North Carolina

Janet Ward Black

Greensboro, NC

Attorney Janet Ward Black is the principal owner of Ward Black Law, one of the largest woman-owned law firms in North Carolina. She has served as president of both the North Carolina Association of Trial Lawyers and the North Carolina Bar Association, and is recognized for her expertise in personal injury and mass tort/class action litigation. She is a frequent lawyer educator and motivational speaker, and has received numerous awards for her service and dedication to justice.

Mona Lisa Wallace

Salisbury, NC

Founding partner of Wallace & Graham, P.A. She has successfully litigated numerous significant personal injury, wrongful death, defective drug, asbestos, class action, and mass-tort claims, taking on some of the largest corporations in the world. Mona Lisa was one of the first and most successful asbestos trial lawyers in the Southeast, representing thousands of employees with asbestos exposure and achieving important legal precedents like the Satterfield decision. She expanded the firm into other practice areas, including successful class actions for employees and retirees (e.g., $178M+ settlement for medical/retirement benefits), taking on predatory lenders (payday loans), and class action lawsuits against car dealers. She co-counseled with the U.S. Department of Justice on improper medical billing/warranty practices, resulting in multi-million dollar settlements. Her firm has successfully sued corporations for environmental abuses, notably representing 500 neighbors against Smithfield Foods in swine nuisance litigation, winning over $500M in verdicts and earning her the Public Justice American Trial Lawyer of the Year award in 2020. She was also appointed Co-Lead Counsel for plaintiffs in the Camp Lejeune Justice Act litigation. Her current legal efforts focus on excessive/unfair medical billing by hospital chains and improving nursing home care. She is a National Merit Scholar and a significant philanthropist, supporting the Wallace Educational Forum and the Novant Health Wallace Cancer Institute.

John Elliott Leighton

Miami, FL

John Elliott Leighton is a board-certified trial lawyer and the Managing Partner of Leighton Panoff Law, P.A., with offices in Miami and Orlando, Florida. He has 40 years of experience successfully trying major personal injury and wrongful death cases, and has won some of the largest verdicts and settlements in Florida, including a $49 million verdict and two $24 million verdicts. He is recognized as a national expert in negligent security and violent crime litigation, authoring 'Litigating Premises Security Cases'. He received the Advocate of Justice Award from the National Crime Victim Bar Association and was recently elected President of the National Crime Victim Bar Association. He is a frequent lecturer and teacher at legal programs, including ATLA’s 'Ultimate Trial Advocacy College' at Harvard Law School. Mr. Leighton believes in educating the public and giving back to the community, regularly appearing on media outlets like NBC’s Today show and CNN. He continues to represent victims of sexual assault and sex abuse. He recently received the Daily Business Review 2015 'Verdicts Hall of Fame Award' and American Lawyer Media’s 'Top 100 Verdicts of 2017' and National Law Journal’s 'Elite Trial Lawyer Top 50 Verdicts' in 2018. He also represents victims of legal malpractice. He has served as Chairman of the Association of Trial Lawyers of America’s Motor Vehicle, Highway and Premises Liability Section, chairs the Inadequate Security Litigation Group, and sat on the Executive Committee of the National College of Advocacy Board of Trustees. He is Chairman of the Academy of Trial Advocacy and President of the National Crime Victim Bar Association. He is a member of ABOTA (American Board of Trial Advocates) and has been selected for inclusion in The Best Lawyers in America continuously since 2008. He has been voted into Florida SuperLawyers every year since 2006 and was honored as one of the Top 100 Florida SuperLawyers since 2009. He has been selected as a 'Top Lawyer' in the South Florida Legal Guide for 13 consecutive years and is listed in Florida Trend magazine’s 'Florida Legal Elite.' He was named 'Orlando Legal Elite' by Orlando Style magazine three years in a row. He has an A-V preeminent rating by Martindale-Hubbell and a 10.0/10 rating from AVVO.com. He is a board certified specialist in civil trial law by the Florida Bar Board of Legal Specialization. He received both his J.D. and B.A. degrees with honors from the University of Florida.

Wade E. Byrd

Wade E. Byrd is a trial lawyer and founder of Law Offices of Wade E. Byrd P.A. with over 50 years of legal experience. He focuses on serious medical malpractice, personal injury, and complex tort litigation. He is admitted to practice in North Carolina State Courts, the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of North Carolina, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit, and the U.S. Supreme Court. He has received numerous awards including the Walter Clark Award and the WarHorse Award, and is listed in 'The Best Lawyers in America' and the 'Bar Register of Preeminent Lawyers'.

Jan Dils

Charlotte, NC

Jan Dils is the firm’s founder. She opened Jan Dils, Attorneys at Law, in Parkersburg, West Virginia, in 1994 as the solo attorney/employee. Today, she has a skilled and compassionate team of more than 150 serving clients throughout West Virginia, with offices in Parkersburg, Beckley, Charleston, Huntington and Logan, as well as one additional office in Charlotte, North Carolina. Her passion is fighting for people who are all too often left helpless at the hands of corporations, insurance companies, Big Pharma, and government red tape. Jan Dils, Attorneys at Law, has 25 years of experience in all forms of Social Security and Disability benefits, Veteran’s Benefits and Personal Injury cases. Jan is a graduate of Marietta College with a Bachelor of Arts Degree in both Marketing and Economics. She then went on to receive her Master’s in Business Administration in 1991, and her law degree from West Virginia University in 1994. She is a member of the West Virginia Bar, the National Organization of Social Security Claimants’ Representatives (NOSSCR), and the National Organization of Veterans’ Advocates. Recognitions include but are not limited to Who’s Who - Top Lawyer, National Academy of Personal Injury Attorneys - Nationally Ranked: Top 10 Attorney Award, and National Trial Lawyers - Top 100 Trial Lawyers. The culture of any successful business is shaped from the top down. Jan has cultivated an environment of work pride, compassion and community service. She believes in work/life balance. For her that means spending time with her two boys and husband and hitting the gym at 5:00 a.m.

Ted A. Greve

Charlotte, NC

Dr. Ted A. Greve holds a Bachelor of Business Administration from the University of Georgia (1979), a Doctor of Chiropractic from Palmer College of Chiropractic (1982), and a Juris Doctorate from North Carolina Central University (1993). He was a collegiate swimmer, graduating Cum Laude from UGA and Magna Cum Laude from Palmer. He operated chiropractic clinics before founding the Law Office of Ted A. Greve in 1992, which later became Dr Ted Injury Law. He is a member of the Million Dollar Advocates Forum and is certified in Chiropractic X-ray and auto collision reconstruction. With a unique background as both a doctor and a lawyer, he focuses on representing injured individuals in North Carolina, South Carolina, and Georgia. He is also a platinum member of the Brain Injury Association of North Carolina and has been recognized as America’s Top 50 Lawyer.