I am a Board Certified Specialist in Consumer and Business Bankruptcy Law and have been since 1993. I have been a Certified Mediator since 1995. I have served as Chapter 7 Panel Trustee for the Western District of North Carolina since the late 70's.  I have extensive experience representing both debtors and creditors in Chapter 7, 11, 12, and 13, with a primary emphasis on consumer matters.

Professional & Community Involvement:

I have been privileged to participate extensively in civic affairs, including leadership positions in church and community. Most notably I served as a Member of the Asheville City School Board for eight years and as Chairman for six; I have also been a member of the Asheville Regional Airport Authority for 8 years and have been its chair for 6 and 1/2 years. I have served on and chaired numerous United Way Committees, was Board Member and Chair of Asheville Boys Club and Big Brothers and Sisters of Buncombe County, was instrumental in forming Mountain House, a day training center for mentally ill individuals, and served as member of the Asheville City Civil Service Board and the local Consumer Credit Counseling Services Board of Directors. 

I take pride in having acted as a tutor at a local elementary school one hour a week from 1995 through 2018, and as cross-country coach of Asheville Middle School from 2001 through 2014.

It was a great honor and pleasure to have served as President of the local (500 + lawyers) Bar Association in 2000-2001. In 2003 the State of North Carolina Bar Association bestowed its prestigious Centennial Award for Oustanding Community Service.  I've been honored by my peers to be voted to Best Lawyers in America in 2009.  In 2009 and again in 2010, I was included in Super Lawyers' Star Search. Star Search credentials indicate a high degree of peer recognition and professional achievement.  The Super Lawyers' staff identifies these Star Search Credentials by reviewing a proprietary listing of more than 150 database and online sources, as well as national and local legal trade publications. 

Gum, Hillier & McCroskey, PA, is a North Carolina law firm regulated by the Rules of Professional Conduct, as promulgated by the North Carolina State Bar.  As such, our lawyers do not and cannot ethically participate in many of Avvo's programs, including its Legal Topics, Legal Forms, or its fixed-price legal services. We advise extreme caution when relying on Q&A's or use of legal forms without the guidance of a qualified lawyer.