Biography
Stephanie is a civil and commercial litigator with broad ranging experience in both state and federal courts. She is a skilled advocate for her clients, as well as a veteran and the co-founder of Project Ethos, which helps veterans transitioning out of the military.
Prior to becoming a litigator, Stephanie spent eight years on active-duty service in the Army. There, Stephanie deployed to Iraq as a Signal officer managing communication platforms. After returning home, Stephanie transitioned to Special Operations and became a Psychological Operations (PSYOP) officer. Stephanie then deployed to Pakistan, conducting strategic- level PSYOP under the U.S. Ambassador and Special Operations Command Central. After returning from Pakistan, Stephanie was selected to attend the U.S. Army Special Operations Command’s first-ever Cultural Support Team course, where she underwent rigorous training to support Special Forces teams operating in rural Afghanistan. Immediately after graduation, Stephanie deployed to Afghanistan as a Special Forces enabler, engaging Afghan women as part of the U.S.-led effort to recruit, train, and develop local security forces in rural areas.
As a civil and commercial litigator, Stephanie continues to operate in dynamic and complex environments. For example, through a series of strategic maneuvers, Stephanie recently forced a plaintiff to take a dismissal of a high-profile lawsuit against a local board of education less than two weeks after filing. And her experience operating in new, challenging situations helps her switch seamlessly between types of litigation, including appellate litigation. Indeed, the Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit cited the amicus brief Stephanie drafted in its opinion in Bennett v. Metropolitan Government of Nashville & Davidson County.
Areas of Focus
+Litigation
Stephanie frequently appears in court on behalf of her clients. In recent years, Stephanie has
- Successfully represented the creator of a television series against claims that the series could only be made by a certain production company;
- Prevailed over several Delaware trust and estate attorneys to secure a court order compelling a trust protector and investment advisor to produce more than 20 years of records so that the client’s divorce attorneys could trace the money in a 300 million-dollar marital estate;
- Successfully defended a medical practice from defendants’ far-reaching subpoena seeking voluminous confidential business records; and
- Successfully represented a commercial landlord against a long-term commercial tenant’s substantial claims of breaches of the lease agreement.
+Government & Constitutional Litigation
Stephanie has extensive experience representing local boards of education and law enforcement entities. In fact, Stephanie is currently representing a local school board in a Title VII case and another local school board in a Title IX case, both of which are pending in federal district court. And in recent years, Stephanie has
- Successfully represented a local board of education during an amotion proceeding to remove a board member and subsequently secured an order from the superior court on certiorari review, which affirmed the board of education’s decision to remove the member;
- Successfully represented a local board of education in a lawsuit implicating official board duties that was brought by a board member;
- Successfully obtained summary judgment on a pre-trial detainee’s novel claims that a jail’s mail policy violated his Fourteenth Amendment right to communications with his wife (also a pretrial detainee), which was affirmed by the Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit;
- Successfully obtained summary judgment on a pre-trial detainee’s claims of retaliation in violation of his First Amendment rights; and
- Successfully obtained summary judgment in several excessive force claims.
Stephanie also frequently handles other governmental matters. In recent years, Stephanie has
- Successfully represented a city against claims from homeowners’ associations alleging that the city has a duty to repair private amenity dams destroyed by a hurricane;
- Successfully represented a county in its efforts to prevent an unlicensed overnight summer camp from opening, securing a temporary restraining order and preliminary injunction with less than 24 hours’ notice;
- Successfully represented a local taxing authority’s interests in a suit brought by the federal government to enforce restitution liens against real property; and
- Successfully represented the staff of a local board of elections in the pursuit of civil no-contact orders against a former employee.
+Tort & Insurance Defense
Stephanie has a robust liability defense practice in which she defends businesses and their employees against claims of professional negligence and homeowners against personal injury claims brought by third parties. Additionally, Stephanie has extensive experience representing clients alongside their insurance-retained attorneys. In recent years, Stephanie has
- Successfully obtained the dismissal of professional negligence claims against the draftsman of a home renovation project;
- Successfully represented a client in a civil battery case alongside the attorney appointed by the client’s umbrella insurance carrier; and
- Successfully defended residential landlords from a personal injury claim arising out of tenant conduct, forcing the plaintiff to take a dismissal of the claims.
Stephanie also frequently defends commercial and individual clients against a variety of tort claims. In recent years, Stephanie has successfully negotiated settlements for myriad claims and clients, including
- Breach of contract claims on behalf of a Canadian renewable energy company;
- Unfair and deceptive trade practice claims on behalf of a property management company;
- Premises liability claims on behalf of a medical practice;
- Food poisoning claims on behalf of a chain restaurant; and
- Alienation of affection claims on behalf of an individual defendant.
Credentials
+Education
Campbell University School of Law, JD, magna cum laude
Campbell University, BA, cum laude
+Professional & Community Activities
North Carolina Guardian ad Litem Pro Bono Attorney Program, Guardian ad Litem Appellate Counsel
+Notable Accomplishments
Ranked among Super Lawyers magazine’s North Carolina “Rising Stars,”2023-2024
Recognized in The Best Lawyers in America “Ones to Watch” (Commercial Litigation) 2023-2024
International Municipal Lawyers Association (IMLA) Amicus Service Award, 2020
North Carolina Pro Bono Honor Society, 2019, 2021
Managing Editor, Campbell Law Review
