August 17, 2023. Hedrick Gardner is proud to have 22 lawyers recognized in The Best Lawyers in America® and one lawyer recognized in the Best Lawyers: Ones to Watch® in America 2024 editions.

This is the first time Erica Lewis and Salvatore Popolillio have been included on the list.

Additionally, Kristie L. Hedrick received the Best Lawyers® 2024 Personal Injury Litigation – Defendants “Lawyer of the Year” award in Asheville, NC!

Asheville, NC

Kristie L. Hedrick (2020) [5] “Lawyer of the Year”
Personal Injury Litigation – Defendants

Charlotte, NC

Neil P. Andrews (2018) [5]
Insurance Law

Mel J. Garofalo (2010) [15]
Personal Injury Litigation – Defendants
Product Liability Litigation – Defendants

Matthew D. Glidewell (2016) [5]
Workers’ Compensation Law – Employers

Melissa H. Grimes (2021)
Workers’ Compensation Law – Employers

Michael Hedgepeth (2020) [5]
Workers’ Compensation Law – Employers

Jeffrey A. Kadis (2013) [10]
Workers’ Compensation Law – Employers

Paul C. Lawrence (2016) [5]
Workers’ Compensation Law – Employers

David L. Levy (2021)
Construction Law

Thomas W. Page (2013) [10]
Workers’ Compensation Law – Employers

Allen C. Smith (2013) [10]
Personal Injury Litigation – Defendants

Gerald A. Stein II (2021)
Personal Injury Litigation – Defendants

Rebecca L. Zoller (2019) [5]
Workers’ Compensation Law – Employers

Salvatore Popolillo III (2023*) “Best Lawyers: Ones to Watch”
Litigation – Trusts and Estates

Columbia, SC

Lee E. Dixon (2022)
Personal Injury Litigation – Defendants

Raleigh, NC

Anna Baird Choi (2009) [15]
Administrative / Regulatory Law

Jeffrey A. Doyle (2013) [10]
Personal Injury Litigation – Defendants
Workers’ Compensation Law – Employers

Catherine E. Lee (2021)
Employment Law – Individuals

M. Jackson Nichols (2007) [15]
Administrative / Regulatory Law

Patricia P. Shields (2003) [20]
Appellate Practice
Ethics and Professional Responsibility Law
Personal Injury Litigation – Defendants

C. Rob Wilson (2020) [5]
Commercial Litigation
Litigation – Insurance
Personal Injury Litigation – Defendants

Wilmington, NC

Erica Lewis (2023*)
Workers’ Compensation Law – Employers

(Year) First year the lawyer was listed in the published practice area.
(*) Lawyers who are listed for the first time in Best Lawyers.
[#] Milestone of years recognized by Best Lawyers.


About Best Lawyers
Since it was first published in 1983, Best Lawyers® has become universally regarded as the definitive guide to legal excellence. Best Lawyers lists are compiled based on an exhaustive peer-review evaluation. Lawyers are not required or allowed to pay a fee to be listed; therefore, inclusion in Best Lawyers is considered a singular honor. Corporate Counsel magazine has called Best Lawyers “the most respected referral list of attorneys in practice.”

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 client’s 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.

Media Contact:
Annie Saleh
Marketing Manager
(704) 319-5456
asaleh@hedrickgardner.com