I have practiced law in Asheville, North Carolina since 1971. I began practicing in Asheville after graduating from the University of North Carolina School of Law. I could not take the bar exam until August and Bruce Elmore, Sr. was in need of legal assistance even though I was not yet licensed to practice. My wife and I liked Asheville and we decided to stay after I became licensed to practice law in August, 1971. I got a lot of trial experience while with Bruce in both criminal law and civil law. After several years, I decided to open my own office and practiced as a sole practitioner until my daughter, Jennifer, and I began practicing as partners in The Moore Law Office, PLLC in 2007. As a sole practitioner, I practiced in the areas of Family Law, Criminal Law, Personal Injury, and Workers’ Compensation. Since Jennifer and I formed The Moore Law Office, PLLC, she has limited her practice to Family Law and I have concentrated on Employment Discrimination, Workers’ Compensation, Personal Injury, Social Security Disability, and Mediation. I believe that it is important to have a close working relationship with my clients. I try to assure that my clients are provided with regular communication regarding the status of their cases and what to expect regarding the legal process. When I accept a case, in addition to relying on my experience, I always research the law to assure that the law has not changed or been modified by recent court decisions. I rely on computer legal research to assure that I am up to date on the most recent changes in the law. One of my cases, Dixie Deerman vs Beverly California, is frequently cited as a leading case in the area of wrongful termination in violation of public policy. In this case a nurse was fired by a nursing home because she advised the family of a patient that they should consider changing physicians due to the physician’s lack of attention to the patient. The North Carolina Court of Appeals agreed with us that, since the nurse was doing what she was required to do by the North Carolina Nursing Practice Act, it was a violation of public policy to fire her. I began practicing in the area of employment law because I believe it is wrong for employers to base employee decisions on discrimination based on race, gender, disability, age, religion, or in violation of public policy. I represent clients with personal injury claims because I believe that persons and corporations that injure others as a result of their negligence should be required to compensate the people that they injure. I represent clients with workers’ compensation claims because I believe that employers should be responsible for compensating their employees who suffer injuries while performing their job duties. I practice Social Security disability law because I believe that persons who become totally disabled before age 65 should be able to receive compensation based on their contribution to Social Security during the years of their employment. I believe that Social Security is one of the most effective and beneficial programs ever enacted by the United States government. I became a certified mediator because I believe that, when possible, cases should be resolved by the parties to eliminate the time, expense and stress involved in litigation. I have served on the Board of Directors for The Mediation Center in Asheville. My non-lawyering time is spent with my family, including my wife of 48 years, who is a retired public school educator, my daughter Jennifer, my son, a pediatrician in Roanoke, Virginia, and my twin granddaughters. I am also an avid runner, hiker, and mountain biker who enjoys the beautiful trails in Asheville and Western North Carolina. I was a founding member of the Asheville City Schools Foundation. After graduating from Wake Forest, I was commissioned as a Lieutenant in the United States Army. I completed Army Officer Basic Training at Aberdeen Proving Ground and Supply Officer training at Fort Lee, Virginia. I served for a year as Inventory Control Officer at the Army supply depot at Qui Nhon in South Vietnam. My last six months in the U.S. Army were spent at Fort Devens, Massachusetts. During my service, I was awarded the Army Commendation Medal and campaign ribbons for my service in Vietnam.

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Mark Upright is a family law attorney at Petrelli Previtera, LLC, representing clients across Western North Carolina in divorce, child custody, equitable distribution, support, and adoption matters. Mark brings a career-long commitment to advocating for children and families, and a depth of perspective that extends well beyond the courtroom. “Everybody comes to you and they’re either mad or sad or both. They’re at a bad place in their life. I give them the time to talk about what has happened, what they want their life to look like, and then I give them reassurance: we’re going to take them to a better place.” Clients who work with Mark can expect thorough preparation and honest guidance from the first consultation forward. He practices active listening, helping clients sort through what matters most and understand what outcomes are realistically achievable. His trial preparation is detailed and deliberate. He builds comprehensive parenting plans and walks clients through every question before they enter the courtroom, so they feel confident and the judge gets the clear, focused presentation that leads to strong results. While Mark is a capable litigator, he favors resolution through mediation and negotiation when it serves the client’s interests. North Carolina requires mandatory mediation in both custody and equitable distribution matters, and Mark’s collaborative approach often leads to agreements that protect his clients without the cost and uncertainty of trial. In one recent equitable distribution case, his preparation through mediation helped a client walk away with a favorable settlement at a fraction of what a contested trial would have cost. Mark served as a Court-Appointed Parent Coordinator in North Carolina’s 28th Judicial District, working with high-conflict families to build cooperative frameworks after custody disputes are resolved. This hands-on experience with what makes co-parenting arrangements succeed, and where they break down, directly shapes the custody strategies he builds for his clients. Mark’s path to family law started in social services. Working with children and families through the Department of Social Services in Philadelphia, he saw firsthand how the legal system shaped outcomes for the most vulnerable. He went to law school to become the advocate those families needed. Before transitioning to full-time practice, Mark built his career in executive leadership at organizations serving children and families, including serving as President and CEO of Eliada Services in Asheville and Chief Operations Officer at Kanuga Conferences in Hendersonville, and Chief Financial Officer at two nonprofit organizations. Six years as a CFO gave Mark a working command of financial statements, budgets, and organizational finance that directly benefits clients navigating equitable distribution matters involving business interests, retirement assets, and complex marital estates. A longtime Asheville resident with deep roots in Western North Carolina, Mark has served as a Junior Achievement instructor, an adjunct financial management professor at UNC Asheville, and a pro bono attorney with Pisgah Legal Services. He and his wife have been married for over 35 years and have three adult sons. If you are facing a family law matter in Western North Carolina, schedule a consultation with the firm’s legal team to discuss your situation and learn how he can help. Contact Petrelli Previtera today.

I was born and raised and have lived most of my life in the foothills of the Great Smoky Mountains. I also chose to raise my family here. I studied history and religion at Duke (BA 1975), history and education at Vanderbilt (MAT 1979), law at Tulane (JD 1985), and management information systems at UNCG (2009). I practiced law in New Orleans and Boulder before moving my practice to Asheville in 1993. I continue to learn something new every day.