Michael Ballance is a native of Raleigh and a graduate of North Carolina State University. He attended law school at the University of North Carolina where he served as Editor-in-Chief of the International Law Journal and graduated with Honors. Michael subsequently clerked for two years for Chief Justice I. Beverly Lake, Jr. on the North Carolina Supreme Court, and was in private practice with another law firm in Raleigh for a number of years. He joined the Workers' Compensation team at Young Moore and Henderson in 2003 and is now a shareholder in the firm.

Michael's practice is focused primarily in the area of workers compensation law. He has significant experience representing clients at all stages of workers' compensation proceedings, from mediations through appeals to the Supreme Court. He has appeared in at least seven Supreme Court and twenty Court of Appeals cases involving workers' compensation claims. These include such notable cases as the Supreme Court's landmark ruling in Adams v. AVX Corp. Michael also teaches Workers Compensation Law and Practice at UNC School of Law to upperclass students during the Fall semester.

Michael is married to his high school sweetheart, Jennie, and they have three sons. He enjoys spending time with family and friends, cheering for his kids' sports teams, and, on the rare occasion when there is some time left over, reading history and working in the yard.

Teaching and Presentations:

• Adjunct Professor, University of North Carolina School of Law, Workers' Compensation Law and Practice, 2004-present
• Adjunct Professor, University of North Carolina School of Law, Research Writing and Appellate Advocacy, 2001-2006
• Employment Law Instructor, Wake Technical Community College, Raleigh, NC, 1998-1999
• "Overview of North Carolina Workers' Compensation Law," CLE Presenter, Raleigh, NC, 2000
• "Hearing Readiness: Tips from the Bench," Panel for North Carolina Workers' Compensation Educational Conference, N.C. Industrial Commission, 2006.

Significant Recent Decisions:

• Clark v. Wal-Mart, 360 N.C. 41, 619 S.E. (2005)
• Roberts v. Wal-Mart, 173 N.C. App. 740, 619 S.E.2d 907 (2005)