Ward and Smith Law Firm Profile

Phone: 800-998-1102

Website: www.wardandsmith.com

Ward and Smith, P.A. is the successor to a practice founded in 1895. Our core values of client satisfaction, reliability, responsiveness, and teamwork are the standards that define who we are as a law firm. Ward and Smith ensure that your legal matters are handled with attentive intelligence by attorneys and staff who work together to build meaningful relationships with our clients. We do this by being knowledgeable in more than 30 practice areas, providing efficient results, and effectively using technology. We are your established legal network with offices located in Asheville, Greenville, New Bern, Raleigh, and Wilmington.

Ward and Smith is committed to building and maintaining relationships with every client because we understand that every client has unique needs. We work to become fully acquainted with the management style and operations of our clients. This enables us to provide timely and effective legal services. Our attorneys are dedicated to providing frequent and full communication to our clients with respect to pending and anticipated legal issues that may affect them. We advocate a proactive and preventive approach to our clients' legal issues so that through proper planning and maintenance our clients can avoid legal difficulties and costs. We believe that this approach provides our clients with responsive, high-quality, and cost-effective legal services.

Contributing authors from Ward and Smith, P.A.:

A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z

Derek J. Allen

Derek Allen, Ward and Smith Law Firm, Alcoholic Beverage and Land Use Attorney

Derek leads the Alcoholic Beverage Law, Real Estate Development, and Zoning and Land Use practices. He has extensive experience with craft breweries ranging in size from small startups to...

dja@wardandsmith.com

www.wardandsmith.com

A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z

Thomas S. Babel Tom's practice experience encompasses various areas of litigation. He has pretrial, trial, and appellate experience in trademark, trade secret, patent, real estate, products liability,... tsb@wardandsmith.com www.wardandsmith.com	Joanne H. Badr Joanne's practice emphasizes the representation of banks and other financial institutions in commercial loan transactions involving asset-based and real estate secured loans, including new... jhbadr@wardandsmith.com www.wardandsmith.com
Adam M. Beaudoin Adam's practice experience encompasses a broad range of business law and transactional matters, including preparation of all components of business entity formation, including articles of... amb@wardandsmith.com www.wardandsmith.com	Marla S. Bowman Marla's practice experience focuses on a broad range of business, civil, and commercial litigation matters in state and federal court. Clients rely on Marla for her advice regarding... msbowman@wardandsmith.com www.wardandsmith.com
Jennifer V. Boyer Trusts and Estates Attorney Jenny is a trusts and estates attorney based in the firm's Asheville office. Her practice focuses on preparing estate plans tailor-made to fit the individual needs of her clients and their... jvboyer@wardandsmith.com www.wardandsmith.com	J. Drake Brinkley Drake works with entities and individuals in transactions involving commercial real property. A substantial portion of his practice is focused on representing both landlords and tenants in... jdbrinkley@wardandsmith.com www.wardandsmith.com

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Wes J. Camden Wes helps businesses and professionals respond to government investigations or criminal prosecutions. A former federal prosecutor, Wes uses his insight to frame his client’s situation,... wjcamden@wardandsmith.com www.wardandsmith.com	Virginia S. Carter Virginia practices in the area of estate planning and estate administration. She assists in the preparation of all components of estate plans, wills, revocable trusts, durable powers of... vscarter@wardandsmith.com www.wardandsmith.com
John R. Cella, Jr. John counsels clients in estate and business planning matters. He prepares estate planning documents, including wills, revocable trusts, minors trusts, irrevocable life insurance trusts,... jrcella@wardandsmith.com www.wardandsmith.com	Whitney Campbell Christensen Government Relations Attorney Whitney is a government relations attorney who represents clients before the North Carolina General Assembly, where for seven legislative sessions she has monitored, evaluated, drafted,... wcchristensen@wardandsmith.com www.wardandsmith.com
Edward J. "Trip" Coyne, III Trip maintains a diverse litigation and general business practice. He has significant experience in corporate, construction, commercial, class action, maritime, and real property litigation... ejcoyne@wardandsmith.com www.wardandsmith.com	James E. Creekman Financial Institutions and Regulatory Attorney For the first fourteen years of his professional career, Jim was a general practitioner and "country lawyer" in Hendersonville, North Carolina. In 1988, he disengaged from the private... jecreekman@wardandsmith.com www.wardandsmith.com
Robert N. Crouse Patent Attorney Over his 20 year legal career, Bob has been responsible for the management of patent matters for a wide range of clients including one of the world’s leading semiconductor and consumer... rncrouse@wardandsmith.com www.wardandsmith.com	Richard J. Crow Business and Tax Attorney Richard has significant experience in a broad range of business law matters, including mergers and acquisitions, tax planning, private securities offerings, and start-up businesses. He... rjcrow@wardandsmith.com wardandsmith.com

A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z

Eldridge D. Dodson Eldridge is certified by the North Carolina State Bar as a Board Certified Specialist in Estate Planning and Probate Law. She assists all types of clients in drafting and implementing... edd@wardandsmith.com www.wardandsmith.com	Angela P. Doughty Trademark Specialist Angela leads the firm's Intellectual Property practice and is a North Carolina State Bar Board Certified Specialist in Trademark Law. She routinely counsels and assists clients with... apd@wardandsmith.com www.wardandsmith.com
William S. Durr Litigation Attorney Bill's practice experience encompasses civil litigation in both the state and federal courts. He has represented clients in a broad variety of complex construction, business, and commercial... wsd@wardandsmith.com www.wardandsmith.com

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Chris S. Edwards Appellate Lawyer and Business Litigation Attorney Chris has a broad litigation practice focusing primarily on complex business litigation and appeals. He is involved in all aspects of litigation before both state and federal courts, such... csedwards@wardandsmith.com www.wardandsmith.com	Donalt J. Eglinton Attorney Don's practice focuses primarily in the area of commercial litigation. This includes, among other matters, disputes involving patent, trademark, and copyright infringement; trade secrets;... dje@wardandsmith.com www.wardandsmith.com/
E. Bradley Evans Brad is one of the firm's Managing Directors. His experience encompasses various areas of civil litigation in both the federal and state courts. He has experience in all aspects of civil ... ebe@wardandsmith.com www.wardandsmith.com	Lynwood P. Evans Lynwood leads the Litigation practice. His experience encompasses a wide variety of civil litigation in both state and federal courts. He has extensive experience in all aspects of... lpe@wardandsmith.com www.wardandsmith.com

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Paul A. Fanning

Paul Fanning, Bankruptcy Law, Ward and Smith Law FIrm

Paul leads the Creditors' Rights practice and is certified by the American Board of Certification and the North Carolina State Bar as a Board Certified Specialist in Business and Consumer...

paf@wardandsmith.com

www.wardandsmith.com

J. Michael Fields

Health Care Attorney

Michael leads the Health Care practice. He counsels physicians, hospitals, and other health care providers on regulatory, compliance, and transactional matters. He represents all types of...

jmf@wardandsmith.com

www.wardandsmith.com

A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z

S. McKinley Gray, III

McKinley Ken Gray Labor & Employment Attorney

Labor and Employment Attorney

Ken leads the Labor and Employment practice. His practice experience encompasses various areas of employment-related litigation. He advises clients and litigates cases involving all forms...

smg@wardandsmith.com

www.wardandsmith.com

Daniel C. Gunter, III

Daniel Gunter Corporate & Securities Attorney

Corporate and Securities Attorney

Daniel advises public and private companies, including closely held companies, senior management, and boards of directors on a diverse range of business matters including corporate...

dcgunter@wardandsmith.com

www.wardandsmith.com

A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z

Lee C. Hodge

Attorney

Lee is leader of the Business practice. He regularly advises clients on a broad range of business law matters, including the formation of new business and investment entities, stock...

lch@wardandsmith.com

www.wardandsmith.com

A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z

Paige E. Inman

Family Law and Estate Litigation Attorney

Paige practices family law and estate litigation from our Wilmington office. She helps families and individuals navigate complicated family law legal processes during times of family...

peinman@wardandsmith.com

www.wardandsmith.com

A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z

Merrill G. Jones, II

Business Attorney

Merrill's practice experience encompasses a broad range of business law matters, including start-up businesses, business transfers and acquisitions, transactional matters, and tax matters...

mgj@wardandsmith.com

www.wardandsmith.com/

A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z

Labor + Employment Ward and Smith Since the sweeping labor and employment laws of the mid-1960s, employers have faced an ever-increasing number of laws and regulatory agencies governing their businesses and employee... smg@wardandsmith.com www.wardandsmith.com	Zachary F. Lamb Zac is certified by the North Carolina State Bar as a Board Certified Specialist in Estate Planning and Probate Law. His practice experience encompasses estate planning, estate and trust... zflamb@wardandsmith.com www.wardandsmith.com
Shawna C. Lemon, Ph.D. Shawna serves as outside patent counsel to pharmaceutical and biotechnology management teams and universities where she engages in the formulation and implementation of global patent... sclemon@wardandsmith.com www.wardandsmith.com	Norman J. Leonard Norman's practice encompasses a broad range of creditors' rights and intellectual property matters. His creditors' rights practice includes the representation of lenders, trade creditors,... njl@wardandsmith.com www.wardandsmith.com
Justin M. Lewis Justin's practice experience includes a wide variety of residential and commercial real estate matters, including the representation of sellers and buyers in the negotiation and preparation... jml@wardandsmith.com www.wardandsmith.com	Xavier D. Lightfoot Employment and Construction Litigation Xavier's practice focuses on a wide range of labor and employment law issues, including personnel policies and handbooks, background checks, employment discrimination and harassment,... xdlightfoot@wardandsmith.com www.wardandsmith.com
Steven B. Long Attorney Steve Long leads the firm's Tax and Employee Benefits practice. He has extensive experience working with employers in banking, retail, and technology to establish and maintain retirement... sblong@wardandsmith.com www.wardandsmith.com

A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z

Lance P. Martin North Carolina Board Certified Specialist in Business Bankruptcy Law Lance represents creditors in bankruptcy, collections, foreclosures, Uniform Commercial Code security agreement enforcement, and structured liquidations and workouts. He also represents... lpm@wardandsmith.com www.wardandsmith.com	Emily G. Massey attorney Emily's practice focuses on a wide range of labor and employment law issues. EDUCATION J.D., magna cum laude, Campbell Law School, 2017. Editor in Chief, Campbell Law Review. Teaching... egmassey@wardandsmith.com www.wardandsmith.com
Robert M. Meeks Bob has extensive experience in the preparation and prosecution of patent applications for electronic, telecommunications, software, semiconductor, and electromechanical inventions, with... rmmeeks@wardandsmith.com www.wardandsmith.com	Evan M. Musselwhite Construction Litigator Evan is a litigator who works predominantly in the area of construction law. He represents and advises contractors, subcontractors, owners, and design professionals in all stages of the... emmusselwhite@wardandsmith.com www.wardandsmith.com

A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z

James W. Norment

Government Relations Attorney

Jamie works regularly with individuals, corporations, and governmental entities on a variety of complex legal matters. His experience in substantive areas of the law includes government...

jwn@wardandsmith.com

www.wardandsmith.com

A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z

William A. Oden, III Attorney Will leads the firm's Workplace Safety and Health practice. His practice experience encompasses various areas of employment and workplace-related counseling and civil litigation in both... wao@wardandsmith.com www.wardandsmith.com	Grant B. Osborne Labor and Employment Attorney Grant's practice experience of more than 30 years encompasses a wide range of issues that arise in employment and labor law. He provides counsel to clients in the health care, financial,... gbo@wardandsmith.com www.wardandsmith.com
Caroline O. Outten Caroline's practice encompasses a broad range of business law and transactional matters. She assists clients with the formation of new business entities, stock purchase transactions, asset... cooutten@wardandsmith.com www.wardandsmith.com

A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z

Michael J. Parrish Litigation Attorney Michael is a civil litigator with a diverse practice before various federal and state courts, including bankruptcy courts and the North Carolina Business Court. He has significant... mjp@wardandsmith.com http://www.wardandsmith.com/	Clifford P. Parson Attorney Cliff's practice experience includes representing individual and corporate clients in residential and commercial real estate transactions, including the preparation and negotiation of... cpp@wardandsmith.com www.wardandsmith.com
Personal Injury + Wrongful Death Practice Group Perhaps you or a family member were seriously injured. Perhaps a loved one lost his or her life. It’s hard to know what to do and where to get help. We know, because we’ve been there with... wsd@wardandsmith.com www.wardandsmith.com/	Caitlin M. Poe Attorney Caitlin Poe is a litigation and regulatory compliance attorney who represents criminal and civil clients, with a particular focus on representing professional clients adverse to the federal... cmpoe@wardandsmith.com www.wardandsmith.com
E. Knox Proctor V Knox is a general business attorney with a financial institutions and regulatory background. He helps large, mid-sized, and small businesses with general corporate and business issues,... ekp@wardandsmith.com www.wardandsmith.com

A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z

Eric J. Remington Attorney Eric's practice experience encompasses various areas of civil litigation, including real property, business, and commercial litigation; zoning and land use issues; disputes involving... ejr@wardandsmith.com www.wardandsmith.com	Erica B. E. Rogers Erica practices in an array of intellectual property law areas. She assists with copyright and trademark registration, management, and application. J.D., University of New Hampshire School... ebrogers@wardandsmith.com
Tyler J. Russell Business and Creditor's Rights Attorney Tyler's creditors' rights practice encompasses bankruptcy, collections, and lender liability issues. He concentrates his practice on the representation of creditors in bankruptcy cases and... tjr@wardandsmith.com www.wardandsmith.com

A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z

Stanley M. Sams Stanley has many years of experience in a broad range of real estate, business, and transactional matters, including business start-ups, financing, contracts, and transfers. He regularly... sms@wardandsmith.com 252.215.4005 www.wardandsmith.com	Jeremy R. Sayre Jerry's practice experience encompasses all aspects of federal and state employment law, including Title VII, Family and Medical Leave Act, Americans with Disabilities Act, Age... js@wardandsmith.com 919-277-9174 www.wardandsmith.com
Elizabeth A. Stanek Patent Attorney Liz is a patent attorney whose practice includes preparing, filing and prosecuting domestic and foreign patent applications in the electrical arts including telecommunications,... eastanek@wardandsmith.com 919-277-9157 www.wardandsmith.com	Jason T. Strickland Construction Litigator Jason represents and assists contractors, subcontractors, owners, lenders, and design professionals in all areas of the construction and development process. His goal is to help clients... jtstrickland@wardandsmith.com 919-277-9131 www.wardandsmith.com

A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z

Ryal W. Tayloe Attorney Ryal is an experienced litigator. He has handled a wide range of litigation cases in state and federal courts, many of them jury trials. Ryal has extensive construction law experience,... rwt@wardandsmith.com www.wardandsmith.com/	Matthew W. Thompson Matt focuses his practice on estate planning and estate and trust administration issues. He has experience working with closely-held business owners on succession planning, tax, and other... mwt@wardandsmith.com www.wardandsmith.com
James R. Todd James' practice includes a wide variety of residential and commercial real estate matters. EDUCATION J.D., summa cum laude, Campbell Law School, 2017. Chief Submissions Editor, Campbell... jrtodd@wardandsmith.com www.wardandsmith.com	Allen N. Trask, III Litigation Attorney Allen focuses his practice on assisting those who own, manage, and invest in real estate and common interest communities. He regularly works with real estate developers and the residential... ant@wardandsmith.com www.wardandsmith.com

A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z

Peter B. von Stein

Peter von Stein Estate Attorney Ward and Smith

Trusts and Estates Attorney

Peter's practice involves a wide range of estate planning and administration issues. He assists clients in the preparation of wills, trusts, durable powers of attorney, health care powers...

pbvonstein@wardandsmith.com

wardandsmith.com

A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z

Benjamin E. F. B. Waller Creditors' Rights Attorney Ben's practice experience encompasses various areas of creditors' rights law, including collections, bankruptcy, foreclosure, and lender liability. He regularly represents lenders in... bew@wardandsmith.com www.wardandsmith.com	Amy P. Wang Amy leads the Environmental practice with a focus on the environmental aspects of real estate and business transactions, including coastal development. She has built trust with her clients... apw@wardandsmith.com www.wardandsmith.com
Hayley R. Wells Alcoholic Beverage and Employment Attorney Hayley's practice primarily focuses on labor and employment law and alcoholic beverage law. She regularly advises individual and corporate clients in matters of covenants not to compete,... hrw@wardandsmith.com www.wardandsmith.com/	Devon D. Williams Labor and Employment Counselor and Litigator Devon's experience focuses on a wide range of labor and employment issues, including wage and hour matters, federal contractor compliance, employment discrimination and harassment, employee... ddwilliams@wardandsmith.com www.wardandsmith.com
Jeremy M. Wilson Jeremy leads the Personal Injury and Wrongful Death practice. He has extensive experience litigating claims for wrongful death, serious personal injury, and a broad range of civil... jw@wardandsmith.com www.wardandsmith.com	Thomas C. Wolff Attorney Thomas regularly handles matters concerning complex bankruptcy cases as well as state and federal court litigation. Additionally, he has experience overseeing cases throughout the... tcw@wardandsmith.com www.wardandsmith.com/

A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z

Thomas J. Zamadics, Jr.

Thomas Zamadics Estate Attorney Ward and Smith

Trusts and Estates Attorney

Tom works closely with individuals, families, and closely-held business owners to provide personalized plans to help identify and achieve their unique estate planning goals. His practice...

tjzamadics@wardandsmith.com

www.wardandsmith.com

2018 NLR Thought Leadership Award Winner

Real Estate/Construction

North Carolina Real Estate

Ward and Smith PA has been selected for a 2018 NLR Go-To Thought Leadership Award for their coverage of North Carolina Real Estate matters, including litigation, regulations, and legislation. The attorney-authors at Ward and Smith provide thoughtful legal analysis on a variety of Real estate issues, however, their insight into Community Associations stands out, specifically their advice to boards of directors concerning proper governance and administration.