PAYNE LAW - Key Persons
Mr. Payne is an experienced lawyer who comes to Apple Payne Law, PLLC after owning his own firm Payne Law, PLLC for 7 years. As the firm's CEO & Managing Partner, he leads our legal services team as well as our marketing, technology and charts the course for the firm. His primary practice areas are estate planning & business advising. Mr. Payne graduated from Wake Forest University School of Law in 2011. Before attending Wake Forest University School of Law, Mr. Payne attended Florida Coastal School of Law, where he was nominated for the Law Review and ranked in the top 20 of his 1L law school class. After transferring to Wake Law, Mr. Payne served as a research assistant to former Dean Blake Morant (now Dean of the George Washington School of Law), and professors Coughlin and Lentz.
When Mr. Payne is not working on the law, he enjoys spending time with his wife, 2 boys and their two cats. He serves as the Cubmaster for Pack 51 of Elon, NC and enjoys camping, playing piano and video gaming.
At Apple Payne Law, we pledge to you prompt and courteous service, whether we are able to accept your case or not.
Jack joined the APL Team in early 2022 to serve as our real estate legal assistant and customer service for the Winston-Salem office of Apple Payne Law. Jack lives in Greensboro with their fiancee and spends their free time watching movies, catching up with long distance friends, and shopping.
Job Titles:
- Associate Attorney at Apple
- Law Clerk
Brittany Spisak is an Associate Attorney at Apple Payne Law, where she handles intake for family law, landlord tenant and other matters. She'll also be taking cases for family law and small claims/traffic court matters. Prior to attending law school, Brittany graduated from USC Upstate (2015, 2016) with dual Bachelor of Science degrees in Criminal Justice & Experimental Psychology, and Florida State University (2019) with a Master of Science in Criminology. Brittany resides in Winston-Salem with her husband and their two pets - a dog and a cat. In her free time, Brittany enjoys traveling to South Carolina to spend time with family, including her two stepchildren and her niece.
Emily McBryde is a law clerk at Apple Payne Law and second-year law student at Wake Forest University. Emily graduated from the University of South Carolina with honors in 2021 before moving to Winston-Salem for law school. When not at work or studying, Emily enjoys cooking, trying with varying success to learn how to paint, and spending time with her beagle, Maisie.
Job Titles:
- Estate Planning & Probate Paralegal
- Planning and Probate Paralegal
Lori MacLaren is an Estate Planning and Probate Paralegal with Apple Payne Law frim in Kernersville, NC.
Lori was previously employed as an Investment Banker with several large local banks. Her primary role was to assist clients with lending, investments, and estate planning needs.
Lori is a native from High Point and lives in Kernersville with her husband, David, and 2 corgis, Baxter B. & Sadie Louise.
Megan Mohn is our amazing real estate paralegal, having joined APL in the fall of 2021. She joined APL after working as a professional hair stylist for a number of years before changing her career path. Megan enjoys traveling with her husband, shopping, and grabbing drinks with friends.
Job Titles:
- Associate
- Attorney
- Associate Attorney at Apple
- Real Estate Attorney
Raven Ash is an associate attorney at Apple Payne Law who leads the firm's residential real estate transactions team. Raven is a graduate of Wingate University (2014) and Wake Forest University School of Law (2018). In his free time, Raven enjoys camping, reading true crime novels, and cooking. He resides in Winston-Salem with his wife and their four pets - 2 dogs and 2 cats.
Steven W. Grainger joined Apple Payne Law, PLLC in 2022 and is the firm's senior family law associate. Steven is a Forsyth County native. His father was a police officer with the Winston-Salem Police Department and his mother a hospital administrator at Forsyth County Memorial Hospital. He is the oldest of seven siblings, raised in Clemmons and graduated from West Forsyth High School in 1999.
After getting his degree at NC State, Steven began law school in Florida. He studied his second year of law as a visiting student at UNC School of Law. Steven finished law school at Florida Coastal School of Law and was recognized with the Pro Bono Honors Award for his service to indigent clients while a law student. In 2010 he passed the Florida Bar Exam and was hired as general counsel by All Weather Contractors, Inc. in Jacksonville, Florida, where he helped the company endure the aftermath of the Great Recession. After many years away, Steven returned home to Forsyth County, passed the North Carolina Bar Exam in 2012, and has practiced law in Forsyth County ever since.
Steven is an experienced trial attorney in district and superior court. In superior court, Steven has tried 10 jury trials to verdict for indigent criminal defendants. He learned trial law and family law under Forsyth County local legends John Barrow and the late Carl Parrish. As a solo attorney Steven represented the families of two inmates that died in custody at the Forsyth County Jail in their lawsuits against the jail's medical provider for wrongful death and civil rights violations. Inspired by the challenges of the jail cases, Steven joined a business litigation firm in 2020 where he learned complex civil litigation under an attorney with 40 years of experience. Ultimately, Steven's desire to help everyday people led him to return to the practice of family law at APL.
Steven is an avid fan of Chelsea, F.C. in the English Premier League and never misses a game. He enjoys working with his dogs Cooper and Billy and was likely a dog whisperer in another life. He is never happier than when he is at a concert or music festival, or hanging out with his partner in love and law, APL associate Emily Watson.