Jenna Fruechtenicht Butler
Litigation Attorney
T 910.794.4829
F 910.794.4877
E jfb@wardandsmith.com
O Wilmington, NC
Practice Areas:
Appellate, Business, Camp Lejeune Water Contamination, Elder Law, Litigation, Local Counsel, NC Business Court, Securities, Trade Secrets, Trusts and Estates Litigation
Jenna’s practice experience encompasses various areas of complex civil litigation in both the federal and state courts. She advises clients and litigates cases involving all forms of commercial disputes, including contract breaches, business disputes, fraud, and securities litigation. Her practice also involves various forms of trusts and estates litigation, including will caveats and other estate litigation, trusts disputes and modifications, and other fiduciary duty litigation.
Prior to joining the firm, Jenna practiced in Atlanta, Georgia, and from 1995 to 1996, served as a law clerk to the Honorable Malcolm J. Howard, United States District Judge for the Eastern District of North Carolina.
Honors and Distinctions
- “Best Lawyer,” The Best Lawyers in America®, 2010-2026
- “Legal Elite,” Business North Carolina, Antitrust, 2023
Please see the following websites for an explanation of the membership standards for the following recognitions: www.bestlawyers.com; businessnc.com/special-sections/legal-elite/; and www.superlawyers.com/north-carolina.
- J.D., cum laude, Wake Forest School of Law, 1995. Moot Court Board, Notes and Comments Editor, Wake Forest Law Review.
- B.A., magna cum laude, Wake Forest University, 1992
- Federal Bar Association
- Fifth Judicial District Bar Association (past president)
- Judicial Conference of the Fourth Circuit (member)
- National Charity League
- New Hanover County Bar Association (past president)
- North Carolina Bar Association — Sections: Antitrust & Complex Business Disputes Law (past section council chair); Estate Planning and Fiduciary Law; Litigation
- North Carolina Supreme Court Historical Society
- United States District Court for the Eastern District of North Carolina (Local Civil Rules Committee member)
- North Carolina, 1996
- Georgia, 1996
- All state courts in Georgia
- All state courts in North Carolina
- United States Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit
- United States District Court for the Eastern, Middle, and Western Districts of North Carolina
- United States District Court for the Middle and Northern Districts of Georgia
- United States Supreme Court
I am the fourth generation of lawyers in my family. My great grandfather started the Fruechtenicht Law Office in Fort Wayne, Indiana in 1904 and my grandfather and father followed in his footsteps. I highly admired both my grandfather and father and grew up watching them practice their profession with intelligence, diligence, and compassion. I worked with my father the summer before my senior year of college and saw how many people he helped on a daily basis. He also let me go to the courthouse and sit in on trials and hearings, which I thoroughly enjoyed. That summer led me to apply to law school and to pursue the practice in which I am now engaged.
Representative Experience
- Successful representation of a national company in a nine-year multi-million dollar non-compete case
- Successful representation of a trustee against attempts to undo a multi-million dollar trust
- Successful representation of clients defrauded of financial investments by a family member
- Successful representation of an employee against allegations of trade secret misappropriation
Articles + Insights
Clear as Mud: What Diseases are Covered by the Camp Lejeune Justice Act?
September 19, 2022
Preventing Trust and Estate Disputes
August 13, 2021
Guardianship May or May Not Be an Answer
September 17, 2020
