Stuart B. Dorsett

Dorsett, Stuart B.

Contact Information

P: 919.277.9164
F: 919.277.9177
sbd@wardandsmith.com

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5430 Wade Park Boulevard
Raleigh, NC 27607
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Mailing Address:
 Post Office Box 33009
Raleigh, NC 27636-3009

Peer rated

Biography

Mr. Dorsett is leader of the Trusts and Estates Practice Group.  His practice experience encompasses tax planning, estate planning, estate administration, and related services to individuals, charitable organizations, and foundations.  Mr. Dorsett's practice also involves tax and business succession planning for the owners of closely-held businesses.  He is certified by the North Carolina State Bar as a Board Certified Specialist in Estate Planning and Probate Law.  Mr. Dorsett is the author of numerous manuscripts on estate planning and administration and he is a frequent lecturer to civic groups and at continuing legal education seminars on these topics.  Mr. Dorsett is a Fellow of the American College of Trust and Estate Counsel, and has been rated by his peers as being "preeminent" in his fields of law.  He was the 2004-2005 chair of the Estate Planning and Fiduciary Law Section of the North Carolina Bar Association and is the Chair of the Board of Trustees for the North Carolina Community Foundation.  He was also president of the Davidson College Alumni Association and was a member of the college's Board of Trustees.

Admitted to Practice

  • North Carolina, 1985 
  • All state courts in North Carolina
  • United States District Court for the Eastern and Middle Districts of North Carolina

Honors and Distinctions*

  • The Best Lawyers in America, 2001-2013
  • "Lawyer of the Year," Best Lawyers®, 2013
  • "Legal Elite," Business North Carolina, 2002-2013
  • "Super Lawyer," North Carolina Super Lawyers, 2006-2013
  • "Super Lawyer," North Carolina Super Lawyers, Top 100, 2007-2012

Education

  • J.D., with honors, The University of North Carolina School of Law, 1985. Order of the Coif, Holderness Moot Court Bench, Jessup Cup International Law Moot Court Team.
  • A.B., cum laude, Phi Beta Kappa, Davidson College, 1982

Professional and Community Affiliations

  • American Bar Association — Section: Real Property, Trust and Estate Law
  • American College of Trust and Estate Counsel
  • American Counsel Association
  • North Carolina Bar Association, Board of Governors
  • North Carolina Bar Association — Sections: Constitutional Rights & Responsibilities; Estate Planning and Fiduciary Law; Tax Law

* Please see the following websites for an explanation of the membership standards for the following recognitions: www.bestlawyers.com; www.businessnc.com/legalelite; and www.superlawyers.com/north-carolina.