Charlotte, NC – Business North Carolina magazine has named Tom Griffin and Tony Lathrop to its 2026 Power List, which recognizes the state’s most influential business leaders. The statewide publication assembles the list through nominations, research, and interviews with prominent voices in the business community.
Tom Griffin
This was the sixth straight year Tom has been recognized. Tom has served as Parker Poe's managing partner since 2012 and overseen dynamic, strategic growth in North Carolina, across the broader Southeast, and in the nation's capital. Under his leadership, the firm has opened offices in Atlanta, Georgia; Greenville, South Carolina; and Washington, DC. It has also expanded its consulting capabilities to provide additional solutions to clients in areas such as federal lobbying, site selection, local government services, and tax credits and incentives.
At every stage of Parker Poe's growth, Tom has emphasized a deep commitment to helping clients thrive and strengthening the communities the firm serves. Based on recent feedback from top corporate counsel, Parker Poe stood out nationally for providing creative solutions, sharing insight and context to help clients make smarter decisions, and working alongside clients to solve problems. In the past year, the firm has also helped clients drive community impact, represented the interests of children and families in appellate courts (including through Tom's own counsel), and mobilized legal resources for disaster relief.
Tony Lathrop
Tony focuses his practice at the intersection of transportation, land use, and public-sector strategy, advising clients on how to navigate complex infrastructure initiatives and the governmental processes that shape them. As chair of the North Carolina Board of Transportation and a former chair of the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Planning Commission, he provides strategic counsel on transportation and public mobility planning, funding, and finance, as well as on zoning, land use, and economic development connected to major transportation corridors.
Tony is a recipient of The Order of the Long Leaf Pine, which North Carolina's governor presents for exemplary service that has strengthened the state. Through long-standing service in the legal, transportation, and planning communities of North Carolina, he has regular and significant interaction with local, state, and federal elected officials; governmental agencies; trade organizations; stakeholder groups; and industry professionals on policy, advocacy, project planning and management, funding, economic development, public‑private partnerships, and broader business development efforts.
About Parker Poe Adams & Bernstein LLP
Businesses and local governments turn to Parker Poe to structure transactions, navigate regulations, and resolve disputes. Founded in 1884, the Southeast business law firm today has over 300 attorneys across offices in North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia, and Washington, DC.
Parker Poe is a member of two leading international legal networks: TerraLex and the Employment Law Alliance. TerraLex and the ELA have chosen Parker Poe to help guide clients through the challenges of global business.