GASTON LEGAL - Key Persons
Job Titles:
- Chairman of the Advisory Board
Job Titles:
- Shareholder
- General Counsel for the Gaston Regional Chamber
Christopher M. Whelchel is a shareholder at Gray, Layton, Kersh, Solomon, Furr & Smith, P.A. Prior to beginning private practice, Mr. Whelchel worked six years at Duke Energy Corporation, beginning in the company's human resources department and then in Duke Energy's legal department, primarily as a labor and employment attorney. Mr. Whelchel advised Duke Energy's North Carolina, South Carolina, and Central America operations. Mr. Whelchel currently advises management and human resources professionals on all types of employment-related legal issues, including employment policy formation, union avoidance and negotiations, employment separation, federal and state employment law compliance, fitness for duty, disability, wage and hour, immigration, D.O.T., Sarbanes-Oxley, and employment privacy issues.
In 2012, Mr. Whelchel, Mr. Michael Carpenter,and Gray, Layton, Kersh, Solomon, Furr, & Smith, P.A. filed a class action lawsuit against the state of North Carolina on behalf of former Chief Justice Beverly Lake and 25 other class representatives and approximately 170,000 retirees who are seeking restoration of retiree health insurance benefits. That case is still pending.
In addition to holding a law degree, Mr. Whelchel has an economics degree and an M.H.R. degree. Mr. Whelchel is licensed to practice law in the State and Federal Courts located in North Carolina and South Carolina.
Mr. Whelchel is General Counsel for the Gaston Regional Chamber, General Counsel for the Greater Gaston Development Corporation, Secretary of the Gaston Country Club and on the Board of Directors of the Heart Society of Gastonia, Inc.
David A. Layton is a shareholder with the Gastonia law firm of Gray, Layton, Kersh, Solomon, Furr & Smith, P.A. His principal areas of practice are Construction Law (Liens and Bonds), Commercial Real Estate, Creditor's Rights, and Alternative Dispute Resolution (including mediation). Mr. Layton served as Chair of the Lien Law Committee from 2001-2005 leading up to the enactment of the 2005 revisions to the North Carolina Lien Law. From 2009 until 2011, Mr. Layton served as the Chair of the Lien and Bond Law Revision Committee of the North Carolina Bar Association. Mr. Layton is a member of the North Carolina Bar Association and the Gaston County Bar Association. He received his BA degree from the University of North Carolina, and his JD degree from the University of North Carolina.
Admitted to bar, 1982, North Carolina, 1983, Florida, U.S. Tax Court; 1984, U. S. Court of Appeals, Fourth Circuit and U.S. Supreme Court. David Furr concentrates his practice in business development and licensing as well as transactional matters (representing mostly sell-side clients). He has also been retained throughout his career to resolve complex business issues, both internal and external.
David Smith attorney, a native Gastonian, has been in private practice since 1980. He has extensive experience in all phases of real estate related matters, both commercial and residential, and has handled numerous significant commercial projects in the Charlotte-Gastonia area. David Smith Attoney also handles general business matters, including incorporations and organizations, civil litigation, construction litigation, and debtor-creditor work, with experience in creditor's bankruptcy representation. He is the City Attorney for the City of Bessemer City and is experienced in planning, zoning, and governmental land use matters. Finally, his general practice also encompasses drafting wills and estate planning.
David Smith attorney is licensed to practice law in all North Carolina state courts, as well as the United States District and Bankruptcy Courts for the Western District of North Carolina. He is a member of the North Carolina State Bar and the North Carolina Bar Association. He is also a mediator certified by the North Carolina Dispute Resolution Commission.
David Smith Attorney is active in the community as Chairman of the Crisis Assistance Ministry (2012 - present), a member of Gastonia East Rotary Club, and through his involvement in various other nonprofit organizations. He is also an Elder, Sunday School Teacher and choir member at First Associate Reformed Presbyterian Church of Gastonia.
Dan Kersh practices primarily in the areas of estate planning, federal income, estate and gift taxation, mergers & acquisitions and closely held business law. He was an adjunct professor in the Accounting Department of Belmont Abbey College from 1981-1986 and an instructor for the North Carolina Association of CPAs from 1981-1996. He has been involved in numerous civic and community organizations including serving on the Boards of the Gaston County YMCA (past treasurer), Gaston Chapter of the American Red Cross, and Crisis Assistance Ministries. He is a lifelong and active member of First United Methodist Church of Gastonia and served on the Finance Committee (current and past chair) and Administrative Board (past chair).
Kayla's practice at Gray, Layton, Kersh, Solomon, Furr & Smith, P.A., consists of general civil litigation matters for individuals and businesses. Prior to joining the firm, Kayla worked for a general practice firm with offices located in North and South Carolina, handling a variety of civil litigation matters.
Kayla is a native of Summerville, South Carolina. After graduating from the University of South Carolina with a degree in Public Health, she moved to North Carolina to obtain her J.D. from Wake Forest University. Kayla is admitted to practice law in North Carolina.
Marcus Carpenter's law practice includes all areas of civil litigation, with particular emphasis in the areas of personal injury, general business, real estate litigation, bad faith insurance practices, and employment disputes. Marcus is a member of the North Carolina Bar and licensed to practice in all state courts and in the Federal Western District of North Carolina. Marcus is a lifelong resident of Gaston County.
Marshall Walker, a Gastonia native, joined Gray, Layton, Kersh, Solomon, Furr & Smith, P.A. in 2016. Marshall has experience handling a variety of commercial real estate transactions, including acquisitions and sales from the contract phase to closing, as well as commercial leases. In his real estate practice, Marshall regularly represents purchasers and sellers in multimillion-dollar real estate acquisitions and sales in both North and South Carolina. Marshall's practice also includes complex commercial litigation and construction and lien law. Prior to joining Gray, Layton, Kersh, Marshall worked in Charlotte, handling civil litigation matters in federal and state court. Marshall is licensed to practice in both North Carolina and South Carolina.
Michael Carpenter concentrates his practice in numerous areas of complex civil litigation, including business and corporate disputes, employment disputes, environmental issues, ERISA claims, and real estate and land use related issues. In addition to a consistent practice in the North Carolina Superior Courts, Michael regularly practices in numerous federal courts as well as the North Carolina Business Court, where he has handled over a dozen cases.
Michael has tried jury and non-jury matters, conducted AAA and non-AAA arbitrations, handled issues before local zoning boards, and successfully settled numerous cases pending in state and federal court. Michael has argued before the North Carolina Supreme Court and Court of Appeals, and briefed numerous appeals in the North Carolina Appellate Courts and in the Fourth Circuit Court of Appeals.
Michael has acted as lead class counsel in plaintiff-side litigation and has also acted as national counsel on the defense side in class action and multi-district litigation.
Michael has been named a "Rising Star" by Super Lawyer's Magazine.
After graduating from Duke University and the University of Tennessee College of Law, Michael Carpenter returned to Gaston County where he has been a life-long resident.
Stratton focuses his practice almost exclusively in civil litigation. His diverse civil litigation practice includes representing businesses of all types including construction contractors, hospitality and entertainment providers, transportation providers and other businesses ranging from multi-national corporations to local sole-proprietorships.
Through his experience and unique skillset, Stratton seeks to provide sound guidance and a pragmatic, solution-oriented perspective to his clients in every situation from the inception of the corporate entity all the way through resolution of litigation
Stratton has been fortunate to litigate a number of cases commencing very early in his career, including matters involving personal injury, wrongful death, workplace discrimination, and resolving disputes involving business, financial, and employment contracts.
Stratton is a native of Lexington, North Carolina. After graduating from the University of North Carolina at Charlotte with a degree in Political Science, he went on to obtain his J.D. from Elon University School of Law. Stratton is admitted to practice in North and South Carolina state courts, as well as the Federal Courts of South Carolina and the Western District of North Carolina.
TJ Solomon, II is admitted to practice law in both North Carolina and South Carolina and has served Gaston County over 34 years as an attorney. His principal area of practice is civil litigation with an emphasis on cases involving personal injury and wrongful death. Many of his cases involve issues relating to insurance coverage. TJ also represents clients in District Court criminal cases particularly traffic offenses. He also assists clients in restoration of their driving licenses due to suspension. With his bilingual staff he represents many Spanish speaking clients. He was a Judge Advocate in the United States Air Force on active duty from 1975 to 1980 and reserve duty from 1980 through 1996 when he retired as a Lieutenant Colonel. While on active duty he was stationed near Madrid, Spain for 3 years.
William Sain practices primarily in the areas of estate planning and estate administration, mergers and acquisitions and closely held business law, and federal income, estate and gift taxation. He has diverse experience in helping small business owners with buying and selling businesses, protecting themselves with operating agreements and shareholder restriction agreements, and leveraging their contract relationships to minimize legal risks for their business. He also enjoys helping his estate planning clients gain peace of mind and protect the ones they love by implementing wills, trusts, and other necessary documents that are narrowly tailored to each client's planning needs.
Mr. Sain worked as a deputy clerk in the Cleveland County Clerk of Superior Court's office for 4 years before attending law school. While in law school, Mr. Sain interned for the Hon. Judge Calvin E. Murphy on the North Carolina Business Court and interned for Toshiba Global Commerce Solutions in their General Counsel's office. He has been involved in numerous civic and community organizations including serving on the Boards of the Gaston County United Way, Gaston Together, Gaston Regional Chamber, and Gaston County Heart Society and as a board member on the Gaston County Planning Board.