Congratulations To Our 2021 Ebbie Award Winners

These awards are named after Ebbie Bailey, the First Lady emeritus of NCAJ, who helped founding member Allen Bailey establish the North Carolina Academy of Trial Lawyers almost 60 years ago. Named in her honor, the EbbieAward was created in 2003 to recognize service and inspired commitment to NCAJ and its mission. 

Helen Baddour is a personal injury lawyer, advocating for people who have been wrongfully injured, with a special interest in representing victims of bicycle crashes. Helen grew up in Goldsboro.  

She sharpened her writing and public speaking skills in the School of Journalism and Mass Communication at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. These skills, combined with her desire to advocate for others, led Helen to law school at North Carolina Central University School of Law where she served as Editor-in-Chief of the 2013-2014 North Carolina Central Law Review.  

Helen was selected to the North Carolina Rising Stars list, published in Super Lawyers® Magazine, for 2020 and 2021. She is an active member of the North Carolina Advocates for Justice and currently serves as chair of the Women’s Caucus and legislative co-chair of the Auto Torts and Premises Liability Section. Helen also serves as diversity and inclusion co-chair of the North Carolina Bar Association Litigation Section. 

Kristen Beightol practices catastrophic injury litigation at Edwards Kirby, LLP, in Raleigh. Her focus is medical malpractice. Kristen grew up in Raleigh. She received a bachelor’s degree in Journalism from the University of North Carolina and law degree from Campbell. Licensed in North Carolina and Georgia, she has spent her career handling catastrophic injury litigation, mainly medical malpractice.  

Kristen is a member of NCAJ’s Professional Negligence Section, Co-Chair of NCAJ Next and a contributor to Trial Briefs. She is also Vice-Chair and CLE Committee Chair of the Campbell Law School Alumni Board, Vice-Chair of the Wake County Bar Association CLE Committee and an elder at White Memorial Presbyterian Church. Kristen additionally writes for magazines, including AAJ’s Trial. 

Abby Hammond currently serves as NCAJ’s Advocacy Consultant. Her duties in this role include coordinating advocacy efforts with members and the NCAJ’s contract lobbyists regarding legislation in the N.C. General Assembly. She also assists NCAJ’s Legal Affairs Program in administering reviews of amicus requests and organizing moot court panels and works with the NCAJ PAC.  

Her previous experience includes serving as counsel to the Rules Review Commission of the N.C. Office of Administrative Hearings. She is a graduate of Clemson University and the University of South Carolina School of Law. 

Scott C. Harris is a senior partner at Milberg Coleman Bryson Phillips Grossman LLP, and has been with the firm since its inception. Scott’s practice focuses on fighting for individuals, homeowners, homeowners’ associations, and small businesses in complex litigation, including construction defect, mass tort, and product liability.  

Scott earned his Bachelor of Arts from Hampden-Sydney College in 2001 and his law degree from Wake Forest University School of Law in 2006. Scott was admitted to the North Carolina Bar in 2006 and to the Florida Bar in 2013. He is also admitted to practice before the United States District Court for the Eastern, Middle and Western Districts of North Carolina, the United States Court for the Middle District of Florida, and the United States Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit.  

Scott’s success has been recognized by numerous professional associations. He was named a Super Lawyer in 2010, and every year since 2012. In addition, he has consistently been named a member of the Legal Elite by Business North Carolina. Scott is also an active member of several trade organizations including American Association of Justice (AAJ), North Carolina Advocates for Justice (NCAJ), Public Justice. 

Jon Moore grew up in the Kansas City, Missouri area before graduating college from Northwestern University. After a year of teaching high school, Jon went on to law school at Georgetown University. After briefly working in Missouri following law school, Jon moved to North Carolina when his wife accepted a job as a reporter at a local television station. Jon focuses his practice on personal injury and medical malpractice. 

He has been named a “Super Lawyer” by North Carolina Super Lawyers magazine from 2017 through 2021. Jon has served as Chair of the Product Liability section, and also Chair of the Auto Torts and Premises Liability section. During his tenure as Chair of the ATPL section, Jon launched the popular monthly trial de-briefs. Jon has served on the NCAJ’s Legal Affairs committee for several years, and authored multiple amicus briefs and served on multiple moot court panels. His favorite part about being an NCAJ member is the collegiality and the willingness of members to share their knowledge and expertise. 

Matthew Sullivan was born in Harrisonburg, Virginia. His primary area of practice at White & Allen P.A. is civil litigation and personal injury. Matt earned his undergraduate degree (B.S., magna cum laude) in administration of justice and public affairs in 1990, at Virginia Commonwealth University in Richmond, Virginia. He attended Norman Adrian Wiggins School of Law at Campbell University where he was the Wiggins Scholar, Editor-in-Chief of the Campbell Law Review, Paul Dennis Award Recipient, and inducted into the International Order of Barristers. Matt received his Juris Doctor (magna cum laude) in 1995. 

Matt is licensed to practice before all North Carolina State Courts, the Federal District Court for the Eastern District of North Carolina, the United States Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit and the United States Supreme Court. He is a member of the North Carolina and American Bar Associations, the Eighth Judicial District Bar Association, the Lenoir County Bar Association (president 1997-1998), the North Carolina Advocates for Justice (member of Board of Governors), and The Eastern North Carolina Inn of Court. 

Henry “Hank” Teich has been in practice in Asheville and Western North Carolina for more than 40 years. He is a founder and the senior partner at Grimes Teich Anderson LLP and has been a North Carolina Board Certified Specialist in Workers’ Compensation Law since 2000. He received his B.A. from the State University of New York at Stony Brook, his Ph.D. from the University of South Carolina, and his J.D. from the University San Francisco School of Law.  

 He joined North Carolina Advocates for Justice as soon as he received his law license in 1978 and has been an active member ever since. He is a Member of the Board of Governors, a benefactor of NCAJ, a member of the Executive Committee of the Workers’ Compensation Section, and a recipient of the Order of Service.