National Trial Lawyers announce Top 40 Under 40 Civil Plaintiff Trial Lawyers in NC

Each year, the National Trial Lawyers: Top 40 Under 40 inducts new members into their ranks. The organization's membership is invite-only, and invitations are only extended to the most qualified attorneys in states across the country.

Members exemplify leadership, reputation, influence, stature and public profile, as well as positive trial results in the legal field.

In Raleigh, 11 trial lawyers were named to the list this year — an honor that shows their dedication to clients and their bright future in the field.

"It reassures me and motivates me to continue to advocate for clients on a day-to-day basis. It's recognition of what I'm doing and further motivation to keep going and keep working as hard as I can to bring about good results for our clients," said Matthew Bissette, attorney at Raleigh's Whitley Law Firm who was recently named to the Top 40 Under 40. "It's an honor, and means a lot to be recognized by a national organization like this."

In order to be selected, trial lawyers must be nominated by peers, then the organization conducts a variety of objective, third-party research in order to narrow down potential members.

"They look into each lawyer that's nominated by their peers and make sure they're doing well in their community and their state, whether through their experience, trial results or leadership. They can also talk with the person's peers about those things, and review any publications or news articles that verify their reputation in their state's legal community," said Bissette. "It all starts with the peer nomination, but from there they evaluate everything you've contributed to the legal community, all the way down to writing in publications and leadership in community organizations."

Once admitted to the Top 40 Under 40, trial lawyers are eligible for several benefits. First, membership opens up a network of other legal professionals across the country who can share their experience and expertise through meetings, seminars and publications.

Members are all listed on the website's official online directory, which allows them to connect with each other, as well as allowing potential clients to read more about each attorney's qualifications.

Other benefits of membership include conference discounts, additional educational opportunities, national recognition, and access to curated industry resources.

For Bissette, who attended Campbell University, his experience at Whitley Law Firm played a key role in him being named to the Top 40 Under 40 list.

"It is an honor, and it feels good to know that some of that hard work is being recognized. I definitely owe a lot of this to my family, but also to Whitley Law Firm," said Bissette. "They have enabled me and given me the space to learn and grow. I've gained incredible experience working here, and they've given me the chance to get into the weeds and learn, whether that's going into the courtroom for a deposition or arguing motions. I've had a lot of opportunities, a lot of good training and a lot of mentoring from the lawyers here."

For a full list of Raleigh's Top 40 Under 40 Civil Plaintiff Trial Lawyers, visit the National Trial Lawyers' official website.