Payton is a member of the firm's litigation practice group.  Payton assists clients in all phases of commercial litigation, from the filing of an initial complaint through trial.  Payton is based in Ward and Smith's Raleigh office.

Prior to joining the firm, Payton was a summer associate with Ward and Smith.  Payton also served as an extern with the Honorable Judge John M. Tyson, drafting memoranda and opinions and analyzing a broad range of issues before the North Carolina Court of Appeals. She also interned in the Special and Composite Litigation Divisions at the North Carolina Department of Justice.