Charlotte, NC – Parker Poe Adams & Bernstein LLP is pleased to announce the election of nine new partners for 2025. Ashley Akins and Kelley Pearson in Atlanta; Josh Umbarger in Charleston; Natalie Gordon and Amanda Kitchen Short in Charlotte; Emily Bridges in Greenville; and Sloan Carpenter, Eva Frongello, and Lauren Reeves in Raleigh were voted into the firm’s partnership.
Ashley Akins focuses her practice on education law, representing K-12 school districts and private education entities. She actively litigates and counsels clients on issues of student discipline and Title IX, special education, FERPA compliance, school board governance, employment, workers' compensation, and various student due process issues.
Kelley Pearson has dedicated her career to advising clients in education and renewable energy. She supports K-12 schools and post-secondary institutions with governance, compliance, employment, and litigation. Kelley also helps renewable energy developers in land use permitting, regulatory compliance, and related litigation, representing them before state and local agencies and courts.
Josh Umbarger is an experienced litigator who focuses his practice on construction and professional liability. He is part of a team representing all participants in the construction field, including owners, developers, contractors, subcontractors, material suppliers, architects, engineers, construction managers, and surety/fidelity companies.
Natalie Gordon focuses her practice on the representation of developers and investors in commercial real estate transactions throughout the United States. She counsels clients on acquisitions, dispositions, development, leasing, financing, and asset management. Natalie represents clients across a broad range of asset classes, including industrial, multifamily, office, hotel, condominium, and retail.
Amanda Kitchen Short is an environmental attorney who has significant experience advising clients across a wide spectrum of their legal needs. She advises clients on various environmental issues, including site remediation, regulatory compliance, enforcement, and permitting. She also represents sellers, purchasers, lenders, tenants, and landlords in business transactions.
Emily Bridges concentrates her practice on business litigation and counseling. She has litigated and negotiated contract disputes, finance-related issues, regulatory actions, minority-shareholder disputes, and other complex commercial issues. She has also litigated and negotiated employment law issues such as discrimination allegations.
Sloan Carpenter focuses her practice on intellectual property rights, disputes, and transactions. She counsels clients on U.S. and international trademark search and clearance, prosecution, licensing, and enforcement. She represents clients in federal and state courts, before the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO), and in domain name disputes under ICANN’s Uniform Domain Name Dispute Resolution Policy.
Eva Frongello helps clients protect and capitalize on their intellectual property assets, including managing global portfolios, preparing and prosecuting trademark and copyright applications, conducting trademark clearance searches, and assisting with the maintenance of trademark registrations. Eva also helps clients safeguard their intellectual property rights by negotiating agreements and providing counseling on product development.
Lauren Reeves provides tailored and practical guidance to clients on corporate leasing and commercial real estate transactions. She has more than a decade of experience advising on real estate needs, including leasing, purchasing, selling, financing, curing title issues, and closing. Lauren is known for her proactive approach and commitment to clients’ success.
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.