SMITH DEBNAM - Key Persons
A.T. Debnam is a Board Certified Family Law Specialist by the North Carolina State Bar... Learn More
Job Titles:
- Partner
- North Carolina Board Certified Family Law Specialist
Alicia Jurney is a North Carolina Board Certified Family Law Specialist in the firm's family law... Learn More
Alicia is a partner at the firm and a North Carolina Board Certified Family Law Specialist in the firm's family law practice group. She represents clients in child custody, child support, domestic violence, equitable distribution, and alimony matters. Her experience with domestic actions includes handling related complex civil litigation matters, such as tortious interference with child custody, alienation of affections, criminal conversation, and interstate child abduction. Alicia also has significant experience representing clients in other civil disputes, such as cases involving defamation, unfair and deceptive trade practices, and will caveats. Her practice encompasses all levels of jurisdiction within North Carolina, including jury trial experience and appeals to both the North Carolina Court of Appeals and Supreme Court.
Education
North Carolina Central School of Law
Western Carolina University
Beth Godfrey concentrates her practice in personal injury. She has represented individuals with claims involving medical malpractice and workers' compensation, in addition to many other injury claims arising out of automobile collisions, slip and fall accidents, dog bites, sexual harassment, and product defects.
Beth has 18 years of personal injury experience. She is admitted to practice in North Carolina's federal and state courts and often appears in court-ordered mediations, which is one of the alternative dispute resolutions programs encourage by North Carolina's judicial system.
In recent years, medical malpractice claims have become a greater concentration of her practice. To assist with the medical demands of her cases, Beth works closely with talented medical professionals with various backgrounds.
Beth, along with partner John W. Narron, have been guests speakers on WPTF radio in Raleigh on several occasions, answering calls regarding legal and personal injury matters.
Beth Godfrey concentrates her practice in personal injury. She has represented individuals with claims involving... Learn More
Bettie Kelley Sousa has been practicing law with Smith Debnam since becoming licensed in 1981.... Learn More
Bettie Kelley Sousa has practiced with Smith Debnam since becoming licensed in 1981. She has a wealth of experience in state and federal courts, including bankruptcy courts, at both trial and appellate levels. She represents mostly businesses - both large and small - in a variety of matters, including advising clients during business break-ups, contract drafting and review, and disputes involving sales of goods or services.
Bettie prides herself in efficiently finding peaceful resolutions for her clients. She is skilled at avoiding litigation and locking down agreements to avoid further disputes. But, if a case requires litigation, she is an accomplished trial lawyer, having represented both plaintiffs and defendants in her many years of practice. In 1993, Bettie was certified as a Creditors' Rights Specialist by the American Board of Certification (ABC), for which she served as President and Chair. She has chosen to not renew her certification but remains an ABC Emeritus Director. Bettie is listed in The Best Lawyers in America© for Bankruptcy, Creditor Debtor Rights, Insolvency and Reorganization Law, and North Carolina Super Lawyers® for Business Litigation. She created and taught a course in Business Litigation at Wake Forest University School of Law.
Experience an
Job Titles:
- Chief Operating Officer
- Risk Management at 2018 LegalSec Summit
As Chief Operating Officer, Brian directs all financial and operational aspects of the firm. His overall responsibilities include management of finance and accounting, human resources, information systems, marketing, facilities support, strategic planning, and risk management functions. He is a member of the firm's Executive Committee, responsible for strategic planning and business development of the law firm. Brian has 40 years of experience, including more than 20 years in legal management. Brian is a Certified Legal Manager whose legal industry leadership includes service on the Board of Directors for the International Association of Legal Administrators (ALA), Board of Trustees of the Foundation of ALA, and President of the ALA Raleigh-Durham Chapter; he has also served the North Carolina Bar Association (NCBA) on the Law Practice Management Council in its groundbreaking work on the Transitioning Lawyers Commission. Brian has used his extensive management experience to advise the general business community through service on the BB&T (now Truist) Payment Solutions Advisory Board and the Midtown Raleigh Alliance Board of Directors. In his free time, Brian serves as an Elder at his church in Raleigh and enjoys good wine, coffee, and time with family and friends.
Education
Campbell University Norman Adrian Wiggins School of Law
University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
Byron Saintsing leads a practice group focused on matters involving construction law, commercial and business...
Job Titles:
- Alumni Association, Member
Alicia is an alumna of the firm's summer associate program, graduating from Campbell Law with honors. Upon graduation, she received the CLS Alan & Mary Button Service Award and the Fred O. Dennis Award, and was elected a member of the Order of Barristers.
Job Titles:
- Partner
- Fellow of the American Bar Foundation
Caren Enloe leads Smith Debnam's Consumer Financial Services Litigation and Compliance group. Her practice is additionally concentrated in bankruptcy and commercial litigation with an emphasis on creditors' rights. She practiced with Smith Debnam from 1992 until 2011 and rejoined the firm in 2015 following a three and a half year stint with an Am Law 200 law firm based in Atlanta.
Caren defends consumer financial service providers and members of the collection industry in state and federal court and in regulatory matters involving a variety of consumer protection laws. Caren also advises fintech companies, law firms, and collection agencies regarding an array of consumer finance issues, including the Fair Credit Reporting Act, Fair and Accurate Credit Transactions Act, Truth in Lending Act, Consumer Leasing Act, Gramm Leach Bliley Act, Equal Credit Opportunity Act, Electronic Funds Transfer Act, Telephone Consumer Protection Act and Fair Debt Collection Practices Act. Caren has appeared as counsel in North Carolina's state and federal trial courts and the North Carolina Court of Appeals, North Carolina Supreme Court, South Carolina Court of Appeals, and Fourth Circuit. Caren additionally assists her collection agency clients with regulatory matters involving the North Carolina Department of Insurance.
Caren uses her more than thirty years of litigation experience in her compliance practice to help industry members assess and mitigate risk. Her compliance experience includes letter audits, assessing fintech products for compliance with federal and state consumer finance laws and regulations, assisting industry members with submitting comments regarding federal rulemaking, and developing compliance management systems, policies and procedures to mitigate the risk of violations of federal and state consumer finance laws and regulations. Most recently, Caren has been involved with consulting industry members regarding the CFPB's Final Debt Collection Rulemaking, Regulation F.
Caren represents a number of clients who finance and lease agricultural and heavy equipment both in state court and in bankruptcy court. She represents secured creditors and lease creditors in protecting their rights in cases and adversary proceedings under Chapters 7, 11, 12, and 13. She also has extensive experience defending the collection and credit industries in adversary proceedings involving consumer protection violations and sanctions motions.
Caren Enloe leads Smith Debnam's consumer financial services litigation and compliance group. In her practice, she... Learn More
Christina McAlpin Taylor is a partner in the firm and member of the firm's creditors'... Learn More
Education
University of North Carolina School of Law
University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
Bank Secrecy Act Compliance Specialist
Connie Elder Carrigan is an accomplished attorney with a passion for helping clients, individuals, employers,... Learn More
Job Titles:
- Clarifies That Expert Testimony Required in Nearly All Faulty Construction Cases
Education
University of Arkansas at Little Rock William H. Bowen School of Law
University of Pittsburgh
Frank Drake concentrates his practice in the areas of creditors' rights, creditors' bankruptcy, and commercial litigation. Frank has worked with credit unions, banking and financial institutions, consumer and commercial lenders, and student loan agencies to enforce contracts, minimize losses, and fight fraud. As federal regulatory compliance has become increasingly complex, he also assists lenders with difficult compliance issues.
He has more than 30 years of legal experience. He was first admitted to practice law in Kentucky in 1978. Since then he has been admitted to practice in North Carolina and West Virginia. In Kentucky he was active in drafting statutory law on judgments and garnishments, the design and use of that state's judgment execution forms, and policies and procedures concerning foreign judgment registration and land records docketing.
Frank has taught classes on bankruptcy and commercial law for the Indiana Bankers Association at Butler University, the National Association of State-Chartered Credit Union Supervisors and various states' Credit Union Leagues. He also served as speaker for several student loan lending agencies, credit unions, and state and local bar associations. Additionally, he has held compliance seminars for his clients to update them on the ever-changing creditors laws. Frank is listed as a Best Lawyer in the 22nd Edition of The Best Lawyers in America©, an established benchmark of legal excellence.
Frank served as Wake Forest Town Commissioner from 2005 to 2013, and currently serves on the board of directors for the Wake Forest Fire Department. In addition to practicing law and speaking on compliance and legal matters across the state and at the national level, Frank is an accomplished cabinetmaker with a true appreciation for the master craftsmanship of yesteryear. As such, Frank is actively involved in community efforts to preserve and restore historic sites and homes, and currently serves on the board of directors for the Eastern Cabarrus Historical Society.
Frank Drake has more than 30 years of legal experience, with a concentration in bankruptcy and... Learn More
Gary Groon is a partner in the firm and member of the firm's creditors' rights section.... Learn More
Job Titles:
- Services Chairman, Board of Directors
Job Titles:
- Attorney
- Partner
- Named Pro Bono Lawyer of the Year by Charleston County Bar Association
Ron Jones is a partner at Smith Debnam and a certified specialist in bankruptcy and... Learn More
Ron Jones is no stranger to the financial services industry. Having spent more than three decades representing banks and lenders throughout North Carolina and South Carolina, Ron concentrates his practice in the areas of commercial law and bankruptcy. He regularly handles matters involving the Uniform Commercial Code, the Consumer Protection Code, the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act, Claim and Delivery, Replevin, Foreclosures, Real Estate and Bankruptcy. A certified specialist in bankruptcy and debtor-creditor law by the South Carolina Supreme Court, Ron represents both secured and unsecured creditors, lenders, lessors, investors, asset purchasers, creditors' committees, and occasionally, debtors. His practice often involves real estate, including contracts to sell, conveyances, and related title issues.
Jeff Rogers is a partner in the firm and heads the firm's Foreclosure and Collateral... Learn More
Jeff Rogers leads the firm's Foreclosure and Collateral Recovery Section. He joined Smith Debnam in 1994 and concentrates his practice in areas affecting the financial services industry. His practice includes commercial litigation, real property litigation, foreclosure, collateral recovery, bankruptcy, title reformation, and consumer finance litigation. His clients include banks, credit unions, commercial lenders, loan servicers, finance companies, title insurance companies, and other similar businesses.
For over 30 years, Jeff has devoted his practice to a wide range of creditor-related areas of the law. Over his years of practice, Jeff has assisted members of the financial services industry with most every type of matter and dispute that could be faced by a creditor. Whether an easement dispute, real estate title dispute, bankruptcy filing, defective loan document, foreclosure, or recovery of secured collateral, there are very few issues he has not handled for his clients.
His experience has afforded him the opportunity to frequently speak on topics of interest to secured creditors, including residential and commercial foreclosure, compliance and regulatory issues, collections, collateral recovery, and title reformation. Jeff has spoken at programs and continuing legal education courses sponsored by Campbell University School of Law, the North Carolina Assistant Clerks of Court Conference, the North Carolina Bar Association, the North Carolina Creditors Bar Association, the North Carolina Bankers Association, and the North Carolina School of Government.
Jerry Myers is Smith Debnam's Managing Partner, and for more than 30 years, he has... Learn More
Jerry Myers is Smith Debnam's Managing Partner. He concentrates his practice in the area of creditors' rights, with an emphasis on debt collection, judgment enforcement, and commercial litigation. Jerry served as President of the Commercial Law League of America, an organization of creditors' rights professionals, and is an active member of the National Creditors Bar Association, presenting CLE programs and serving on committees. Jerry was also instrumental in forming the North Carolina Creditors' Bar Association, a specialty bar whose members are committed to advocating for the rights of lenders and others in the credit and collections industry.
Jerry's practice includes litigation, regulatory compliance, and licensing matters, and general business representation. He has practiced in the creditors' rights field for more than 30 years and has written and lectured extensively on debt collection and judgment enforcement. Jerry has presented CLE programs sponsored by institutions including Wake Forest University School of Law, the North Carolina Bar Foundation, the Commercial Law League of America, and the National Creditors Bar Association.
Jerry is listed in North Carolina Super Lawyers, a rating service of outstanding lawyers from more than 70 practice areas who have attained a high degree of peer recognition and professional achievement.
John Sperati is a partner in the firm and member of the firm's Creditors' Rights Practice... Learn More
Job Titles:
- of Counsel
- Certified Family Law Specialist
John Narron is a Board Certified Family Law Specialist and has been practicing law in North... Learn More
Job Titles:
- Attorney
- Partner
- Certified Superior Court Mediator and Member
- Named Partner
- Receives Mediator Certification
Joe earned his B.A. magna cum laude from the University of Richmond and his J.D. with honors from Duke University School of Law. He is licensed to practice before the Fourth Circuit Court of Appeals and all federal and state courts in North Carolina.
Joe Davies is a certified superior court mediator and member of the firm's construction law... Learn More
Job Titles:
- Manager of Human Resources
As Manager of Human Resources, Katherine oversees all strategic HR functions for the Raleigh and Charleston offices of Smith Debnam. Katherine partners with the firm's executive management to meet strategic goals through staffing, training, professional development, diversity and inclusion, and compliance efforts. In addition, she continuously monitors employment laws, organizational trends, and best practices to ensure an equitable workforce for current and potential employees. Katherine joined Smith Debnam in 2021 and brought human resource experience from the solid waste management, manufacturing, and wholesale industries.
Katherine is a native of Knightdale, North Carolina but now calls Johnston County home. She attended Meredith College, earning a Bachelor of Science degree in Business Administration with a concentration in Human Resources. She enjoys spending time with her children and two Rottweilers. Katherine and her family are active members of Faith Baptist Church, where they lead small groups for high school students.
Kristin Ruth is a long-time family law attorney and former 10th District Court Wake County... Learn More
Kristin Ruth embodies a level of empathy and compassion that compels her to action. With grace and an absolute dedication to her clients' best interests, Kristin has devoted her career to helping families involved in difficult child custody cases navigate the legal process as painlessly as possible. She continues to raise the bar on what it means to provide excellent client service. Clients feel heard and important when they are with Kristin; ever the professional, she gives them her full and guiding attention. She endeavors to be present, easy to talk to, and their guiding advocate toward a just solution. Patient and candid, warm yet firm, Kristin helps each client feel cared for with a blend of professionalism and passion for what she does.
Kristin represents clients in all aspects of family law, including divorce, child custody, child support, and equitable property distribution. In particular, Kristin handles matters involving grandparent visitation and domestic violence, as well as family law disputes between same-sex couples. Certified in both Superior Court and Family Financial Mediation, she aims to help families settle disputes without going to court-though, with more than 33 years of courtroom and mediation experience, she's more than up to the challenge.
Kristin served as a District Court judge for 13 years before establishing a private law practice and later joining Smith Debnam. As a family court judge, she concentrated the majority of her time presiding in the courtroom designated for child support enforcement-one of the most challenging in Wake County. Kristin voluntarily took on this courtroom when other judges had declined. This experience also equipped her with the ability to navigate the often messy overlap of criminal and civil law.
Still today, Kristin is driven by a heartfelt sense of responsibility to realize what is in the best interest of the children involved in these cases. "They are the ones truly affected…I do the best I can for them," she says. And she does-when going to court, she says her standard is to know the case so well that there's not a question to which she could not provide a complete and thoughtful answer.
Kristin frequently serves as a pro bono child advocate, representing children at the center of divorce and separation proceedings, ascertaining the child's wishes and speaking in court on their behalf.
She has been commended for her service to children by, among other recognitions, the North Carolina Child Support Council's Distinguished Service of Excellence Award. She also participates in ‘problem-solving courts' that address the underlying problems contributing to criminal behavior. Through these courts, Kristin works to find alternatives to incarceration to resolve family issues and break negative cycles for those at risk.
Kristin's understanding and expertise in the fields of family law and child support are widely appreciated and sought out. She's given frequent presentations on child support and ethics issues at national and international events, and she has authored and contributed to a number of writings. One thing you'll learn about Kristin from reading her articles is that she is always finding opportunities to learn. Her writing displays both her heart for her clients and a certain humility that allows her to find joy in the learning process.
Job Titles:
- Founding Partners of Smith Debnam Narron Drake Saintsing & Myers
Thurston Debnam is one of the founding partners of Smith Debnam Narron Drake Saintsing & Myers, L.L.P. Thurston is the Section Head of the Business Law practice group and served as the firm's managing partner from 1992 through 1997. He concentrates his practice in the areas of business and corporate planning and real estate law, including land use planning and zoning. For more than thirty years, Thurston has maintained a broad-based business practice, assisting clients with business and corporate planning and handling land development and real property issues and transactions. In addition, Thurston is certified as a civil Superior Court mediator.
Thurston's practice has afforded him the opportunity to appear before many administrative agencies, including the North Carolina Utilities Commission, the North Carolina Industrial Commission and the Environmental Protection Agency. He has also participated in trials and appeals in both state and federal courts. These trials included the Town of Zebulon v. United States Census Bureau in which the Town sought and obtained an adjustment to the preliminary census count for the 1980 census.
Landon Van Winkle is an associate within the firm's Construction Litigation practice group where he... Learn More
Lucas Fautua is a dedicated and accomplished associate attorney driven by a passion for helping...
Lynn Wilson McNally is a partner in the firm and member of the firm's Family Law... Learn More
Melissa Tulis is an associate in the firm's Creditors' Rights and Collections practice group, representing... Learn More
Michael Denning is an accomplished jurist and former District Court Judge for Judicial District 10 in Wake County, North Carolina. In his capacity as Of Counsel in Smith Debnam's Mediation and Arbitration Practice Group, he focuses his mediation practice in the areas of Business Litigation, Corporate and Business Law, and Family Law. Michael is a certified family financial mediator through the North Carolina Dispute Resolution Commission. In his domestic law arbitration and mediation practice, he mediates disputes involving all aspects of family law, including divorce, child custody, equitable distribution, child support, and alimony.
The seventh child (fourth of seven boys) in a family of twelve, Michael is a Marine Corps veteran with over 10 years of service. While in active duty, Michael served as a Marine Security Guard at U.S. Embassies in China, Japan, and Indonesia, and briefly in Mongolia.
After leaving the Marine Corps, Michael attended and graduated from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill with undergraduate degrees in English and Medieval History. He earned his J.D. from Norman Adrian Wiggins School of Law at Campbell University. In 2010, Michael was elected to the District Court Bench.
Michael and his wife Jill have been married for 20 years and have two boys.
Michael Denning is an accomplished jurist and former District Court Judge for Judicial District 10... Learn More
Job Titles:
- Board Certified Family Law Specialist by the North Carolina State Bar Board of Legal Specialization, 2008
Former Chief District Court Judge Ned W. Mangum, a Partner at Smith Debnam, is a... Learn More
Rachel Rogers is an associate attorney within the Consumer Collections group at Smith Debnam. Her... Learn More
Job Titles:
- Associate
- Associate Attorney Within the Consumer Collections
Rachel Rogers is an associate attorney within the Consumer Collections group at Smith Debnam. Her practice experience includes Construction Law, Creditors' Rights & Collections, Corporate & Business Law, and Business Litigation.
A graduate of Campbell University Norman Adrian Wiggins School of Law, Rachel worked in North Carolina politics for a short stint before deciding she could have a more significant impact on the community if she became a lawyer. While at Campbell, Rachel wasted no time differentiating herself, serving as Richard A. Lord Moot Court Competition Chair and earning the Allan R Dameron Legal Internship Award for stellar performance during an internship with the North Carolina Real Estate Commission.
Known for her positive attitude and high degree of professionalism among clients and colleagues, she is easy to get along with and a good team player. Rachel believes in never being rude, dismissive, or difficult when dealing with opposing parties or counsel. She credits her mother for instilling in her the mindset that "you can catch more flies with honey."
Before joining the firm, Rachel worked at a construction civil litigation firm in Raleigh where she gained hands-on experience handling cases from inception to disposition and assisting in litigation to resolve complex construction disputes.
Rachel became a lawyer because she wanted to make a difference, so it goes without saying, but it's worth repeating that she makes it a point to place the client's goals at the cornerstone of her mission in every client matter. Rachel is attentive to the mountain of regulations dictating how businesses can pursue monies owed. In addition, she is well attuned to the complex nature of collections and the downward effects protracted litigation can have on a business. Drawing on her robust courtroom experience dealing with opposing parties-from hearings and complex arbitrations to post-judgment collection efforts, clients can rest assured that Rachel will aptly identify workable resolution paths that result in positive outcomes while preserving the debtor-creditor relationship.
Rachel is licensed in North Carolina and obtained her B.A. cum laude in Political Science from North Carolina State University.
Job Titles:
- Human Resource Management Association Member, Board of Directors, Governmental Affairs Director
- Society for Human Resource Management - Member, 2015 to Present
Job Titles:
- Partner
- Certified Family Law Specialist
Rose Stout is a Board Certified Family Law Specialist by the North Carolina State Bar Board... Learn More
Education
Duke University School of Law
University of Richmond
Education
Campbell University Norman Adrian Wiggins School of Law
Campbell University
Board Certified Family Law Specialist
Education
Campbell University Norman Adrian Wiggins School of Law
Hillsdale College
Education
University of Mississippi School of Law
East Carolina University
Board Certified Family Law Specialist
Tom Gray is a partner in the firm and member of the firm's creditors' rights practice... Learn More
Tiffani joined Smith Debnam in 2022 and represents clients in family law, including separation and... Learn More
Thurston Debnam, who received his undergraduate and law degrees from Wake Forest University, is one of the... Learn More
Job Titles:
- Lead Campaign - Triangle Committee
Education
Wake Forest University School of Law
Wake Forest University