Our Team
Michael Neece
Owner of Neece Law Firm / Criminal Defense Attorney and NC State Board Criminal Law Specialist.
Originally from Wise, VA, in the Appalachian mountains, I witnessed its growth and decline, influenced by the coal industry. As UVA graduate, I pursued law at the Appalachian School of Law and served as an Assistant District Attorney in Asheville. Relocating to Gastonia, NC, I found parallels to my hometown and established the Neece Law Firm in 2010. With a diverse caseload and a successful career, I bring extensive experience to criminal defense.
Tyler Niblett
Family Law and Personal Injury Attorney
Raised in McDonough, Georgia, within a family of educators, he enjoyed sports during high school before pursuing degrees in History and Law at Liberty University. After serving several years as a Deputy District Attorney in Fort Collins, Colorado, handling various cases, Tyler transitioned to private practice following a tenure at the Gaston County District Attorney’s Office, now bringing his experience to the Neece Law Firm.
Misty Neece
Misty grew up in the Southwestern part of Virginia and has a diverse background in accounting, technology, marketing, entrepreneurship, and lobbying capital for startups. She holds undergraduate degrees in Human Resource Management, Business Administration and Accounting from King University in Bristol, TN, several certifications, including Notary Public.
Forever choosing chaos, she has built her IT company over the last 20 years while simultaneously entering the legal realm, as an accountant for a large law firm in Virginia that focused on Social Security and Federal Black Lung cases. During this time she met her husband in North Carolina and moved to Gastonia, NC where she now brings her skills to the firm. You will likely come in contact with her at the front desk filling in, by email updating you on your case, or invoicing.
Most of Misty’s free time is spent with her husband, their pupper Luka, extensively researching her latest topic of interest and doing home renovation projects. She also loves the outdoors, traveling, gaming, photography and cooking.
Elizabeth “Ellie” Haughton
Legal Assistant
Ellie is from Denver, CO but raised in Gaston County. She went on to attend college at Furman University with a B.A. in Politics and International Affairs. She has interned for the Department of Justice in D.C. in the Natural Resources Sector of the Environmental Natural Resources Division and the United States Attorney’s Office in Greenville, S.C.
Prior to coming to the Neece Law Firm, she worked for the District Attorney’s Office in Gaston County as a legal assistant. Ellie has career aspirations of becoming a lawyer herself and plans to attend law school in the near future. Ellie will likely be the first person you see at the front desk at our office and the main contact for all criminal cases and updates.
In her free time you can find her spending time with her family, dogs, and friends. She enjoys weight lifting, hot yoga and typically has a book she’s reading or plays Nintendo Switch.
Alexa Incandela
Legal Assistant
Raised in New Jersey, Alexa relocated to North Carolina in 2021, embracing the opportunity to explore new adventures. A former competitive gymnast with a decade of experience, Alexa developed the discipline and determination that now fuel her career aspirations. She earned a Bachelor of Science in Criminal Justice from Montreat College, where she graduated as valedictorian of the Class of 2024.
During her time at Montreat, Alexa completed an internship with the Public Defender’s Office in Asheville, North Carolina, gaining valuable hands-on experience in the legal field. Following in her mother’s footsteps, she is working towards her goal of attending law school and becoming a lawyer. Alexa will likely be the first people you see at the front desk at our office and the main contact for all civil cases and updates.
When not pursuing her legal career, Alexa enjoys riding her Harley-Davidson motorcycle, often accompanied by her parents. She also loves weightlifting, hiking, and exploring the scenic towns across the Carolinas.
Luka Matteo
Luka was born in West Virginia and adopted by Misty and Michael.
His duties at the firm include accepting pets, running down the halls, swindling everyone out of kisses and distracting everyone from their work to provide emotional support.
Luka has a passion for chicken, getting pets from strangers, and barking at the window and being a complete menace. He also enjoys long walks to anywhere, putting his paws in water (but not swimming), putting anything on the ground in his mouth, chasing squirrels (still trying to break that habit), going for car and golf cart rides and staying glued to his mom.