William E. Martin
Bill leads the Financial Transactions and Regulation practice. His experience includes the representation of lending institutions, companies, individuals, and community associations in a wide variety of commercial real estate matters. Bill regularly represents lenders and borrowers in loan transactions; purchasers and sellers in the negotiation and preparation of real estate letters of intent and purchase agreements; landlords and tenants in the negotiation and preparation of commercial and retail leases; developers in the creation of restrictive and protective covenants for planned communities; developers, community associations, and property owners regarding the interpretation and application of restrictive and protective covenants; and purchasers, owners, and lenders regarding title and title insurance issues. He also is experienced in the licensing and legal responsibilities of real estate brokers and firms. Bill has been rated by his peers as being "preeminent" in his fields of law.
Prior to joining the Firm, he served terms as the Chief Federal Public Defender for the United States District Courts for the Eastern and Middle Districts of North Carolina.
Education
- J.D., cum laude, Ranking Scholar, Wake Forest University School of Law, 1975
- B.A., magna cum laude, Phi Beta Kappa, Wake Forest University, 1971
Honors and Distinctions*
- The Best Lawyers in America, 2013-2021
Professional and Community Affiliations
- American Land Title Association
- North Carolina Association of Realtors
- North Carolina Bar Association — Sections: Business Law; Constitutional Rights; Construction Law; Environmental Energy & Natural Resources Law; Real Property; Zoning, Planning and Land Use
-
Real Estate Lawyers Association of North Carolina
Admitted to Practice
- North Carolina, 1975
- 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 Supreme Court
* 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.
