Service 01
Legal Consigliere
You have attorneys. What you may not have is someone who understands what they are telling you, knows whether their strategy is sound, and is entirely on your side — with no billable hour to protect.
The Problem
Your lawyers work for you.
But who watches the lawyers?
High-net-worth individuals and families often retain multiple attorneys across different matters — estate planning, litigation, real estate, business. Each attorney is expert in their domain. But no one is looking at the whole picture. No one is asking whether the estate attorney's advice conflicts with the litigation strategy. No one is pushing back when the billing gets loose or the strategy gets complicated beyond what the situation requires.
That is where I come in — not as another attorney, but as your trusted interpreter, advocate, and second set of eyes on everything your legal team does.
After twenty years of trial practice in state and federal courts, I understand legal strategy from the inside. I know how cases are built and how they collapse. I know when a settlement offer is reasonable and when it is not. I know when a litigation strategy serves the client and when it serves the firm. As a former certified Superior Court Mediator, I also understand intimately how disputes actually resolve — and what it takes to get there efficiently.
What This Looks Like
Specific ways I serve you.
- Legal document review — I read and translate engagement letters, settlement agreements, court filings, estate documents, and contracts into plain language, flagging anything that warrants a question.
- Strategy review — Before you authorize a litigation strategy, a settlement, or a significant legal decision, I review it with the same scrutiny I would apply to my own client's matter.
- Second opinion on legal advice — When something your attorney tells you doesn't feel right, I provide an independent assessment — not to undermine the relationship, but to give you confidence or a basis to push back.
- Mediation preparation — Having served as a certified Superior Court Mediator, I understand how mediation works from the inside. I help you prepare, set realistic expectations, and evaluate offers with clear eyes.
- Litigation oversight — I monitor the progress and cost of active litigation, flag unnecessary complexity, and ensure your attorneys are advancing your interests efficiently.
- Outside counsel coordination — When you have multiple attorneys on different matters, I coordinate among them to ensure nothing falls between the cracks and no advice conflicts.
- Dispute resolution counsel — Before a matter becomes litigation, I help you evaluate whether a dispute can be resolved more efficiently through negotiation, mediation, or another path.
- Pre-litigation assessment — When you are considering whether to pursue or defend a legal claim, I provide an honest evaluation of the risks, costs, and realistic outcomes — before the meter starts running.
What I Am Not
An important distinction.
In this role, I am not your attorney of record. I am not appearing in court on your behalf, filing pleadings, or giving formal legal advice under an attorney-client engagement. I am your trusted advisor, interpreter, and advocate in managing your legal affairs.
This distinction matters for two reasons. First, it means I can offer perspective that your attorneys of record cannot — I have no stake in how the matter proceeds, no interest in the outcome other than your best interest. Second, it keeps our engagement clean and our respective roles clear.
If a matter requires formal legal representation, I will tell you — and I can help you identify, evaluate, and select the right attorney for the job.
Credentials Behind This Service
Why this works.
- Licensed to practice law in North Carolina since 1989 — state and federal courts
- Twenty years of active trial practice — business litigation, appellate, shareholder disputes, real property, commercial matters
- Former certified Superior Court Mediator, State of North Carolina
- Member, North Carolina State Bar — active and in good standing
- Partner and Member/Manager at Brown & Bunch — one of Chapel Hill's established litigation firms
- J.D. With Honors, University of North Carolina School of Law, 1989