CHARLOTTE, October 1, 2022 — Hedrick Gardner Kincheloe & Garofalo announced today that the attorneys of Nichols, Choi, and Lee have joined Hedrick Gardner’s civil team to further strengthen service capabilities to mutually benefit both firms and their clients.
Through this union, Hedrick Gardner welcomes four new attorneys to the firm’s Litigation Group. M. Jackson “Jack” Nichols, Anna Baird Choi, Catherine E. Lee, and Grant Simpkins joined the firm’s Raleigh office in October.
“We are delighted to have these four impressive attorneys join Hedrick Gardner. With the addition of this talented group, the firm will expand its breadth of practice areas to include administrative law with an emphasis on occupational and professional licensing,” said Hedrick Gardner’s Managing Partner Paul Lawrence.
All four of the attorneys are recognized among the top administrative/regulatory law practitioners in North Carolina, with a combined 80+ years of experience representing clients in administrative/regulatory law matters. Additionally, they represent over a dozen occupational/professional licensing boards across the state.
“All of us at Nichols, Choi and Lee are extremely pleased to join the Hedrick Gardner team. This is a very exciting event for our attorneys and staff, as well as our existing and future clients,” commented Anna Baird Choi.
Additional information regarding Hedrick Gardner’s newest attorneys:
- Partner, Anna Baird Choi focuses her practice on administrative law/regulatory law. For over two decades Anna has served as counsel to the N.C. Licensing Board for General Contractors. She advises the General Contractor’s Board and eight other occupational/professional licensing boards, advising on all matters including licensing, minimum qualifications, rulemaking, disciplinary actions, and personnel issues. Additionally, she represents individuals and businesses before other N.C. licensing boards and agencies, including real estate brokers, plumbers, psychologists, licensed professional counselors, pharmacists, retail pharmacies, and licensed childcare facilities.
- Partner, Catherine E. Lee’s legal practice focuses on employment law, administrative law, civil litigation, and contract disputes, with an emphasis on matters involving state occupational/professional licensing boards and public employment. Catherine also serves as general counsel to several North Carolina occupational licensing boards. She advises boards on a variety of legal issues, including the N.C. Public Records laws, statutory reporting and auditing requirements, personnel matters, State Open Meetings laws, State ethics laws, rulemaking matters, and legislative liaising. She routinely appears before Boards and the NC Office of Administrative Hearings to prosecute disciplinary matters.
- Jack Nichols is of counsel at Hedrick Gardner; he concentrates his practice on public policy development and advocacy, administrative law, and civil litigation. He has taught Administrative Law and Constitutional Law at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and Campbell University School of Law. He has also represented clients in more than 100 hearings at the Office of Administrative Hearings, and has been Counsel of Record in over 60 appellate cases.
- Associate Grant Simpkins’ practice primarily focuses on administrative law with an emphasis on occupational/professional licensing. He earned his law degree from Campbell University School of Law in 2019. While in law school, Grant was a member of the Moot Court Team, representing Campbell Law School at the National Moot Court Competition and the Duberstein Bankruptcy Moot Court Competition. After graduation, he served as the Campbell Law School Wallace Leadership Fellow from 2019-2020.
About Hedrick Gardner Kincheloe & Garofalo LLP:
We have partnered with businesses of all sizes throughout the Carolinas for over 65 years and have become one of the region’s premier law firms for conflict and litigation prevention, management, and resolution. With over 100 attorneys in Charlotte, Raleigh, Wilmington, and Asheville, North Carolina, and Columbia, South Carolina, we are well equipped to effectively and efficiently respond to our clients’ needs. From small and medium-sized businesses to Fortune 500 companies, our clients include businesses in the retail, transportation, finance, healthcare, insurance, and professional service industries. We are, first and foremost, a litigation firm, investigating and evaluating claims with an eye toward quick, advantageous resolutions for our clients. While the vast majority of cases settle pre-trial, our attorneys have substantial trial experience and a reputation of being at home in the courtroom.
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Phone: 704.319.5456
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