Forest joined Martin & Jones in 1997. He graduated from the Campbell University School of Law in 1989 and spent the first several years of his career practicing law with a large North Carolina law firm mainly defending corporations in lawsuits. Seeing the inequalities that existed in the justice system between wealthy and powerful companies and regular people, Forest was motivated to change his law practice to help level the playing field for ordinary, working people.
With the experience he gained from defending lawsuits, Forest now represents people who have been severely injured due to the carelessness of others. Forest has tried numerous lawsuits to successful jury verdicts for his clients in North Carolina, South Carolina and Texas. He has also successfully represented his clients in lawsuits in Tennessee, Georgia, Alabama, Florida, and Utah. Forest has argued cases in the Fourth Circuit Court of Appeals, the Third Circuit Court of Appeals and the North Carolina Court of Appeals.
He has obtained verdicts or negotiated settlements for his clients from corporations in the manufacturing, pharmaceutical, medical, railroad and trucking industries. Forest continues to represent clients in a wide variety of cases, including asbestos diseases, defective drug and medical devices, professional negligence, and the Federal Employers Liability Act (FELA).
Forest recently represented Martin & Jones clients in litigation and settlement with the pharmaceutical company Merck over its withdrawn painkiller, Vioxx. Forest also represented the firms’ clients in litigation and settlement with the medical device companies Medtronic and Guidant over the corporations' recalled defibrillators.
Forest and his law partner, Spencer Parris, also obtained what was reported to be the single largest asbestos disease verdict in the history of North Carolina on behalf of a railroad worker who contracted the asbestos cancer, mesothelioma.
Forest was chosen by his peers to be included in The Best Lawyers in America 2008. He has also achieved the highest lawyer rating, “AV,” by the Martindale-Hubbell legal directory, a peer-reviewed lawyer ratings service that is an objective indicator that a lawyer has the highest ethical standards and professional ability.
Forest has held leadership positions in the North Carolina Academy of Trial Lawyers, and the North Carolina Bar Association and has been a speaker at seminars sponsored by these and other legal organizations.
Forest lives in Raleigh with his wife, daughter and two sons.
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