Charlotte, NC – Parker Poe Adams & Bernstein LLP is pleased to announce that seven of its attorneys were named "Lawyer of the Year" by The Best Lawyers in America®, whose rankings are among the highest standard in the legal industry. The "Lawyer of the Year" recognition goes to the attorney with the best overall feedback from his or her peers for a specific practice area and geographic region.
Charlotte, North Carolina
John Beyer was named "Lawyer of the Year" for health care litigation for the third time since 2019. John's clients have included hospitals, physicians, nurses, other medical professionals, medical device manufacturers, and their insurers. He serves as Parker Poe's general counsel.
Doug Harmon was named "Lawyer of the Year" for securities/capital markets law for the second time since 2022. Doug represents domestic and international public and private entities on a full array of their capital markets, securities, and compliance needs.
Chip Holmes was named "Lawyer of the Year" for insurance law. It is the 11th straight year Chip has been voted the top attorney in a practice area related to litigation or insurance. He has more than 25 years of experience defending businesses and professionals and was inducted into the American College of Trial Lawyers.
Richard Rivera was named "Lawyer of the Year" for medical malpractice law for defendants. It is the third time Richard has been voted the top attorney in that area or personal injury litigation since 2018. He routinely represents hospitals, physicians, nurses, allied medical professionals, and their insurers.
Columbia, South Carolina
Will Thomas was named "Lawyer of the Year" for health care litigation for the second time in three years. He represents a variety of health care clients in litigation, regulatory issues, and transactions. He is also the former leader of Parker Poe's Health Care Industry Team.
Greenville, South Carolina
Tyler Smith was named "Lawyer of the Year" for public finance law for the fourth time since 2017. Tyler has extensive experience advising clients on federal new markets tax credits, among other tax equity products such as historic rehabilitation and renewable energy credits. He has advised financial institutions, bond issuers, and borrowers on taxable and tax-exempt finance.
Raleigh, North Carolina
Chris Thomas was named "Lawyer of the Year" for intellectual property litigation. It is the fourth time Chris has been voted the top attorney in a practice area related to intellectual property since 2019. He concentrates his practice on intellectual property rights and disputes concerning them.
Other Recognition
In addition, 105 Parker Poe attorneys were recognized by Best Lawyers for 2025. You can find the full list and learn more about Best Lawyers' rankings here. You can also find a list of 40 Parker Poe attorneys that Best Lawyers named "Ones to Watch" here.
About Parker Poe
Parker Poe Adams & Bernstein LLP has more than 275 lawyers in eight offices in North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia, and Washington, DC. The firm provides legal counsel to many of the largest companies and local governments in the Southeast.
Parker Poe is a member of two leading international legal networks: TerraLex and the Employment Law Alliance. TerraLex and the ELA have chosen Parker Poe to help guide clients through the challenges of global business.