About Michael Joseph
Michael Joseph Barnett is a partner at Patrick, Harper & Dixon, LLP, located in Hickory, North Carolina. He has been practicing law for over 20 years, focusing on real estate law, collections, and insurance defense. His experience includes representing both corporations and individuals in various litigation matters, such as business and commercial disputes, estate and trust proceedings, and personal injury cases. Throughout his career, he has participated in more than 20 trials and arbitration proceedings, appearing before the North Carolina Supreme Court, Court of Appeals, and Business Court. In recognition of his professional achievements, he was named one of North Carolina's Rising Stars in business litigation from 2012 to 2017.
Born and raised in Hickory, Michael earned his Bachelor of Arts degree summa cum laude from the State University of New York at Albany in 1998. During the spring semester of that year, he studied at Oxford University's New College. He then pursued his Juris Doctor with honors at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, graduating in 2002. While in law school, he served as the Symposium Editor for the North Carolina Law Review and received the Gressman-Pollitt Award for Appellate Advocacy. He was also inducted into Phi Beta Kappa.
After obtaining his law degree, Michael was admitted to the Pennsylvania Bar in 2002 and the North Carolina State Bar in 2004. He is currently in good standing with the North Carolina State Bar. His practice areas encompass collections, insurance defense, and real estate law, with a particular emphasis on real estate and construction litigation. He has represented clients in various legal stages, including trials, arbitration proceedings, and appeals. In addition to his legal practice, Michael is actively involved in his community.
He has served on the Board of Directors for the Carolina Broadway Theatre Company since 2019 and has coached youth basketball. He was the President of the Catawba County Bar Association in 2011 and the 25th Judicial District Bar Association in 2012. He also served on the Board of Directors for the Greater Hickory Cooperative Christian Ministry from 2012 to 2018. Michael resides in Hickory with his wife, Agnese, and their daughters, Nicole and Isabel. He is fluent in English and conversational in Italian, reflecting his diverse background and commitment to serving his community.
