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36 Ward and Smith Attorneys Honored in Business North Carolina's 2024 Legal Elite

Multiple Trophies

Ward and Smith proudly announced that 36 attorneys have been honored in Business North Carolina's 2024 Legal Elite.

Five legal luminaries stand out as shining stars, having previously been inducted into the Legal Elite Hall of Fame.

Since 2002, Business North Carolina has honored the most outstanding legal minds in the state. These winners are not chosen by editors or panels but by their peers. This recognition is highly selective, with only approximately four percent of North Carolina's attorneys being chosen each year. Even fewer attain the distinguished status of Hall of Fame inductee.

The 31 attorneys recognized as Legal Elites are:

Asheville

Bill Durr Lance Martin  Lance Martin Hayley Wells
Bill Durr
Construction
Zac Lamb
Tax and Estate Planning
Lance Martin
Bankruptcy
Hayley Wells
Employment

Greenville

Paul Fanning Merrill Jones  John Martin Jane Francis Nowell 
Paul Fanning
Bankruptcy
Merrill Jones
Business
John Martin
Family
Jane Francis Nowell
Young Guns

New Bern

Angela Doughty Lee Hodge Juliana Inman 
Angela Doughty
Intellectual
Lee Hodge
Business
Juliana Inman
Family
Michael Parrish Lauren Quinn  
Michael Parrish
Litigation 
Lauren Quinn
Family
 

Raleigh

 Payton Collier Justin Hill  X. Lightfoot   Emily Massey
Payton Collier Bullard
Young Guns
Justin Hill
Young Guns
X. Lightfoot
Employment
Emily Massey
Employment
Evan Musselwhite Erica Rogers   Tyler Russell Devon Williams Cameron Winfrey
Evan Musselwhite
Construction
Erica Rogers
Intellectual
Tyler Russell
Bankruptcy
Devon Williams
Employment
Cameron Winfrey
Real Estate

Wilmington

Al Clyburn Edward "Trip" Coyne Alex Dale Chris Edwards Sam Franck

Al Clyburn
Family Law

Edward "Trip" Coyne
Business
Alex Dale
Appellate
Chris Edwards
Appellate 
Sam Franck
Real Estate Law
Paige Inman Will Oden John Sloan Jeremy Wilson
Paige Inman
Family 
Will Oden
Employment
John Sloan
Tax and Estate Planning
Jeremy Wilson
Litigation

Legal Elite Hall of Fame

The five attorneys in Business North Carolina's Legal Elite Hall of Fame include Joanne Badr, Jim Creekman (retired), Brad Evans, Amy Wang, and David Ward (Counsel Emeritus). According to the publication's rules, they are no longer eligible to win in the same category but are acknowledged annually in the Legal Elite list. 

Legal Elite Hall of Fame

Discover the complete Business North Carolina 2024 Legal Elite list by clicking here.

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