From a young age, Gary Shipman knew he was destined for the courtroom. After graduating from the University of North Carolina at Wilmington, he earned his law degree from Campbell University School of Law at the age of 24. Two years later, Gary founded his own firm, and he hasn’t looked back since. Gary has spent over forty five years trying cases nationwide, including complex and consequential cases involving personal injury, commercial litigation, professional negligence, and class actions. His courtroom presence and dogged advocacy have earned him a national reputation, and his peers have recognized him as one of the Best Lawyers in America since 2007 and as a Super Lawyer since 2006. At his firm, Gary prioritizes the needs of his clients. When the Great Recession hit, he shifted his practice towards business reorganization and loan workouts. He now represents debtors and creditors in lender liability actions and is a consultant for businesses and investors in various asset transactions. Gary is also passionate about giving back to his community. He has served as the former chairman of the New Hanover County Democratic Party and as a former member of the UNC-Wilmington Board of Trustees. He has also spent twenty years as a youth baseball coach and developed a full-service sports agency, Atlantic Sports Management, in 2013. Gary is certified as a contract advisor and agent by the NFL and NBA, and his clients include coaches and athletes. Gary and his wife, Mary Jo, have three sons. In addition to his legal and community work, Gary is a frequent speaker and lecturer in continuing legal education seminars and at his alma maters, UNC-Wilmington and Campbell University School of Law. Gary’s dedication to his clients, community and passion for sports has made him an exceptional attorney and leader in Wilmington.

Clayton Cheek received his B. S. degree in English from Wake Forest University, his MBA from Wake Forest University and his J. D. from Wake Forest University. He is a member of the NC Bar Association, the American Bar Association and has been recognized by Super Lawyers. His focus is in Chapter 11, 7 and 13 Bankruptcy, Workouts and Alternatives to Bankruptcy, Business Entities, Contracts and Transactions, Estate and Succession Planning and Estate Administration. Before joining Oliver & Cheek, Clayton was a partner in the law firm of Hornthal, Riley, Ellis & Maland, L.L.P. in Elizabeth City, North Carolina, where he worked from 2003 to 2010. Before attending law school Clayton worked in a fund raising capacity with Ducks Unlimited, Inc., in Memphis, Tennessee.

Mr. Oliver received his undergraduate and law degrees from UNC-Chapel Hill. He is a board certified specialist in Business Bankruptcy Law, certified by the North Carolina State Bar and the American Board of Specialization. Mr. Oliver has received numerous awards including: AV Preeminent Lawyer from Martindale-Hubbell Peer Review Rating, 2013 Legal Elite’s “Young Guns Award in North Carolina”, 2009-2017 North Carolina “Super Lawyer” and 2009-2017 Business North Carolina’s “Legal Elite.” He was the Co-Managing Editor of the North Carolina Bankruptcy Practice Manual in 2006 and has served as a Chapter 7 Panel Trustee for the Bankruptcy Court since 2009. In 2012-2013, he was elected to the Board of the National Association of Bankruptcy Trustees (NABT) and served as Co-Editor of NABTalk. He is a frequent speaker at legal conferences on bankruptcy issues across the country and has authored several articles on bankruptcy issues for national publications.