Kilpatrick Stockton is pouring reinforcements into the heated Charlotte, N.C., legal market, where local competitor King & Spalding just opened an office last week.

The firm has added seven lawyers to its 11-lawyer Charlotte office and will bring on three first-years in September, said its co-managing partner, William E. Dorris. Two of the seven additions are new hires, and the rest are from other Kilpatrick offices.