Family Law

• Divorce
  At Patrick, Harper & Dixon, we understand the emotional, financial, and legal challenges of divorce and family law. That’s why we advocate for our clients and their families each step of the way. If you have a North Carolina family law case, contact us to find out how we can serve you.
• Child Support
  Child support. Both parents have an obligation to financially support their children. North Carolina judges use a set of child support guidelines to help them calculate a monthly amount for one parent to pay the other. The judge will order the calculated amount unless it wouldn’t meet or would exceed the child’s needs. Failure to pay child support can result in serious legal consequences for the non-paying parent. However, the other parent cannot condition visitation on payment of child support.
• Child Custody and Visitation
  Child custody and visitation. Whether you and the other parent are married or not, you will have to make arrangements for child custody if you separate. Custody consists of legal custody (decision-making authority concerning major issues affecting the child, such as religious upbringing and health care) and physical custody (with which parent the child resides). Along with custody, the court will decide a visitation schedule for the other parent.
• Adoption
• Paternity
• Premarital Agreement
  Prenuptial agreement – Spouses can sign a prenuptial agreement before they get married to decide how assets will be divided if they later divorce. The agreement can also address rights and obligations between the spouses during their marriage.
• Guardianship
  Michael J. Barnett is a partner with the Firm. He represents corporations and individuals, plaintiffs and defendants, in a wide variety of litigation matters in the areas of Business/Commercial Litigation, Estate and Trust Proceedings, Will Caveats, Incompetency and Guardianship Proceedings, Family Law, Real Estate and Construction Litigation, Collections, Plaintiff’s Personal Injury, and Bankruptcy-Creditors’ Rights. Mike has represented clients throughout the state in more than 20 trials, at arbitration proceedings and at the North Carolina Supreme Court, Court of Appeals and Business Court. He was named one of North Carolina’s Rising Stars for 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016 and 2017 in the state’s Super Lawyers publication. Mike and his wife, Agnese, live in Hickory with their daughters, Nicole and Isabel.
• Spousal Support
  Alimony. Alimony is financial support paid from one spouse to another. It is available only to married couples who are divorcing. To award alimony, the court must determine that one spouse is “dependent” (in need of support) and the other is “supporting” (able to pay support). There are no strict guidelines or calculators for determining how much or how long alimony must be paid. Instead, the courts consider a number of statutory factors. Alimony will terminate under certain specific circumstances, such as the remarriage or cohabitation of the dependent spouse with a new romantic partner.

Criminal Law

• Criminal Defense
  Heather Higgins is an associate attorney with the Firm practicing in the areas of civil litigation, family law, and criminal law. Heather is a Hickory native, having graduated from St. Stephens High School in 2009 where she was a member of the Indians swim team and symphonic band. After high school, she attended Campbell University in Buies Creek, NC to pursue her four-year degree. At Campbell, Heather was involved in the Student Government Association, as well as Captain of the Mock Trial team for three years. During college Heather seized the opportunity to study abroad in London, England during the summer of 2012, interning in the British House of Commons. Heather graduated from Campbell University in 2013, Magna Cum Laude, with a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science, Pre-Law with minors in History and Honors Interdisciplinary Studies. She then continued her studies at Wake Forest University Law School in Winston-Salem, where she participated in both the Child Advocacy Clinic and Wake Law Veteran’s Legal Clinic. While in law school Heather interned for North Carolina State District Court Judge Mark Killian in Catawba County and the District Attorney’s Office for the 25th Judicial District. While interning for the District Attorney, Heather worked under

Business and Corporate Law

• Corporate Law
  If you’re a party to a business or corporate litigation matter, the case will likely be referred to mediation. This is an out-of-court process in which a neutral third party, the mediator, works to resolve the claims between the parties. We represent plaintiffs and defendants during mediation to make sure that all outstanding issues are resolved to the advantage of our clients.
• Mergers and Acquisitions
  Mergers and acquisitions allow companies to consolidate their operations and expand into new industries and territories. This may include buying or selling a business through acquisition of the stock or membership interest, or through acquisition of the company’s assets. Having a mergers and acquisitions (M&A) attorney is essential to protecting your business and legal interests through this process. Our M&A attorneys can assist with the following...
• Business Formation
  The corporate law and business transactions practice of Patrick, Harper & Dixon, LLP provides clients with experienced legal counsel on business formation and dissolution, mergers and acquisitions (M&A), including both asset and stock purchases and sales, contract negotiations, and numerous other transactional and litigation matters. We also serve the unique needs of healthcare institutions and medical providers. Finally, we both represent clients in mediation as well as conduct mediation on behalf of parties in business disputes.
• Business Disputes
  Our firm also has certified mediators who are experienced in corporate and business law matters. If your case is in need of mediation, we’re prepared to serve as a neutral mediator.
• Business Transactions
  Certain financing projects raise issues beyond the scope of simple commercial transactions. You may need effective legal representation to assist with...
• Limited Liability Companies
  Assisting professional corporations and professional limited liability companies in formation, dissolution, and various other transactional and litigation matters
• Trade Secrets
• Intellectual Property
• Antitrust

Employment Law

• Workers Compensation
• Wrongful Termination
  An employee who believes he or she has been unjustly fired may decide to take legal action against your company. A knowledgeable wrongful termination attorney can defend your rights in court and explore potential out-of-court solutions like mediation. We also represent employees in wrongful termination cases.
• Employment Discrimination
• Employment Contract
  North Carolina employment law includes transactional matters, such as drafting and executing employment agreements, as well as representing plaintiffs and defendants in civil lawsuits or administrative hearings. Our firm has extensive experience handling a broad array of issues that affect employers and employees. These are just a few of them...
• Employment Litigation
  Michael P. Thomas, Partner of the Firm, focuses his practice on advising and representing clients on complex business issues, especially in dealing with the regulatory environments created by the federal government. He has advised clients on their most sensitive matters, whether buying or selling an entire business, negotiating executive contracts, restructuring significant divisions, or acquiring new assets. Mr. Thomas represents health care providers in all aspects of their business, including contracting with vendors and other providers, financing, acquisitions, Stark and Anti-Kickback compliance, employment law and contracting, HIPAA compliance, and real estate matters. Mr. Thomas spends a significant part of his practice advising employers and human resources professionals, and representing both employers and employees in employment litigation, including trade secrets and non-compete claims and claims based on civil rights laws. In litigation, Mr. Thomas has represented clients at hearings, trials, and appeals across the state and around the country. In addition, Mr. Thomas is a certified NC Superior Court Mediator. Mr. Thomas and his wife, Laura reside in Hickory with their four sons.
• Non-compete Agreement
  Non-compete agreements that prevent departing employees from taking sensitive information to other companies to give them a competitive advantage
• Severance Agreement
  Employment Law. We represent employers in defending against disputed claims involving wage and hour, discrimination, harassment, and other areas of employment law. We also prepare non-compete, non-solicitation, and severance agreements for our clients, and we offer representation (including in litigation) for disputes involving these and other types of employment agreements. We also represent employees in many cases where their rights have been violated.

Property Law

• Real Estate Litigation
• Construction Litigation
• Real Estate Transactions
  Commercial Real Estate. Our attorneys assist parties to commercial real estate transactions involving purchasing, selling, leasing, obtaining loans, drafting easement agreements, and many other varied and diverse real estate-related transactions. We also handle landlord-tenant matters.
• Easement
• Land Use and Zoning
  Buying, selling, and other commercial real property transactions can range from the relatively simple to the intricately complex. There are title searches and deed preparations to take care of, not to mention potential land use issues and restrictions. Your goal in retaining an attorney is to have someone who advocates effectively for you, whether you are the buyer, seller, or party to another type of transaction. But it takes a lawyer with extensive experience handling such matters.
• Landlord-Tenant Disputes
  Our commercial real estate practice serves companies large and small by meeting their legal needs in a number of different areas. You may be the party to a real property transaction and want to make sure your interests are protected. Or you may need guidance on the proposed terms of a lease and how best to negotiate your position. Some clients need help understanding how another party’s interests, like an easement, affect their own. Others are interested in securing financing for commercial property projects. We also advise on certain landlord-tenant matters.

Health Law

• Personal Injury
  David W. Hood, Partnership Chair of the Firm, is a trial attorney in a wide-ranging civil practice with over 200 jury trials to his credit. His concentrations include Business Disputes, Construction Law, Personal Injury and Collections. He is also a certified mediator, helping to settle cases pending in both state and federal court. He recently finished his term as President of the North Carolina Association of Defense Attorneys, the organization for lawyers representing business interests in civil litigation. Mr. Hood has spoken to lawyers and industry groups on such topics as evidence rules, contractor liens on real estate and contract funds, underinsured and uninsured motorist coverage, litigation ethics, and real estate claims. He has also written for legal and industry publications on various subjects including trial tactics, use of local rules in litigation, and contribution claims among defendants. Mr. Hood and his wife, Sandi, reside in Hickory. Sandi, an ordained minister, also serves as Director of Community Relations at Carolina Caring. Their son, Wilson, is a Harvard Divinity School graduate who serves as a hospice chaplain in Providence, Rhode Island, while their daughter, Callie, is pursuing her PhD in Astronomy at the University of California, Santa Cruz.
• Social Security Disability
  Elder Law. This area of law concerns financial, medical, and family issues affecting the elderly and people with disabilities. Social Security, Social Security Disability (SSD), Supplemental Security Income (SSI), Medicaid planning, and special needs trusts for individuals of all ages are included in this broad practice area. Learn More About Family Law
• Medicaid Planning

Trusts and Estates

• Estate Planning
  Estate planning and creating a comprehensive estate plan is essential to ensure that your assets are distributed and handled according to your wishes after your passing. A good plan also minimizes hardship for your family and reduces taxes and other fees that could deplete your estate. However, a plan is only as good as the way in which it’s administered. That’s why our law firm advises executors, administrators, trustees, and others on the best way to administer the estates of their loved ones. Whether you need help preparing your estate or overseeing one, the estate attorneys of Patrick, Harper & Dixon, LLP are here to assist you.
• Wills
  Testamentary trust. This trust is created by your last will and testament and becomes effective once you die. A testamentary trust is often used to provide for minor children in a will.
• Trusts
  Revocable living trust. This is used to manage assets during the life of the grantor (the person who makes the trust) and leave property to others after the grantor’s death. “Revocable” means the grantor can make changes to the trust during his or her lifetime. A revocable living trust can be used to avoid the probate process after the grantor dies, saving considerable expense.
• Power of Attorney
  Preparing a health care power of attorney to allow others to make medical decisions for you if you cannot make them for yourself
• Probate
  Kimberly H. Whitley, Managing Partner of the Firm, concentrates her practice in Business and Corporate Law, Estate Planning and Administration, and Elder and Special Needs Law. She is a Board Certified Specialist in Estate Planning and Probate Law. She received her undergraduate degree (B.A., 1990) with Honors and Distinction and law degree (J.D., 1993) with High Honors from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. As an undergraduate, Kim was a John M. Morehead Scholar, National Merit Scholar and a Phi Beta Kappa member. During law school, she was a Staff Member of the North Carolina Law Review from 1991 – 1992 and Notes and Comments Editor from 1992 – 1993. Ms. Whitley was also a member of the Order of the Coif. Following law school she was a law clerk to The Honorable Judge Clyde H. Hamilton, United States Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit. In 2009, Ms. Whitley was appointed by the Catawba County Commissioners to serve on the Aging Leadership Planning Team which works to enhance Catawba County as a liveable senior friendly community. In 2023, Ms. Whitley was appointed to the Specialization Board for Estate Planning & Probate Law for the NC State Bar. She was also appointed to the Elder Law Section Council for the NC Bar Association. Ms. Whitley and her husband, David, live in Hickory with their son, Colson.

Finance Law

• Bankruptcy
• Tax Law