Allen C. Brotherton
Partner
Personal Injury & Accidents · Criminal Defense · Civil Litigation
Practicing more than 40 years
About the firm
A Charlotte law firm since 1958.
Founded by a former mayor of the city, still practicing here more than 60 years later, and still small enough that the attorney you meet is the attorney who tries your case.
Knox Law Center has practiced in Charlotte since 1958, and from a second office in Denver serving the Lake Norman communities. The firm represents individuals, families and businesses across North Carolina in personal injury, workers' compensation, criminal defense, business litigation and estate planning.
The firm was built by H. Edward "Eddie" Knox. He graduated from North Carolina State as president of the student body, took his law degree from Wake Forest summa cum laude, served in the North Carolina State Senate and was elected the 49th Mayor of Charlotte. He died in June 2026, at 89. The practice he built is carried on by the attorneys who worked alongside him.
Our attorneys try cases. That is the plainest thing that can be said about the firm, and it is the thing that matters most when the other side is an insurance company or the government. The work runs from Mecklenburg and Lincoln County district court through the North Carolina appellate courts and the United States Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit.
When you entrust your case to Knox Law Center we handle it from beginning to end, whatever it takes. Our clients are often the friends, neighbors and family of other clients, and it seems right to treat them as such.
How we work
What it is actually like to be a client here
- 01
You talk to a person
Our personal approach to client service is evident from the moment you call. During the day you will talk to a person, not an automated service, and you will not have to go through layers of people to get an answer. Our lawyers try to answer their own phone calls and email.
- 02
We are trial lawyers
Our attorneys try cases. When you entrust your case to Knox Law Center we handle it from beginning to end, whatever it takes. We are experienced litigators who are not afraid of the courtroom.
- 03
The golden rule
When you visit our office as a new client we will not evaluate your case from a form. We prefer to take the time to talk to our clients and greet them personally. Our clients are often the friends, neighbors and family of other clients, and it only seems right to treat them as such.
The attorneys
Who you would be working with
Every practice area on this site names the attorneys who actually do that work.
Frances S. Knox
Partner
Personal Injury & Accidents · Car Accidents · Wills & Trusts
Practicing more than 35 years
Heather P. Hodge
Attorney
Board Certified Specialist in Workers' Compensation LawNorth Carolina State Bar Board of Legal Specialization
Workers' Compensation · Third-Party Claims · Personal Injury & Accidents
Practicing more than 10 years
Lisa G. Godfrey
Attorney
Estate Administration & Planning · Probate & Estate Administration · Commercial Law
Practicing more than 40 years
J. Gray Brotherton
Attorney
Criminal Defense · Civil Litigation
Practicing more than 5 years
Ryan Hennelly
Attorney
Criminal Defense · Family Law
Since 1958
More than 60 years in the same courthouses.
Knox Law Center has been practicing in Charlotte since 1958. Its founder served as a state senator and as the 49th Mayor of Charlotte, and the firm has stayed where it started: in Mecklenburg and Lincoln County courtrooms.
A Charlotte practice opens
The firm dates its founding to 1958. The client's account is that Eddie Knox joined a Charlotte practice his brother had already established.
North Carolina State
H. Edward Knox graduates from NC State with a B.S. in agricultural education, as president of the student body and Most Distinguished Graduate.
Called to the bar
A law degree from Wake Forest, summa cum laude, as a Babcock Scholar and president of the law school student body. Admitted to the North Carolina Bar the same year.
The State Senate
H. Edward Knox serves in the North Carolina State Senate.
49th Mayor of Charlotte
Elected mayor of the city the firm practices in, between Kenneth R. Harris and Harvey Gantt.
The Trade Street years
For decades the firm practiced from 817 East Trade Street in Charlotte, the address at the foot of its attorneys' published articles.
Uptown Charlotte
The firm's present Charlotte office, uptown at 905 East 7th Street, on the corner of 7th and McDowell, three blocks from its former location.
In memoriam
H. Edward Knox, 1937–2026
The firm's founder died on 22 June 2026, at 89. The practice he built is carried on by the attorneys who worked alongside him.
Where we are
Serving Charlotte, Denver and the Lake Norman area
Charlotte · Denver · Lake Norman
Established here, and answerable here.
Mon–Thu 8:30am–5pm · Fri 8:30am–4pm