The attorneys at Riddle & Riddle participate in a number of professional legal associations at the national, state, and local level. These voluntary memberships reflect ongoing engagement with the broader legal community, access to continuing legal education, and participation in the trial bar beyond the firm’s own practice. The organizations below are the ones with either multiple current attorney members firm wide or individual significance worth noting for prospective clients.
Gene Riddle
Gene Riddle earned his J.D. from Wake Forest University School of Law (1985) and has represented personal injury victims across North Carolina for over 40 years. As Riddle & Riddle’s founding partner, his practice centers on catastrophic car and truck crashes, social security disability, veterans disability, workers compensation, and wrongful death claims. He holds an AV Preeminent® peer rating and is a member of the Multi-Million Dollar Advocates Forum and National Association of Distinguished Counsel.
- AV Preeminent® Rating – Awarded by Martindale-Hubbell (Highest rating an attorney can receive for legal competency and ethics).
- Super Lawyers Selection – Selected by Super Lawyers for personal injury litigation.
- Multi-Million Dollar Advocates Forum Member – Designated by Million Dollar Advocates Forum (Fewer than 1% of U.S. trial lawyers qualify).
- Million Dollar Advocates Forum Member – Recognized by Million Dollar Advocates Forum for winning $1M+ verdicts and settlements.
- Top 100 Trial Lawyers – Selected among North Carolina’s premier civil trial attorneys by The National Trial Lawyers.
- Top 10 Truck Accident Lawyer – Recognized for specialized vehicle accident trial work by The National Trial Lawyers.
- Nation’s Top One Percent – Member of personal injury litigation honors awarded by National Association of Distinguished Counsel.
- Litigator Award – Recognized for litigation excellence by Trial Lawyers Board of Regents.
- Best Attorneys of America Member – Listed by Best Attorneys of America.
- Old North State Award – Conferred by the State of North Carolina (Governor) (North Carolina’s second-highest civilian honor).
- Best Family-Run Law Firm Award – Conferred by NC Lawyers Weekly.
- Former President & Board Leader – Leadership role with the American Heart Association.
Professional Associations & Directory Listings
- American Bar Association (ABA) – Member
- North Carolina Advocates for Justice (NCAJ) – Member
- North Carolina Bar Association (NCBA) – Member
- North Carolina Academy of Trial Lawyers – Member
- Wayne County Bar Association – Member
- Wayne County Chamber of Commerce – Member
- Avvo Directory Profile: Rated 10.0 Superb for personal injury and car accident litigation
- Lawyer.com Directory: Verified attorney listing highlighting auto accident trial advocacy
- Super Lawyers Directory – Featured profile in North Carolina personal injury law
- Martindale-Hubbell Directory – Verified AV Preeminent-rated attorney profile
Alex Riddle
Alex Riddle is an attorney and partner focusing on serious auto collisions, motorcycle accidents, and wrongful death claims. Her background includes clerking in the North Carolina Superior Court and working with immigration law clinics. Honored in The National Trial Lawyers: Top 40 Under 40 and Super Lawyers Rising Stars, she has secured multiple 7-figure settlements.
Million Dollar Advocates Forum Member – Recognized by Million Dollar Advocates Forum for $1M+ motor vehicle collision and injury recoveries.
Top 40 Under 40 – Selected among top young trial lawyers in motor vehicle accident claims by The National Trial Lawyers.
Super Lawyers Rising Stars – Selected for personal injury advocacy by Super Lawyers.
Top 100 Trial Lawyers – Civil Plaintiff practice area member at The National Trial Lawyers.
Molly M. Schertzinger
Molly M. Schertzinger oversees executive operations at the firm while maintaining an active trial practice representing clients in motor vehicle crashes, dog bite injuries, premises liability, and complex personal injury cases. Recognized as a Super Lawyers Rising Star and National Trial Lawyers Top 40 Under 40, she is active across national and state trial bar associations.
American Bar Association – Member
North Carolina Bar Association – Member
North Carolina Advocates for Justice – Member
Super Lawyers Directory – Directory listing for Rising Stars
The National Trial Lawyers Directory – Directory listing for Top 100 & Top 40 Under 40 members
Adam Smith
Adam Smith is a partner and a North Carolina State Bar Board-Certified Specialist in Workers’ Compensation Law—a distinction held by a small percentage of attorneys statewide. He handles complex workplace injury claims, concurrent third-party liability lawsuits, and severe motor vehicle crash cases, and holds an AV Preeminent® rating.
- North Carolina Advocates for Justice (NCAJ): Active member focused on civil litigation and accident victim advocacy
- Wake County Bar Association: Member
AV Preeminent® Rating – Rated highest peer-review level for legal competency and ethics by Martindale-Hubbell.
Super Lawyers Selection – Selected for personal injury and workers’ compensation litigation by Super Lawyers.
Board-Certified Specialist in Workers’ Compensation – Certified by North Carolina State Bar.
Multi-Million Dollar Advocates Forum Member – Designated for complex multi-million dollar accident and injury settlements by Million Dollar Advocates Forum.
Million Dollar Advocates Forum Member – Member of Million Dollar Advocates Forum.
Darren Dawson
Darren Dawson has practiced law for over 30 years (since 1992) after earning his undergraduate and law degrees at Campbell University. A former solo practitioner in personal injury and medical malpractice, he specializes in severe vehicular crashes, sexual assault civil claims, and complex personal injury litigation.
Multi-Million Dollar Advocates Forum Member – Designated for major personal injury and vehicular crash outcomes by Million Dollar Advocates Forum.
Super Lawyers Selection – Selected for North Carolina personal injury law by Super Lawyers.
Top 100 Trial Lawyers – Recognized for plaintiff trial work in accident law by The National Trial Lawyers.
- AV Distinguished® Rating – A strong, highly respected mark of achievement for lawyers with solid experience and professional success by Martindale-Hubbell.
- Avvo Directory – Directory listing covering medical and dental malpractice, personal injury, and motor vehicle accidents, and has appeared on behalf of clients in the North Carolina trial and appellate courts.
Christina Stone
- Christina Stone joined the firm after graduating from the University of North Carolina School of Law (2020). She focuses on personal injury, wrongful death, and workers’ compensation litigation. Following a $2.175 million wrongful death result in a commercial vehicle collision, she was inducted into the Multi-Million Dollar Advocates Forum.
Multi-Million Dollar Advocates Forum Member – Inducted by Million Dollar Advocates Forum following a $2.175M wrongful death crash settlement.
Super Lawyers Rising Stars – Named a Rising Star in North Carolina personal injury law by Super Lawyers.
Top 40 Under 40 – Highlighted among top young trial lawyers in personal injury by The National Trial Lawyers.
Donald J. Dunn
Donald J. Dunn serves as Senior Litigation Attorney, bringing over three decades of trial experience to the firm. His practice covers complex personal injury litigation, wrongful death claims, medical malpractice, and class action lawsuits, and he has been an active member of the North Carolina Advocates for Justice since 1990.
North Carolina Advocates for Justice – Member (1990 – Present)
Avvo Directory – Directory listing covering car accidents, wrongful death, and personal injury litigation
FindLaw Legal Directory – Directory listing for personal injury and motor vehicle crash claims
Will Bartlett
Will Bartlett earned his undergraduate degree with distinction from UNC Chapel Hill and his J.D. from Campbell University School of Law. He focuses on motor vehicle collisions and personal injury litigation while frequently producing educational video guides on crash victims’ rights.
FindLaw Legal Directory – Legal directory listing for motor vehicle litigation
The National Trial Lawyers Member – A professional organization for civil plaintiff and criminal defense lawyers.
Dean Riddle
Dean Riddle earned his B.A. and J.D. from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill (1981, 1985) and has practiced for nearly 40 years. He leads the firm’s Insurance Litigation Department, specializing in bad-faith insurance practices, natural-disaster property disputes, construction defects, and complex wrongful-death litigation.
Martindale-Hubbell Directory – Directory listing for AV Preeminent rated attorneys
Million Dollar Advocates Forum Directory – Directory listing for multi-million dollar members