Criminal Law

• Criminal Defense
  Attorney Bradley J. Bannon is a Partner with Patterson Harkavy, focusing on criminal defense and criminal appeals, civil rights, and professional licensing defense. Before joining the firm in 2016, he spent 20 years at the prestigious law firm of Che... Read More
• Wrongful Death
  Haarhuis v. Cheek, 255 N.C. App. 471, 805 S.E.2d 720 (2017), we were retained to help defend a $4.25 million jury verdict in a wrongful death action. The Court of Appeals unanimously ruled in our favor, accepting arguments on a host of issues regarding jury voir dire, evidentiary disputes, jury instructions, closing arguments, and the size of the verdict.
• Traffic Violations
  Attorney Bradley J. Bannon is a Partner with Patterson Harkavy, focusing on criminal defense and criminal appeals, civil rights, and professional licensing defense. Before joining the firm in 2016, he spent 20 years at the prestigious law firm of Cheshire Parker Schneider. In state and federal court, Brad has represented people from all walks of life, accused of everything from speeding to white collar crimes to first-degree murder.
• Sex Crimes
  Willie Grimes v. City of Hickory (W.D.N.C. 2016; NC Court of Appeals 2018). Willie Grimes was wrongfully convicted of rape and imprisoned for 24 years. Civil rights suit in federal court and insurance coverage litigation in state court, 814 S.E.2d 625, resulted in total settlement of $5,4 million.
• White Collar Crimes
  Criminal defense attorney Brad Bannon has over 20 years of experience representing people accused or otherwise embroiled in all manner of state and federal criminal trial court matters — from misdemeanor assault to first-degree murder and other violent crimes, and from drug offenses to complex fraud and other white collar crimes.
• Misdemeanors
  At the criminal investigation and trial court level, for over 20 years Brad Bannon has helped clients avoid charges, convictions, and maximum punishments in cases ranging from misdemeanor assaults to first-degree murder. His successful work on behalf of clients has been featured in  the ESPN 30 for 30 documentary film Fantastic Lies, Episode 10 of the Netflix documentary series The Staircase, and the 48 Hours documentary episode A Killer Defense.
• Drug Crimes
• Assault
• Murder
  Greg Taylor v. Duane Deaver, et al., (E.D.N.C. 2013). Federal civil rights suit against SBI agents by Greg Taylor, who was wrongfully convicted of murder and served 17 years in prison.  $4,625,000 settlement.
• Restraining Order
  In some cases, the threat to a lawyer’s practice may come before a grievance or complaint is even filed. Under certain circumstances, the Chair of the Disciplinary Hearing Commission may enter an interim suspension of a lawyer’s license, similar to a temporary restraining order, pending resolution of formal allegations of professional misconduct. Lawyers have a procedural right to defend their practice of law until given a full and fair opportunity to defend against allegations of professional misconduct.

Business and Corporate Law

• Business Disputes
  We counsel workers who have been asked to sign contracts, help workers understand their existing contractual obligations, and represent workers in contract disputes through mediation, arbitration, or trial. We also represent employees in matters relating to denial of employee benefits, such as health insurance, vacation and leave, and disability pay.

Employment Law

• Workers Compensation
  Patterson Harkavy’s attorneys have represented workers’ compensation claimants for more than 30 years. Attorney Hank Patterson is board-certified in workers’ compensation law, and has litigated many of the seminal cases defining the scope of workers’ compensation benefits in North Carolina. Hank and attorney Narendra Ghosh also write extensively about workers’ compensation, and frequently speak at attorney conferences addressing developments in workers’ compensation law.
• Wrongful Termination
  Representing employees to protect them from discrimination, harassment, wrongful termination, and retaliation, as well as with wage and hour disputes and restrictive employment agreements. Read More
• Employment Discrimination
  Grogan v. The American Tobacco Company, we successfully litigated a class action on behalf of hundreds of victims of sex discrimination at the defendant’s headquarters plant in Reidsville.
• Employment Contract
  You have the right to consult with an employment lawyer before signing any employment contract or severance agreement. You also have the right to be represented by an attorney of your choice when employment discrimination, harassment, or wage and hour disputes arise. Any time you are considering filing a complaint, you should talk to an experienced employment lawyer first. Your attorney will help you negotiate with your employer, file any necessary complaints, and protect your rights before the EEOC and in state or federal court. Please contact an attorney at Patterson Harkavy to discuss your claim.
• Employment Litigation
  Jonathan R. Harkavy is a certified mediator whose entire practice is devoted to alternative dispute resolution, including mediation and arbitration. His national practice includes class actions, complex commercial disputes, and employment disputes of all kinds. Nahomi Harkavy, who is “of counsel” in the firm, also mediates a wide variety of employment disputes.
• Non-compete Agreement
  Some non-compete agreements and restrictive covenants are enforceable in North Carolina, but it depends on the exact terms of the agreement. If there is litigation about a non-compete agreement in court, some of the factors at play are how necessary the restriction is for the employer, the time limit of the restrictions, the geographic scope, and how the agreement was reached.
• Severance Agreement
  If you are separating from a company, they may ask you to sign a severance agreement to receive severance pay or continue benefits after you are terminated. You have the right to negotiate the terms of your severance. Talk to an employment lawyer before you sign an agreement that could affect your rights.
• Sexual Harassment
  Attorney Burton Craige secured $3,250,000 in punitive damages on behalf of five victims of sexual harassment in their claims of intentional inflection of emotional distress. The large jury verdict persuaded employers across North Carolina to implement more effective procedures to prevent sexual harassment.

Health Law

• Personal Injury
  Our attorneys also represent individuals in civil appeals in the areas of civil rights, employment law, labor law, personal injury, and workers’ compensation. Click here for more information about our civil appeals practice and the process for referring a party to us for their appeal.
• Medical Malpractice
  Hammond v. Saini, 367 N.C. 607, 766 S.E.2d 590 (2014), we were retained to help the plaintiff obtain a key document in a medical malpractice case. The Supreme Court unanimously ruled in our favor, finding that the defendant hospital was required to produce a critical document it prepared shortly after the incident in question.
• Disability Discrimination
  Under Title VII of the federal Civil Rights Act, it is illegal for an employer with at least 15 employees to fire, refuse to hire, or make any employment decision because of your race, color, religion, sex (gender) or national origin. This includes a wide variety of employment decisions, such as compensation, shift assignments, employment benefits, privileges, promotions, and task assignments, as well as more traditional hiring and firing decisions. There are also laws protecting against age discrimination, pregnancy discrimination, and disability discrimination.

Trusts and Estates

• Estate Planning
  Nahomi graduated from Barnard College, cum laude, in 1967, and from Columbia University School of Law in 1971, where she was also a teaching fellow. Before joining Patterson Harkavy and its predecessors, she practiced in the area of trusts and estates with Davis, Polk and Wardwell in New York City. Nahomi has been a member of the American Bar Association and the North Carolina Bar Association and served on the Council of the Dispute Resolution Section of the latter.
• Trusts