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Overview

Jeff is a trial attorney with experience in all phases of the litigation process. His practice includes professional malpractice defense, as well as the defense of product manufacturers, healthcare providers, and religious organizations. Jeff also has extensive experience in personal injury and civil rights litigation, and appears in both state and federal courts up and down the East Coast.

In addition to this practice mix, Jeff has taken the reins of cases involving individuals facing unique legal challenges, and has successfully litigated multiple issues of first impression arising under the North Carolina Constitution. Focusing on understudied areas of constitutional law, Jeff assists clients prepare state and federal legislation, and he has been cited by practitioners of constitutional litigation in multiple jurisdictions.

Prior to joining Ellis & Winters, Jeff was a litigator with a national law firm and his practice included high-exposure premises liability and catastrophic loss in addition to his current practice mix. Before beginning private practice, Jeff served as a Judicial Extern for Judge Lucy Inman at the North Carolina Court of Appeals and for Judge Max O. Cogburn, Jr. of the U.S. District Court for the Western District of North Carolina.

A graduate of Rhodes College, Jeff received his B.A. in History, cum laude, and was the Editor-in-Chief of the Rhodes Historical Review. Jeff earned his J.D. at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, where he was the Sarah Graham Kenan Scholarship recipient and inducted into the Order of the Barristers for outstanding performance in appellate advocacy. At both universities, Jeff was the president of his graduating class.

During his time in Memphis, Jeff played guitar in a blues band for several years. He is a native of Asheville, North Carolina and enjoys spending time outdoors with his wife and golden retriever, Rosie.

Credentials

Education

  • J.D., University of North Carolina School of Law, 2018
    • Order of the Barristers
    • President, Class of 2018
  • B.A., Rhodes College, 2014
    • cum laude 

Bar Admissions

  • North Carolina

Court Admissions

  • Western District of North Carolina
  • Middle District of North Carolina
  • Eastern District of North Carolina
  • Fourth Circuit Court of Appeals

Professional Associations and Memberships

  • 10th Judicial District Bar Association
  • Wake County Bar Association
    • Young Lawyers Division, Pro Bono Co-Chair
  • North Carolina Bar Association
    • Constitutional Rights & Responsibilities Section
    • Litigation Section
  • North Carolina Association of Defense Attorneys
    • Medical Malpractice Practice Group
    • General Liability Practice Group
  • Defense Research Institute
  • Federal Bar Association
    • Civil Rights Section
    • Federal Litigation Section

Publications/Presentations

Awards/Recognition

  • The Best Lawyers in America®, Ones to Watch, Medical Malpractice Law (2023, 2024)
  • North Carolina Super Lawyers Magazine, Professional Liability, Rising Stars, (2022, 2023)