Mark Lowell Hayes

PRO

Mark Lowell Hayes

5.0
Rating: 8.0

Licensed for 17 years

Appeals Lawyer at Durham, NC
Practice Areas: Appeals

732 Ninth St., #571, Durham, NC

Free Consultation

About Mark

Biography

Affordable representation at every level, including to the U.S. Supreme Court.

State-wide practice. Substantive areas range from criminal matters to business disputes.

Practice Areas

1

Practice Area

Appeals 100%

Exclusive appeals practice. Mark L. Hayes represents appellants and appellees throughout North Carolina, since appeals are handled centrally in Raleigh (for State appeals) and Richmond (for Federal appeals).

15 years | 300 cases

100%

Fees and Rates

Cost

Free Consultation

$0 first 30 minutes

Hourly Rates

$ 225-300 per hour


Payment Methods

  • Check
  • Credit Card

Awards

Client's Choice
Client's Choice
2018

Licenses

Licensed in North Carolina for 17 years

State: North Carolina

Acquired: 2008

Active

No misconduct found

Location

Mark Hayes

732 Ninth St., #571, Durham, NC, 27705

appealnc.com

Mark Lowell Hayes's Reviews

Avvo Review Score

5.0 /5.0

10 Client Reviews

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Showing 1 - 5 of 10 reviews

Posted by Richard | September 24, 2025 | Hired Attorney

Highly recommend Mr. Mark Hayes Appeals Lawyer of Hayes Law Offices, PLLC.

Mr. Mark Hayes was hired to Appeal a child custody case in Onslow County. His service has been nothing short of exceptional. Very professional in both verbal and written communication with responses to questions answered directly and in a timely manor. He keep us well informed of the steps of the pro...cess and the progress of the Appeal up to date at all times. His rate was fair and within the confines of the agreed upon amount from the initial consolation.

Posted by Andrea | March 31, 2024 | Hired Attorney

Precedent-setting Victory

Mark L. Hayes excels at appeals and I highly recommend his firm. He won a precedent-setting appeal for me on a topic that has never really been addressed before. He then proceeded to win a remand hearing ordering my beloved dog Spike be returned to me by the thief who stole him 2 years ago. Again, I ...cannot write enough on this limited platform, but suffice to say he's the best at appellate law.

Mark Hayes

Replied last April 01, 2024

While the "property" in this case was small, the case was a big one. We are glad to bring our skills to bear on cases of every size, from property disputes worth millions to this case for true ownership of a pet.

Posted by Tammy | December 11, 2023 | Hired Attorney

Exceptional Attorney

My son was convicted of a very high-profile crime and was sentenced to about 40 years in prison, I was desperately in need of a very good appellant attorney because I believed in my son's innocence and felt that he was convicted unjustly. I was determined I wasn't leaving North Carolina until I obt...ained one of the best Appellant attorneys in that county, I reached out to a particular attorney who was referred to me as one of the best, but he was not available and referred me to Mr. Mark Hayes, the other attorney advised me that Mark Hayes was just as good as he was so I reached out to Mr. Hayes. From the moment I reached out to Mr Hayes, he heard my desperate cry for an attorney and once I explained the case he agreed to take on the case. I was very surprised that his fees were not as much as other high-profile attorneys in that area. Mr. Hayes immediately jumped on the case right away and began communicating his findings immediately, he kept me and my son in the loop the entire time and answered any questions with all honesty. After a while, I considered Mr. Hayes's family because I saw how he was working on my son's case and believed in my son's case. Mr Hayes was able to find so many errors in my son's case that I could not believe it. Along the way, the case got a little complicated and needed more attention to file the appeal (which would cost more money) and Mr Hayes was gracious enough to extend credit to me so that the case would not be put on hold. I honestly put my trust in Mr. Hayes and his capability to win this appeal because my son was convicted of 40 years of a crime I do not believe he committed. Fast forward, it ALL paid off. My prayers were answered! Mr Hayes called me and advised me that we had won the Appeal and that my son would be awarded a new trial. I am forever grateful to Mr Hayes and I am so glad that he was referred to us, I could not have asked for a better attorney. I am forever grateful to Mr. Hayes for doing an outstanding job with my son's appeal.

Mark Hayes

Replied last April 01, 2024

Thank you for this kind review. Because of the multiple issues we argued, your son's case was certainly a big one. We pride ourselves on competitive rates and were glad to find a payment plan for you when the addition of "extra" issues increased the scope of the work (and cost) beyond the original estimate. Ironically for this reason the best cases can become the most expensive. I know it is a problem you were glad to encounter, now that your son's conviction has been vacated.

Posted by bill | January 25, 2023 | Hired Attorney

My first time using an appellate attorney

He was accurate with his time line for when things would happen during the appeal. He met his deadlines for when he said things would be ready. The case law he cited for the appeal was dead on point. The appeal was successful and resulted in a unanimous decision in my favor.

Mark Hayes

Replied last April 01, 2024

We were glad to help you in this appeal arising from a property dispute.

Posted by Samuel | April 10, 2020

Mr. Hayes handled my case properly and it was overturned.

Mr. Hayes was very professional from day one. He contacted me through letters every few months. He responded to me when I would ask questions he kept me up to date on every detail of my case and even sent copies of the briefs for me to go over. At the end of the day he gave his all and my case was ov...erturned im thankful.

Mark Hayes

Replied last April 01, 2024

While our practice and shifted to include more civil cases in recent years, we still have a substantial practice in criminal appeals like this one. We were glad to win some relief for you!

See All Client Reviews

Mark Lowell Hayes's Lawyer Endorsements

Endorse Mark
Joseph Erik Hjelt headshot
Joseph Hjelt

Appeals lawyer | Apr 20

Relationship: Worked together on matter

"Mark is an excellent appellate lawyer and I am happy to recommend him to anyone in need of advice, assistance, hand-holding, etc. in the area of appellate law. Mark's help and work on a recent appeal was instrumental in maximizing the chances of the positive outcome we eventually obtained for our case and my client. Bottom line: Mark is a joy to collaborate with and an appellate law whiz."

Adam Mark Gottsegen headshot
Adam Gottsegen

Appeals lawyer | Aug 18

Relationship: Worked together on matter

"I had the opportunity to work with Mark on a case for a mutual client. Mark was extremely thorough and knowledgeable about the appellate process. Mark reviewed the case with a fresh perspective and brought new insight that was extremely helpful. I would definitely recommend Mark for any appellate issues."

View All Endorsements
Adam Mark Gottsegen headshot
Adam Gottsegen

Commercial real estate lawyer

Experience

Rating:  8.0 (Excellent)

Honors

2008

Honors graduate, University of North Carolina School of Law

2007

“Best Overall” Gressman-Pollit Advocate Award, University of North Carolina School of Law

1998

Magna Cum Laude graduate, Vanderbilt University

Work Experience

2012 - 2018

Professor (Summer Terms, 2012 & 2018, Adjunct), University Of North Carolina School Of Law

2011 - 2018

Owner, Law Office of Mark Hayes

2008 - 2010

Clerk to Chief Justice Sarah Parker, N.C. Supreme Court

2008 - 2010

Instructor, University Of North Carolina School Of Law

Associations

2012 - Present

Durham County Bar Association

Member

Sample of Legal Cases

North Carolina Court of Appeals: Dalton v. Dalton (2018)

Order which required client to pay over $70,000 to his former spouse was vacated.

Fourth Circuit Court of Appeals: Woods v. City of Greensboro (2017)

Client's case, which had been dismissed, was reinstated.

U.S. Supreme Court: Grady v. United States (2015)

State's monitoring program was made subject to constitutional review.

See More Legal Cases

Education

2008

University of North Carolina School of Law

JD - Juris Doctor

2000

Auburn University

M.Ed.

1998

Vanderbilt University

BA - Bachelor of Arts

Speaking Engagements

2016

DCWA Meeting

Grady v. North Carolina: A U.S. Supreme Court Case Study

Publications

2017

The Advocate Three Easy Steps To Starting An Appeal The Right Way

2015

Carolina Law Alumni Receive Unanimous Decision From Supreme Court In GPS Tracking Case

2013

North Carolina Lawyer Pro Bono, Internship Work Well Together

Languages

English

Activity

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