Hedrick Gardner Kincheloe & Garofalo LLP

What Hedrick Gardner Kincheloe & Garofalo LLP does

Hedrick Gardner Kincheloe & Garofalo LLP is a litigation defense law firm founded circa 1955 and headquartered in Charlotte, North Carolina. The firm operates five regional offices across North Carolina (Charlotte, Raleigh, Wilmington, Asheville) and South Carolina (Columbia), serving business clients throughout the Carolinas with approximately 90 attorneys. Its practice is horizontally diversified across civil litigation defense, workers' compensation defense (before the NC Industrial Commission and SC Workers' Compensation Commission), construction law, insurance coverage and bad faith, products liability, professional liability, trucking and transportation, employment law, long-term care, mass tort, and pharmaceutical and medical device litigation.

The firm's service delivery is built on a partner-led model with direct attorney-to-client engagement rather than technology platforms. Notable operational components include client-facing workers' compensation calculators for NC and SC claims, state-specific reference guides, continuing education seminars, and an email newsletter distributed via Mailchimp. There is no proprietary technology platform or AI capability disclosed; the technology footprint is limited to standard law firm productivity and marketing tooling. The firm has invested in physical infrastructure, including a 2022 relocation of the Charlotte office to an upscaled facility.

Revenue is generated through professional services fees (hourly and case-based) for litigation defense work; pricing is quote-based and not publicly disclosed. The customer base spans insurance carriers, self-insured employers, construction firms, retail/restaurant/hospitality businesses, trucking and transportation providers, healthcare and long-term care facilities, and pharmaceutical and medical device manufacturers. The firm has historically grown through geographic expansion (Asheville office in 2019), a 2022 merger with Nichols, Choi, & Lee, and ongoing lateral hiring (10 new attorneys in November 2025 and 6+ additional additions announced for May 2026). Paul C. Lawrence serves as Managing Partner; Mel Garofalo, who led the firm from 1993 to 2015, transitioned to Of Counsel in January 2024.

Name

Hedrick Gardner Kincheloe & Garofalo LLP

Legal name

Hedrick Gardner Kincheloe & Garofalo LLP

Website

https://hedrickgardner.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1955

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

251–500 employees

Short description

Hedrick Gardner Kincheloe & Garofalo LLP is a Carolinas-based litigation defense law firm with approximately 90 attorneys across five offices in North and South Carolina, serving business clients in workers' compensation defense, civil litigation, insurance defense, and related practice areas.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Legal Services

NAICS

Offices of Lawyers (541110), Legal Services (5411)

SIC

Services-Legal Services (8111)

akta.pro primary industry

Personal Injury & Insurance Defense (BPAHAAAM)

akta.pro secondary industries

Employment & Labor Law (BPAHAAAD), Workers’ Compensation for High-Hazard & Specialty Trades (FSAJAEAF), Management Liability (D&O/EPL/Fiduciary) (FSAJAGAD), Specialty & Excess/Surplus Lines (E&S) (FSAJAMAH)

Keywords

• Litigation defense services
• Workers compensation defense
• Civil litigation counsel
• Insurance defense law
• Products liability defense

Headquarters

HQ city

Charlotte

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices5 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure, Others

Revenue model

1. Legal Services - Litigation Defense: The firm provides comprehensive litigation and dispute resolution services to businesses, including civil litigation defense, workers' compensation defense, and specialized legal counsel across multiple practice areas. Revenue is generated through legal fees for professional services rendered.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Hedrick Gardner Kincheloe & Garofalo LLP is a litigation defense law firm providing comprehensive legal services to businesses, insurance carriers, and self-insured employers across North and South Carolina. Its core offerings center on civil litigation defense (including personal injury, premises liability, and complex commercial disputes) and workers' compensation defense before the North Carolina Industrial Commission and South Carolina Workers' Compensation Commission, supported by 18+ specialized practice areas such as construction law, insurance law, products liability, professional liability, trucking and transportation, employment law, mass tort litigation, and pharmaceutical and medical device litigation. The firm supplements these services with client-facing digital tools including workers' compensation calculators and reference guides covering state-specific workers' compensation, civil liability, federal employment law, and Medicare compliance.

Product overview

Hedrick Gardner Kincheloe & Garofalo LLP is a litigation defense law firm with five offices across North and South Carolina offering comprehensive legal services. The firm's core offerings center on civil litigation defense and workers' compensation defense, supported by specialized practice areas including construction law, insurance law, products liability, professional liability, trucking and transportation, employment law, and Medicare compliance services. The firm provides client-facing digital tools including Workers' Compensation Calculators for North Carolina and South Carolina claims, reference guides covering state-specific workers' compensation and civil liability laws, and continuing education seminars. The service model is a unified legal services offering rather than a platform architecture.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Civil Litigation Comprehensive civil litigation defense services handling cases from district court through state and federal appellate courts, including personal injury, premises liability, and complex commercial disputes, offered to businesses, insurance carriers, and self-insured employers in North and South Carolina.
• Workers' Compensation Defense Defense of workers' compensation claims before the North Carolina Industrial Commission and South Carolina Workers' Compensation Commission, including injury by accident, specific traumatic incident, and occupational disease cases, provided to employers, insurance carriers, and self-insureds.
• Construction Law Legal defense services for construction defect claims, contractor disputes, and related litigation matters, provided to construction companies, contractors, and insurers in the Carolinas.
• Insurance Law Insurance coverage analysis, insurance defense, and bad faith claims defense services provided to insurance carriers, policyholders, and self-insureds in North and South Carolina.
• Products Liability Litigation Defense of product liability claims including multi-party product liability actions, provided to manufacturers, distributors, and their insurers.
• Professional Liability Litigation Defense of professional liability claims and litigation, provided to professionals and their insurers in North and South Carolina.
• Trucking and Transportation Law Legal defense for trucking companies and transportation providers in litigation and workers' compensation matters, provided to motor carriers, brokers, and their insurers.
• Medicare Set-Asides and Medicare Compliance WCMSA calculations and Medicare compliance services for workers' compensation settlements, provided to employers, insurers, and attorneys handling settlement matters.
• Long Term Care Practice Defense of assisted living facilities, group homes, and healthcare facilities in litigation matters, provided to long-term care operators and their insurers.
• Employment Law Employment law defense services including administrative and litigation matters, provided to employers facing administrative charges and employment-related litigation.
• Retail, Restaurant, and Hospitality Law Defense of retail, restaurant, and hospitality businesses in litigation and related matters, provided to operators in retail, food service, and hospitality industries.
• Mass Tort Litigation Handling of mass tort and complex multi-party litigation matters, provided to corporate defendants and insurers facing aggregated claims.
• Pharmaceutical and Medical Device Litigation Defense of pharmaceutical and medical device companies in product liability and related litigation, provided to manufacturers and their insurers.

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves8 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Nelson Mullins Riley & Scarborough LLP: Large Southeast-based law firm with a strong insurance defense and litigation practice spanning multiple states. Competes with Hedrick Gardner for Carolinas-based litigation defense work but offers a broader national footprint and full-service capabilities.
• McGuireWoods LLP: National law firm with substantial insurance defense and litigation practices, including a strong presence in the Carolinas. Represents a broader incumbent competing for the same insurance carrier clients but with deeper resources and wider geographic reach.
• Bradley Arant Boult Cummings LLP: Multi-state law firm with strong litigation defense and insurance practice, particularly active in the Southeast. Competes with Hedrick Gardner for insurance defense and complex litigation matters in the Carolinas, with broader geographic and practice reach.
• Womble Bond Dickinson (US) LLP: Multi-state law firm with strong Carolinas presence (legacy of Womble Carlyle in Charlotte) and full-service litigation practice. Competes with Hedrick Gardner for sophisticated litigation defense work but with significantly broader geographic and practice depth.

Regional players

• Brooks Pierce McLendon Humphrey & Leonard LLP: North Carolina-based law firm with offices in Raleigh, Greensboro, and Wilmington. Offers litigation and insurance defense services overlapping with Hedrick Gardner's Carolinas coverage, including workers' compensation and civil litigation.
• Parker Poe Adams & Bernstein LLP: Charlotte-headquartered full-service firm with offices in NC, SC, and Washington DC. Has a litigation practice that competes with Hedrick Gardner for corporate clients in the Carolinas, though its practice is broader and less insurance defense-focused.
• Robinson Bradshaw & Hinson PA: Charlotte-based law firm with strong litigation, business, and insurance practice. Competes with Hedrick Gardner in the Carolinas business litigation market, particularly for complex commercial disputes, though more focused on corporate transactional work.

Direct peers

• Young Moore and Henderson PA: North Carolina-based law firm with significant insurance defense, workers' compensation, and civil litigation practices. Direct competitor to Hedrick Gardner in the Carolinas for the same insurance carrier and self-insured employer clients.
• McAngus Goudelock & Courie LLC: Regional litigation defense firm headquartered in Charlotte with offices across the Carolinas. Direct competitor to Hedrick Gardner in insurance defense, workers' compensation, and civil litigation defense work in the same NC/SC markets.
• Cranfill Sumner & Hartzog LLP: Charlotte-based litigation defense firm with offices across North Carolina, offering insurance defense, workers' compensation, and civil litigation services. Direct geographic and practice-area competitor to Hedrick Gardner in the Carolinas market.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/HedrickGardnerKincheloeGarofalo
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/547945

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles8 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Hedrick Gardner Kincheloe & Garofalo LLP