Kristen L. Beightol

Educated.

Kristen graduated with highest honors from UNC-Chapel Hill with a bachelor's degree in Journalism and Mass Communication in 1997. She graduated from Campbell University School of Law in 2001.

Experienced.

Since 2001, Kristen has largely spent her career representing individuals in actions to recover for their catastrophic personal injuries, mainly in the area of medical malpractice. She has practiced in North Carolina and Georgia, where she is licensed, as well as in other states around the nation when associated with local counsel there. As examples, among other states, Kristen has been involved in cases in Alabama, Florida, Illinois, Louisiana, Puerto Rico, South Carolina, South Dakota, Texas and Washington.

Kristen also has experience representing defendants in these actions, which permits her to be proactive in her cases and to anticipate defenses. Kristen has further represented governments against online travel companies to recover unpaid taxes on hotel and rental car reservations.

Award-Winning.

Kristen has won many awards throughout her career practicing law. Below is a list of her most recent awards.

• North Carolina Lawyers Weekly’s “Power List” (Personal Injury Law) (2024)

• North Carolina Super Lawyers 2024

• Business North Carolina magazine’s 2024 Hall of Fame for Litigation

• 2023 North Carolina Lawyers Weekly “Leaders in the Law” List

• North Carolina Super Lawyers 2023

• Business North Carolina magazine’s 2023 Hall of Fame for Litigation

• Martindale-Hubbell 2023 AV Preeminent Rating

• The Best Lawyers of America 2023 (Litigation - Insurance, Medical Malpractice Law - Plaintiffs and Personal Injury Litigation - Plaintiffs)

• North Carolina Super Lawyers 2022

• The Best Lawyers of America 2022 “Lawyer of the Year” (Litigation–Insurance in Raleigh)

• The Best Lawyers of America 2022 (Litigation-Insurance, Medical Malpractice Law-Plaintiffs, Personal Injury Litigation-Plaintiffs)

• Business North Carolina magazine’s 2022 Hall of Fame for Litigation

• Martindale-Hubbell 2022 AV Preeminent Rating

• North Carolina Lawyers Weekly’s inaugural “Power List” (Personal Injury Law) (2021)

• 2021 North Carolina Advocates for Justice Ebbie Award 

• North Carolina Super Lawyers 2021

• The Best Lawyers of America 2021 (Litigation—Insurance, Medical Malpractice Law—Plaintiffs, Personal Injury Litigation—Plaintiffs) 

• Business North Carolina magazine’s Legal Elite 2021 overall winner in the category of Litigation

• Martindale-Hubbell 2021 AV Preeminent Rating

• North Carolina Super Lawyers 2020

• The Best Lawyers of America 2020 (Litigation—Insurance)

• Business North Carolina magazine’s Legal Elite 2020

• Martindale-Hubbell 2020 AV Preeminent Rating

Passionate.

Kristen became a lawyer to make a difference. She has always been concerned with making sure that things are fair for all and that no one is left behind. She has fought tirelessly with these concepts in mind for each of her clients. While she cannot take their injury away or bring their loved one back, it is her goal to get the best compensation available to them under the law. 

Kristen has chosen to join forces with Cate to continue her fight for justice. 

Leader.

Kristen is a leader in her profession. Currently, she holds the following leadership roles.

• Campbell University School of Law

  • Alumni Board Chair (2023-present)

  • Alumni Board Executive Committee Chair (2023-present)

  • Alumni Board Nominating Committee Chair (2023-present)

  • Alumni Board Vice Chair (2021-2023)

  • Alumni Board CLE Committee Chair (2018-present)

  • Alumni Board Member (2015-present)

• North Carolina Association for Justice 

  • Appointed Member, Board of Governors (2023-2025)

  • Chair, Professional Negligence Section (2022-2023)

  • Secretary, Professional Negligence Section (2021-2022)

  • Co-Chair, NCAJ NEXT (2020-2021) 

• Wake County Bar Association and Tenth Judicial District Bar Association

  • Board of Directors (2023-2026)

  • Vice Chair, Foundation Committee (2024-2025)

  • Board Liaison, Professionalism Award Committee (2024-2025)

  • CLE Committee Chair (2021-2023)

  • CLE Committee Vice Chair (2019-2021)

• American Association for Justice 

  • Publications Committee Vice Chair (2022-present)

  • Publications Committee Member (2011-2017; 2019-present) 

• Campbell Law Connections Mentorship Program Mentor (2017-present)

Educator.

Kristen makes sure that she spends time paying it forward in the legal profession. She spends time presenting to and writing for her legal community. Below is a list of the presentations she has given and papers she has written over time.

• Article: “A Trial Lawyer Made by Payments Forward,” AAJ’s Trial Magazine (March 2024)

• Presentation: March 21, 2024, Campbell Law School, “Start Your Own Practice” (Panel with John McCabe)

• Presentation: February 7, 2024, NCAJ New Lawyer’s Division Roundtable, “Mediation” (Panel with Jeremy Williams)

• Presentation: November 11, 2023, Campbell Law School Trial Advocacy for Lawyers, “Directs/Crosses (Performance)

• Presentation: November 11, 2023, Campbell Law School Trial Advocacy for Lawyers, “Evidence/Foundations (Lecture)”

• Presentation: November 3, 2023, NCAJ Caps on Damages 2023, “How to Present Damages” (with Chaplin & Associates)(also Co-Chair of all-day CLE)

• Presentation: February 1, 2023, NCAJ New Lawyer’s Division Roundtable, “Building Your Business/Going out on Your Own” (Panel with Paige Pahlke)

• Good Counsel Column: “Answer Discovery to Push Your Case,” AAJ Trial Magazine (January 2023)

• Presentation: November 2, 2022, Orange County Bar Association, “The Minefield that is North Carolina Medical Malpractice Litigation”

• Presentation: October 28, 2022, 7th Annual Campbell Law School Alumni Board CLE, “The Minefield that is North Carolina Medical Malpractice Litigation”

• Presentation: September 29, 2022, NCAJ at Campbell University School of Law, “What I Wish I Knew in Law School” (Panel with John McCabe and Santiago Arroba)

• Article: “Embracing the Remote of It,” NCAJ Trial Briefs Magazine (Summer 2022)

• Article: “Remote Depos from the Trenches,” AAJ Trial Magazine (June 2022)

• Presentation: March 24, 2022, NCAJ at Campbell University School of Law, “What I Wish I Knew in Law School” (Panel with John McCabe and Ann Ochsner)

• Presentation: March 11, 2022, NCAJ 4th Annual Women’s Caucus Retreat, “Finding your Home - How to Create and Grow Your Business” (Panel with Valerie Johnson and Michelle Gessner)

• Article: “Avoiding Client Issues: Be Honest Often,” NCAJ Trial Briefs Magazine (Summer 2021)

• Article: “7 Tips for Defense Expert Depos,” AAJ Trial Magazine (June 2021)

• Article: “From the Coordinating Editor: Re-Discovering Discovery,” NCAJ Trial Briefs Magazine (Winter 2021)

• Article: “Dealing with the Difficult Deposition Witness,” NCAJ Trial Briefs Magazine (Spring 2020) (with David Kirby, Bill Bystrynski and Cate Edwards)

• Article: “From the Coordinating Editor: New Year, New Trial Briefs”, NCAJ Trial Briefs Magazine (Winter 2020)

• Article: “Rule Your Medical Malpractice Case”, NALA Facts & Findings (May/June 2018)

• Article: “Do Not Fall Asleep at the Wheel—Even if You Have an Unworthy Opponent”, DRI For the Defense Magazine (December 2017)

• Article: “A Focused Practice”, AAJ Trial Magazine (March 2017)

• Article: “Justice for Him, Justice for All”, AAJ Trial Magazine (2015)

• Editor of the 2014 Health Edition: NCAJ Trial Briefs Magazine (2014)

• Article: “Navigating the Medical Records Maze”, AAJ Trial Magazine (2013)

• Article: “Pharma Wars”, AAJ Trial Magazine (2012)

• Article: “How to Obtain Your Client’s Medical Records Quickly and Cost-Effectively”, Institute for Paralegal Education April Newsletter (2012)

• Presentation: February 24, 2011, IPE Seminars, “The Nuts and Bolts of Medical Malpractice Cases for Paralegals”

• Presentation: June 16, 2010, Georgia Trial Lawyers Association Paralegal and Legal Assistant Workshop – “Closing out the Case.”

• Presentation: April 2, 2010, Invited Guest for Georgia Trial Lawyers Association to John Marshall Law School

• Presentation: June 14, 2008, North Carolina Academy of Trial Lawyers – “Res Ipsa Loquitur in Med Mal Cases”

• Presentation: January 25, 2008, NBI, Inc. – “Case Preparation – Getting in Sync with Your Attorney”

• Presentation: November 29, 2007, Wake Early College High School, BioMedical Technology Class – “Medical Malpractice”

• Presentation: February 25, 2005, North Carolina Academy of Trial Lawyers – “Motions in Limine: Curb the Worst of the Defense Tactics” and “Anticipate the Defense Motions in Limine and Brief the Issues:  A Quiz File for Lawyers”

• Article: “Settling with the Third-Party Tortfeasor: Taking on the Employer’s Lien”, North Carolina Lawyers Weekly (February 9, 2004) (with Mark McGrath)

• Article: “Chapter 12: The Law of Expert Witnesses”, Wake Forest University School of Law Damages CLE (2002) (with Bill Faison)

• Article: “Representing the Anesthetized Patient”, North Carolina Lawyer’s Weekly (December 16, 2002) (with Mark McGrath)

Bar Admissions.

• North Carolina 

• Georgia 

• Georgia Court of Appeals

• Georgia Supreme Court

• United States District Court for the Eastern District of North Carolina

• United States District Court for the Middle District of North Carolina

• United States District Court for the Western District of North Carolina

• United States District Court of the Northern District of Georgia

• United States District Court for the Middle District of Georgia

• United States District Court for the Southern District of Georgia

• United States Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit

• United States Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit

• United States Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit

Service-Oriented.

In her spare time, Kristen enjoys giving back to her community. She is a current Elder and Service Committee member at White Memorial Presbyterian Church. She is also a trained Stephen Minister and an elected Board member of Youth Mission Co.

Locally and Nationally Grown.

Kristen was born in New Jersey, but raised in Raleigh, North Carolina. She attended Aldert Root Elementary School, Oberlin Middle School (formerly Daniels), and Broughton High School. Having parents in different states, Kristen spent significant time growing up in New Jersey and California and now spends time in Montana and California.

Traveler, Long-Distance Runner & Rescue Dog Owner.

When she is not working, Kristen enjoys traveling, long-distance running and spending time with her rescue dog, Tate.