Partner of the Firm, is a trial attorney with a wide-ranging civil practice. His concentrations include Business Disputes, Construction Law, Insurance Defense and Collections. He is also a certified mediator, helping to settle cases pending in both state and federal court.He recently finished his one-year term as President of the North Carolina Association of Defense Attorneys, the organization for lawyers representing business interests in civil litigation. Mr. Hood has spoken to lawyers and industry groups on such topics as handling auto insurance claims, contractor liens on real estate and contract funds, underinsured and uninsured motorist coverage, ethics for litigation attorneys, and real estate litigation. He has also written for legal and industry publications on various subjects including trial tactics, use of local rules in litigation, and contribution claims among defendants. Mr. Hood, along with his colleague, Mike Barnett published an article in the Defense Research Institute's magazine For The Defense on the topic of Jury Selection.Mr. Hood and his wife, Sandi, reside in Hickory. Sandi, an ordained minister, is in Community Relations for Catawba Valley Hospice. Their son, Wilson, is a seminary student at Harvard Divinity School while their daughter, Callie, is a senior at UNC.