Samah (“Sam”) T. Abukhodeir was born and raised in Lake Wales, Florida. Following high school, Ms. Abukhodeir moved to Tallahassee, Florida, to pursue a B. S degree in Psychology with a minor in Arabic and Child Development at Florida State University. Ms. Abukhodeir obtained her J.D. degree from Florida International University College of Law, where she was on the Dean’s List and earned two CALI Excellence for the Future Awards in Islamic/Sharia Law and Judicial Externship. While in law school, Ms. Abukhodeir worked as a graduate assistant to law professor Cyra Choudhury and was a judicial intern for the Honorable Marisa Tinkler Mendez, Circuit Court Judge in the Criminal Division of the Eleventh Judicial Circuit in Miami-Dade, Florida, and the Honorable Maria M. Korvick, Circuit Court Judge in the Probate Division of the Eleventh Judicial Circuit in Miami-Dade, Florida.

Ms. Daddino focuses her practice on elder law, estate planning, and guardianships. She developed her passion for assisting the elderly due to her upbringing surrounded by aging family members, including being raised with the help of not only a great-grandmother, but also her maternal grandparents. Ms. Daddino attended Wake Forest University School of Law and is licensed in both North Carolina and South Carolina. She is a member of the National Academy of Elder Law Attorneys (NAELA) and serves on the board of the North Carolina Chapter. She is also a member of the North Carolina Bar Association Estate Planning and Fiduciary Law Section and serves as a council member for the North Carolina Bar Association Elder Law Section. In South Carolina, she is a member of the South Carolina Chapter of NAELA and serves on the South Carolina Bar Elder Law Committee.

In 2024, Ms. McKinney officially launched the Garlock & McKinney, P.C.’s beach office where she spends most of her time. Although she still takes on clients in the mountains, she now offers legal services in her practice areas to the residents of the Greater Topsail Island, Sneads Ferry and surrounding areas. In her more than 20 years of practice, Ms. McKinney has very unique experience as an attorney. She was a probate clerk in both Wake and Buncombe Counties where she audited and approved estate filings, assisted attorneys, and presided over hearings as an “ex officio Judge of Probate” as an extension of the elected Clerk of Court’s authority in those counties. She also served as assistant legal counsel to all the Clerks of Court and their staffs statewide in her practice areas. Ms. McKinney attended Univeristy of North Carolina Wilminton to obtain her undergraduate degree in Communication Studies. She received her law degree from North Carolina Central School of Law and was licensed to practice law in 2004. Ms. McKinney is a member of The Greater Topsail Area Chamber of Commerce and ANEW, A Network Empowering Women. She is also a trained Christian mediator and conflict coach. She offers those services through PeacePoint Ministry.

Ms. Simpson started Simpson Law Firm because she wanted to create a premier estate planning firm that was unique and stood apart from the pack. Her main strategies were to call clients back (attorneys are notoriously bad at this), treat clients with as much kindness as they receive at Chick-fil-A (my pleasure!), and to provide outstanding, smart, efficient legal services so that families can protect their assets and their loved ones. With plenty of elbow grease and some great mentors, Ms. Simpson is accomplishing her goals with the help of the most amazing attorneys and outstanding law firm staff in all of North and South Carolina. Simpson Law Firm continues to grow and strives to be the kindest and largest premiere estate law firm in the Carolinas.