The North Carolina Association of Defense Attorneys (NCADA) held its 41st Annual Meeting the weekend of June 14-17, 2018, in Hilton Head, SC, swearing in a new slate of Officers and Directors at the close of the meeting.
Lawrence M. Baker was confirmed as the 41st President of the Association. Baker practices with Willson Jones Carter & Baxley, PA in the firm’s Charlotte office. He has been practicing insurance defense litigation in Charlotte, NC since 1990. Larry handle workers’ compensation and civil litigation matters at both trial and appellate levels. He received his J.D. from Wake Forest University Law School in 1990.
F. Lach Zemp assumes the position of President-Elect. Zemp, a partner of Roberts & Stevens, P.A., has over 25 years of experience trying cases and representing a variety of professional, outdoor-recreation, industry, and business interests in state and federal courts. He obtained his J.D. from Franklin Pierce Law Center in 1990.
Zemp served as program chair this year and was instrumental in securing engaging and informative content and speaker for the two-day CLE program, including nationally renowned attorney Bill Kanasky. Breakout sessions for the program included topics relating to Construction and Commercial Law, General Liability, Medical Malpractice, Product Liability, Government Liability, and Workers’ Compensation. The diverse group of panelists and speakers offered trial strategy and briefed members on current trends and recent decisions.
Dayatra T. Matthews is immediate Past President. Matthews is Senior Vice President of Legal & Compliance for the Local Government Federal Credit Union in Raleigh. As SVP, she ensures all Credit Union business is conducted in compliance with relevant state and federal laws and regulations. Matthews received her J.D. from Duke University Law School in 1997.
Allen C. Smith was elected to the office of Executive Vice President. Smith is a partner with Hedrick Gardner Kincheloe & Garafalo, LLP in Charlotte. He is the leader of the Trucking and Transportation Practice Group and devotes much of his time to defending serious personal injury and wrongful death claims associated with truck accidents and major vehicle negligence. He also defends product liability, construction defect, and premises liability claims. Smith obtained his J.D. from the University of North Carolina School of Law in 1992. He previously served a three-year term on the Board of Directors, one year as Secretary, and one year as Treasurer.
Ashley K. Brathwaite was elected as Treasurer. Brathwaite practices with Ellis & Winters, LLP. Her practice is divided between the representation of health care providers, product manufacturers and distributors, and others facing allegations of liability for a catastrophic personal injury. She obtained her J.D. from Campbell University School of Law in 2005. Brathwaite has served on the Board since 2015 and previously chaired and co-chaired the Women Litigators Committee.
Sara R. Lincoln was re-elected Secretary. Lincoln is a partner with Lincoln Derr, PLLC in Charlotte. She has an active trial practice ranging from medical malpractice defense to complex business litigation. Lincoln obtained her J.D. in 1993 from the University of Akron School of Law, magna cum laude. She has previously served a three-year term on the Board of Directors , and was chair of the Association’s Women Litigators Committee and the Medical Malpractice Group.
The NCADA welcomed the following new members to the Board of Directors to serve a three-year term ending in 2021:
About the NCADA: North Carolina Association of Defense Attorneys (NCADA) is a professional organization of over 800 attorneys and paralegals who devote a majority of their time representing the interests of business and individuals in civil litigation. For more information about the NCADA, please contact (919)239-4463 or visit www.ncada.org.
