hooten has deep roots in western North Carolina and has spent more than half her life living in the mountains. She moved to Asheville in 2008 to open Teague Campbell’s office there, and for over 17 years she has been representing counties and municipalities in western North Carolina. From employment and personnel matters to workers’ compensation claims, Hooten’s experience in a wide variety of legal issues fall under the realm of municipal law. Hooten has served in many leadership roles in the North Carolina Bar Association’s workers’ compensation section council, including as chair in 2017-2018. Across her career, Hooten notes several cases she is proud of. “Whether it was a case that got off the rails before I became involved and I helped rein it back in or I worked to engineer an effective settlement that significantly mitigated ongoing risk, it’s those challenging situations where I helped turn a case around that make me most proud,” she said. For Hooten, the most rewarding cases are not the ones that go to the full Industrial Commission or the Court of Appeals, but the ones that are in disarray when they reach her office, giving her an opportunity to turn them around to benefit her client. “Being able to develop a thoughtful strategy that addresses changing facts within a case and to shift the tides in favor of the client are my most rewarding achievements,” she said. Among her professional accomplishments, the two that stand our are her recognition as the 2020 Lawyer of the Year in Asheville for Workers’ Compensation-Employers by The Best Lawyers in America and chairing the workers’ compensation section council. “These accomplishments are meaningful to me because they involved nominations by colleagues from both sides of the courtroom,” she said. “The depth of respect from both the plaintiff and defense bars is gratifying.”
BARRY C. JENNINGS SHAREHOLDER, JAMES SCOTT FARRIN DURHAM Growing up in a large extended family in rural northeastern North Carolina, Barry Jennings planned to build a career in agriculture. He went on to major in animal science at N.C. State University, graduating magna cum laude with a bachelor of science degree in animal science and spent his summers working on a hog farm. After spending some time working for an insurance defense firm, Jennings moved to the plaintiffs’ side of the table in 2006 and joined the Law Offices of James Scott Farrin, where he is a shareholder and co-leader of the firms’ workers’ compensation department and a board certified specialist in workers’ compensation law. After practicing law for more than two decades, Jennings looks back on the hundreds of clients he’s represented. He considers the positive changes he’s influenced in people’s lives among his top professional accomplishments. “I’ve been fortunate to be able to help many clients recover by solving their problems, navigate their medical care, and find stability in their recovery, where they can be more independent and even go back to work,” he said. Jennings is a member of The Order of Barristers, the Workplace Injury Litigation Group, the N.C. Bar Association’s workers’ compensation section council, and the North Carolina Advocates for Justice. He chaired the NCBA’s workers’ compensation Section in 2020-21, and has spoken about workers’ compensation matters at numerous seminars, including the annual North Carolina Industrial Commission Conference and NCBA continuing education seminars. For Jennings, the most important trait plaintiffs’ attorneys need to achieve success is good listening skills. “Listening to your clients and having a strong sense of empathy them are two skill sets you need in your toolbox,” he said. “Being able to hear clients, to fully appreciate and understand what they are going through and putting yourself in their shoes is super important.”
10B | THE POWER LIST: WORKERS’ COMPENSATION
MARCH 2022
THE POWER L I S T
VALERIE JOHNSON PARTNER, JOHNSON & GRONINGER DURHAM Valerie Johnson’s career was influenced by the friends and family she grew up with in Henderson. “They were working people, and I saw some of them suffer from the labor conditions at the cotton mill or at the glass plant—many of them were injured,” she said. “I can’t forget how a friend suffered because her father was hurt and her family couldn’t make ends meet, and today I do what I can to prevent that kind of suffering.” Among Johnson’s top outcomes was a Court of Appeals ruling in favor of her client, a victim of severe chemical burns from an explosion. “He required wound care and help at home following his discharge from the hospital,” she said. “The defendants denied payment for attendant care, despite the need for his wife to perform continuing wound care and to provide help at home. The Court of Appeals found that the injured worker was entitled to past and future attendant care and set a standard for future awards.” Johnson has been a trial lawyer since she graduated from the University of North Carolina School of Law, with honors, in 1994. She is a partner at the Durham office of Johnson & Groninger, practicing in the areas of workers’ compensation law, personal injury, and bicycle crash law. She is a board certified specialist in workers’ compensation law. A member of the National Academy of Social Insurance and a fellow of the College of Workers’ Compensation Lawyers, Johnson is also on the board of Lawyers Mutual Liability Company. She is president-elect of the North Carolina Advocates for Justice and slated to serve as president next year. In 2021, she received the NCAJ Charles Becton Teaching Award. Teaching is a passion for Johnson. After receiving a Bachelor of Arts degree in education from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, she taught elementary school. In addition to her law practice, she is an adjunct professor at UNC Law, where she teaches trial advocacy. She has also taught workers’ compensation law at Wake Forest School of Law. She is the co-editor of North Carolina Workers’ Compensation Law: A Practical Guide to Success at Every Stage of a Claim. For Johnson, the keys to success as an effective lawyer are persistence and knowledge, “and the ability to listen—to clients, to counsel, and to the other side—is equally important, but often overlooked,” she said.
JENNIFER MORRIS JONES PARTNER, CRANFILL SUMNER RALEIGH For Jennifer Morris Jones, the best part of her job is cultivating partnerships with her clients. A partner at Cranfill Sumner in Raleigh, Jones represents employers and carriers in workers’ compensation cases. She is a member of Cranfill Sumner’s risk management and workers’ compensation practice group. In 2020, she was elected to serve on her firm’s management committee. Jones, a board certified workers’ compensation specialist, was appointed as chair of the workers’ compensation committee of DRI, a national organization of defense attorneys and in-house counsel. Jones achieved one of her best client outcomes when she represented an employer and carrier to achieve a favorable Court of Appeals decision involving a statute of limitations defense, complex medical issues, and causation questions. “Specifically, the Court of Appeals held the employee’s request for a second opinion evaluation on the permanent partial disability rating more than two years after the last payment of medical expenses was time barred,” she said. “The Court of Appeals affirmed the full commission’s determination that the employee failed to prove by the greater weight of the evidence that the alleged work accident aggravated a pre-existing condition.” In another one of Jones’ most important cases, she represented a self-insured employer and achieved a favorable decision after the Industrial Commission determined the employee unjustifiably refused to return to suitable employment. “Specifically, the full commission determined the light-duty position was a real, non-modified position and was suitable based on the employee’s restrictions, wages, shift and opportunity for advancement,” she said. “The full commission determined the employee had not carried his burden of proving disability and was not entitled to any indemnity benefits.”
MARCH 2022
THE POWER LIST: WORKERS’ COMPENSATION | 11B
THE POWER L I S T
TRACEY JONES PARTNER, TEAGUE CAMPBELL RALEIGH Tracey Jones believes it is essential for litigation attorneys to know their roles as client advocates. “First and foremost, you should be an adviser and partner,” she said. “Being responsive and proactive with your clients and helping them try to avoid litigation is important, however once litigation is on the horizon, being prepared and walking your client through the process so they are comfortable is imperative.” Jones, a partner in Teague Campbell’s Raleigh office, has 21 years of experience practicing workers’ compensation law. She co-chairs the firm’s workers’ compensation practice group and serves on the executive committee. She is also a certified North Carolina mediator. Active in the North Carolina Association of Defense Attorneys, Jones is a former workers’ compensation section chair and currently serves on the board of directors. “Many times, the public assumes that all defendants in workers’ compensation cases are huge insurance companies, but that is simply not the case. Throughout my career, I have worked with great people in insurance companies and at employers, both big and small. Like most, these individuals want to do the right thing.” One case that stands out for Jones concerned a worker’s shoulder injury which he said happened while he worked on a production line. “There were no witnesses to the injury, and the employer had concerns about the veracity of the claim,” Jones said. When the injured worker did not turn over all relevant medicals when requested, Jones deposed his physician who reported a medical record in the employee’s files stated the employee injured his shoulder while walking his 100-pound dog. “We won the case,” Jones said. “Smoking guns don’t come along often, but I must say, it is a great feeling when it happens.”
TODD OXNER FOUNDER AND MANAGING PARTNER, OXNER + PERMAR GREENSBORO With more than 30 years of experience representing workers injured on the job, Todd Oxner considers an outcome successful when his client is able to move forward in life. “Every client is different, and success is helping them put their case in the context of their own personal situation and walk away at the end of their case in much better shape than when they walked into my office,” he said. “I enjoy helping people put their case into perspective.” Oxner, a co-founder and co-managing partner of Oxner + Permar, is known for his aggressive style and tenacity and successful track record. He is a board certified specialist in workers’ compensation law. Oxner became a plaintiff’s attorney in workers’ compensation cases because he believes the system is stacked against employees. “The laws are egregiously one-sided,” he said. “Most injured workers are experiencing their first time in their situation and they are up against an opponent who in workers’ compensation for a living. I’ve always been on the side of the Davids, not the Goliaths.” For Oxner, the ability to communicate with clients, build rapport, and get to know them as people are the skills that make an attorney successful. “These skills are different from litigating a case, yet they are foundational for advocating for your client,” he said. “Many times, clients either cannot articulate exactly what they want, or what they think they want really isn’t it at all.” Oxner believes the ability to represent people who don’t know what is possible and help them process the facts of their case in the context of the law and how it relates to their personal situation is an important trait. “Once the client has a clear objective then it’s our role to fight for that objective,” he said. He reflects on his own professional successes. “I look at my track record as my single greatest professional accomplishment,” he said.
12B | THE POWER LIST: WORKERS’ COMPENSATION
MARCH 2022
THE POWER L I S T
C.D. TAYLOR PACE PARTNER, CRANFILL SUMNER RALEIGH Taylor Pace has been practicing workers’ compensation in Cranfill Sumner’s Raleigh office since the firm’s inception. He was the youngest of the ten original founding partners, has 36 years of experience as a workers’ compensation lawyer, and co-chaired the firm’s workers’ compensation practice group for 20 years. Pace has tried well over a hundred litigated cases before the North Carolina Industrial Commission to a final decision, involving a wide variety of disputed issues including jurisdiction, injury by accident, occupational disease, disability, medical causation, liens, and employee fraud. Pace can trace his interest in defense work back to his law school days. “My first exposure to insurance defense, including worker’s compensation, was at a Durham firm which let me clerk in the afternoons my last two years of law school,” he said. After graduating, he went to work at the law firm that was the precursor to Cranfill Sumner, where he was broadly exposed to the defense of civil litigation matters in state and federal courts, including automobile negligence, products liability, premises liability, and medical malpractice until his mentor, Paul Cranfill persuaded him to focus exclusively on worker’s compensation. He has never looked back. When the North Carolina Bar Association established its workers’ compensation section in 1995, Taylor was selected as one of the original 15 attorneys to serve on its governing counsel. “I have always admired individuals brave enough to take on the risk of starting a business, but I have an equally high regard for the managers and staff who are dedicated to maintaining the viability of their employer’s business,” he said. “When an insurance carrier entrusts me with legal representation of a matter, I keep in mind that the outcome of the case ultimately affects everyone at the company, from the corner office to the warehouse.”
ANNEMARIE PANTAZIS MANAGING ATTORNEY, WILDER AND PANTAZIS CHARLOTTE Annemarie Pantazis started her law career representing employers and insurance companies in workers’ compensation matters before switching sides to become a plaintiffs’ attorney. Today, she is a board-certified workers’ compensation specialist and the managing attorney and a mediator with Wilder and Pantazis of Charlotte. Pantazis has long been active with the North Carolina Advocates for Justice, serving on the Board of Governors and as chair of the workers’ compensation section. She co-chairs the state bar’s workers’ compensation specialization committee and the executive committee of Workers Industry Law and Advocacy Group. In 2020, she was inducted as a fellow in the College of Workers’ Compensation Lawyers, which she considers her top professional accomplishment. Pantazis recalls her toughest case representing a sheriff’s deputy who was injured and paralyzed in the line of duty. “We had to coordinate Medicare, the state employees’ health care programs, LGERS disability, police retirement, home modification and attendant care to achieve a positive outcome,” she said. She was also tasked with annuity structures, including guaranteeing an income stream if her client died before his life expectancy and negotiating the reversionary interest of the seed money. “This case had a little bit of everything, and it was certainly a big puzzle,” Pantazis said. “But we achieved a multi-million-dollar result for the client and were able to secure his financial and medical future.” Empathy, listening skills, caring, and organizational skills are top characteristics of an effective workers’ compensation attorney, Pantazis said. “Clients need to be heard and they need to know someone cares about their situation, but the cases also need to be managed efficiently. I am a big advocate for streamlined processes and procedures, because they yield results and help eliminate mistakes.”
MARCH 2022
THE POWER LIST: WORKERS’ COMPENSATION | 13B
THE POWER L I S T
MARTHA RAMSAY OWNER AND MANAGING PARTNER, RAMSAY LAW FIRM CHARLOTTE Martha Ramsay has spent the last 25 years representing clients injured on the job, and says they inspire and encourage her every day. “To me, they are the clients for whom I can affect the greatest change, by getting medical treatment so they can recover from their injuries, getting money to help them keep their homes and cars, and working as a partner with them to provide the best options for the new future they face after their injury,” she said. A board certified specialist in workers’ compensation law, Ramsay is owner and managing partner of The Ramsay Law Firm, and is the managing partner for Dewey, Ramsay & Hunt. Both firms are in Charlotte. She is a member of the National Football League Players Association’s workers’ compensation panel and represents professional athletes. She serves on the Workers’ Injury Law and Advocacy Group board of directors and the North Carolina Advocates for Justice workers’ compensation executive committee. While Ramsay represents clients with many of the same types of on-the-job or car-crash injuries she has seen her share of memorable cases including a truck mechanic who was injured when he was thrown from a horse. “His company had a customer appreciation day at the shop with barbecue, a fishing boat display, games and horse rides,” Ramsay said. “The employees, including the mechanics, helped out with the events and my client was injured working the horse ride event.” Ramsay recalled another memorable case when her firm obtained a settlement for a professional exhibition basketball player who fractured his kneecap after on a folding table sitting underneath the hoop during a game. Persistence and pragmatism are in Ramsay’s playbook for success, and she says she never gives up it’s in the clients’ best interest to do so. She remembers an occasion when an opposing counsel introduced her to a younger associate by saying “this is Martha Ramsay. You’ll find her pleasantly unreasonable.” For Ramsay, that was a high complement.
STEVEN SIZEMORE PARTNER, ROBERTS & STEVENS ASHEVILLE A partner at Roberts & Stevens in Asheville, Steven Sizemore has more than 30 years of experience representing employers and insurance carriers in workers’ compensation matters. He is also a board certified specialist in workers’ compensation law. Sizemore chose to practice workers’ compensation defense knowing employers need counsel to help ensure their interests are protected so they can continue to be integral components of the economic and social community. “While both the employee and the employer are significantly impacted by the occurrence or allegation of a work-related injury, the employer’s interests in the outcome of a workers’ compensation claim are vitally important to the individual owners, co-employees, and customers of the employer’s operations,” he said. “As a result, the employer deserves vigorous, skilled legal representation.” Among Sizemore’s most important client outcomes was a matter in which he helped one of his larger clients transition from an insured entity to a fully self-insured and self-administered workers’ compensation program. “This effort required a thorough understanding and appreciation of all aspects of the workers’ compensation system, well beyond legal representation in a disputed claim,” he said. “That this client trusted us to be an integral part of the team in this monumental transition for their operations was an honor.” Sizemore believes fairness, honesty, and professionalism are the traits that make attorneys effective advocates for their clients, and when applied, often lead to a favorable outcome in their cases. “These qualities are necessary in the relationship with the client as well as opposing party, and they establish the environment for a successful resolution to the legal dispute,” he said. “In addition, it is necessary to understand and appreciate the client’s needs as well as those of the other party.”
14B | THE POWER LIST: WORKERS’ COMPENSATION
MARCH 2022
THE POWER L I S T
VERNON SUMWALT TRIAL LAWYER, THE SUMWALT GROUP WORKERS COMPENSATION AND TRIAL LAWYERS CHARLOTTE Vernon Sumwalt, a trial lawyer at The Sumwalt Group Workers’ Compensation and Trial Lawyers in Charlotte, has presented at more than 140 national and state seminars, has tried more than 250 cases, and has handled over 100 appeals to appellate courts. He attributes his success to the ability to listen and good storytelling skills. “Listening is an important skill, because we have to filter the important from the unimportant in our cases, and we must listen and respect folks from all walks of life, even if they don’t share all our own values,” Sumwalt said. “Telling a good story means having the ability to construct a persuasive narrative out of the most important facts we filter out and the law we learn that fits them.” Sumwalt, a board certified specialist in appellate practice and workers’ compensation law, is immediate past president of the North Carolina Advocates for Justice and a fellow in the National College of Workers’ Compensation Lawyers. In 2011, the North Carolina State Bar Board of Legal Specialization awarded him the James L. Cross Leadership Award. Among Sumwalt’s most inspiring cases was representing one of his high school friends whom he described as “being more interested in NASCAR than getting a college education.” After graduation, his friend became a forklift driver and was injured in an accident that resulted in the amputation of a leg, and became Sumwalt’s client in pursuit of workers compensation benefits. He used some of the compensation to further his education, and graduated from college with a business degree and a 4.0 GPA. After a yearlong job search, he became a corporate representative for a well-known NASCAR team. “He told me working for a NASCAR team was the dream job he’d always imagined in high school, but always counted himself out because he wasn’t smart enough or didn’t know the right people,” Sumwalt said. “It’s funny how life happens and funny how dreams evolve.”
JOHN TOMEI PARTNER, TEAGUE CAMPBELL RALEIGH John Tomei brings nearly 30 years of litigation experience and industry knowledge to his practice. As a partner in Teague Campbell’s Raleigh office, Tomei focuses on defending major and complex workers’ compensation claims and has developed a niche practice representing insurance companies and small-to-mid-size employers in industries such as construction, food service, and retail and hospitality. He is also a certified mediator for workers’ compensation. He recently won two occupational disease cases in the Court of Appeals. Both plaintiffs presented evidence that their workplace environments either caused or aggravated their diseases, which wasn’t enough to establish an occupational disease claim. Injured employees have the burden to establish that the job itself poses an increased risk of contracting the disease, and Tomei’s clients prevailed. “The rulings in my clients’ favor confirmed North Carolina law as to the burden of proof and the sufficiency of evidence in occupational disease claims,” he said. Tomei considers his Best Lawyers in America award and the Martindale-Hubbell AV rating among his most important career achievements. “This recognition is an indication of the respect I have earned from my colleagues on both sides of the bar, as well as from the bench and mediators,” he said. “Years of workers’ compensation practice have resulted in the high regard I receive from other attorneys in North Carolina, not only for me, but for my law firm as well.” Getting to know employers in all aspects of the work world and from all walks of life and interacting with them is why Tomei enjoys his work as a workers’ compensation defense lawyer. “I also appreciate that I have worked for and with many of the same insurance professionals over the years I’ve been in this area of practice,” he said. “The intellectual challenges of defense practice, including litigating medical as well as legal issues, mean my work is never boring, and every case is different.”
MARCH 2022
THE POWER LIST: WORKERS’ COMPENSATION | 15B
Start your research with North Carolina Lawyers Weekly.
Explore our archives of stories and case digests to find that decision you remember. Get copies of the full-text opinions you need. Research verdicts and settlements to compare what your case is worth or to see what experts have been used. It’s all part of your subscription. Explore our online resources today! nclawyersweekly.com/subscribe