MULTILINGUAL REAL ESTATE
& ESTATE PLANNING FIRM

Claudia Soto

Bilingual NC Real Estate Attorney

Claudia Soto has dedicated her practice to ensuring all parties in a real estate transaction receive the legal representation they deserve. Mrs. Soto has a diverse background in immigration, civil, estate planning and criminal law, which makes her uniquely fit to address many issues that may arise in a real estate transaction. Mrs. Soto is fluent in Spanish, and conducts closings in Spanish when needed, as she understands the importance of ensuring her clients have a full understanding of the legal aspects of the real estate transaction. Mrs. Soto’s drive to provide exceptional customer service is directly reflected in how Soto Law conducts business.

Mrs. Soto was born in Colombia, South America and raised in Miami and Charlotte. She earned her B.A. from The University of North Carolina Charlotte and received her Juris Doctor in 2012. She is a former president, and current active member, of The National Association of Hispanic Real Estate Professionals (NAHREP), Charlotte Chapter.

Mrs. Soto is married and has young children. She enjoys spending time with her family and friends and traveling.

Brad Watson

NC Real Estate Attorney
Attorney Brad Watson focuses on residential real estate matters and has been practicing real estate for over 13 years. He has spent his career helping North Carolina residents with their real estate matters. Brad has overseen hundreds of residential real estate closings. Mr. Watson was born in Atlanta, GA, and raised in Roanoke, Virginia. He earned his J.D. from the University of Dayton and his B.A. from Clemson University. Upon graduating with his Juris Doctor in 2006, Brad moved to Charlotte, NC. Brad lives in Indian Trail, NC with his wife, Emily, and their two children, Luke and Aubrey. In his free time, he enjoys golfing, fishing, and is an avid Atlanta Braves baseball fan.

Emily D. Bretz

Family/Domestic & Estate Planning Lawyer

Attorney Emily D. Bretz is a seasoned trial attorney with more than seven (7) years of litigation experience in both criminal defense and family law. At Soto Law, Emily’s primary focus is family/domestic issues and estate planning.

Emily’s trial experience allows her to provide her clients with a well-rounded and comprehensive approach to their case and their unique set of circumstances. While Emily is comfortable in the courtroom, she is equally capable and willing to resolve her clients’ cases outside of the courtroom. Specifically, Emily is passionate about utilizing alternative dispute resolution methods when possible. With all of her clients, Emily makes regular and open communication a priority. Further, while providing counsel and advice to her clients, Emily always remains sympathetic and compassionate in what is typically a very difficult situation.

Emily is originally from the greater Orlando, Florida area. She earned her Bachelor of Science degree from the Florida University in 2009, and received her Juris Doctor degree in 2012. Emily has been in Charlotte since 2009 and now proudly considers herself a Charlottean. In her free time, Emily enjoys spending time with her family, traveling and practicing yoga.

Diane Baxtrom

Funding Real Estate Paralegal
Diane grew up in Maryland and moved to the Charlotte area in 2012. She has a varied background in both the medical and legal fields. At Soto Law she is responsible for funding and post closing needs. Outside of work she enjoys time with her two grown children, reading, cooking and traveling.

Wendy Penninger

Pre-closing Real Estate Paralegal
Wendy was born and raised in the Charlotte area. She has over fifteen years of Real Estate experience. Wendy works in many aspects of the Real Estate process at Soto Law. She lives in Huntersville with her husband Bobby where they share 8 children together. When not working she enjoys cooking and traveling.

Amanda Bowers

Real Estate Paralegal

Amanda resides in Mooresville, NC, where she was born and raised. Amanda has a Bachelor of Science Degree in Business Management, and has 13 years of experience as a real estate paralegal handling all aspects of the real estate closing process. In her free time she enjoys going to church, being a mom to her 14 year old son, participating in bowling tournaments, spending lots of time with her family, and bargain shopping.

Emily Watson

Administrative Legal Assistant
Emily has worked as an assistant to attorney Brad Watson for several years, doing both title and pre-closing tasks. She also has a background in education, and spent 6 years as a kindergarten teacher in Southeast Asia. Emily came to the Charlotte area ten years ago, and currently lives in Waxhaw with her husband and two young children.