Jenna Butler Appointed Special Superior Court Judge for North Carolina’s Second Judicial Division

Ward and Smith, P.A. is pleased to announce that litigator Jenna Fruechtenicht Butler has been appointed by the North Carolina General Assembly as a Special Superior Court Judge for North Carolina’s Second Judicial Division.

Her appointment will begin this fall and remain in effect through December 31, 2034.

Butler brings nearly three decades of service with Ward and Smith to the bench. Based in the firm’s Wilmington office, she has helped build and advance the firm’s complex civil litigation practice in federal and state courts. Her experience includes representing clients with complex commercial disputes, fraud, and securities litigation. Butler has also helped expand the firm’s trust and estates litigation practice, representing clients involved in a variety of disputes related to fiduciary duties and estate and trust matters.

“Jenna brings sound judgment, careful preparation, and a deep respect for the law to every matter she handles,” said Brad Evans, co-managing director of Ward and Smith. “Her appointment is a meaningful recognition of the qualities that have made her a trusted colleague, advocate, and leader throughout her career.”

That reputation carried into some of the firm’s most complex litigation. Most recently, Butler has served in a significant capacity in the Camp Lejeune Water Contamination litigation, contributing her legal experience to matters affecting service members, families, and civilian employees who may have been exposed to contaminated water at Marine Corps Base Camp Lejeune.

“Jenna has exemplified what it means to advocate zealously and ethically for clients, which is why colleagues and clients alike have relied on her skill and integrity for nearly three decades,” said Devon Williams, co-managing director of Ward and Smith. “We will feel her absence here, but we are honored that she chose to build her career at Ward and Smith, and we are proud to see her begin this next chapter. North Carolina is fortunate to have her.”

Butler’s record of service and advocacy has earned recognition from peers and leading legal publications. She has been named in Best Lawyers in America in Commercial Litigation and Litigation- Trusts and Estates each year since 2010. She has also been recognized for her work in Commercial Disputes in Legal 500 US City Elite for 2026, and has received the “North Carolina Legal Elite” designation from Business North Carolina in 2023 for Antitrust work.

Butler has also been a dedicated leader within the legal profession. She has served as president of both the Fifth Judicial District Bar Association and the New Hanover County Bar Association, and she chaired the North Carolina Bar Association’s Antitrust and Complex Business Disputes Law Section. She is a member of the Federal Bar Association and the Judicial Conference of the Fourth Circuit, and she serves on the Local Civil Rules Committee for the United States District Court for the Eastern District of North Carolina.

In reflecting on her past experience as she looks toward her new role, Butler noted, “My years at Ward and Smith have reinforced the importance of thoughtful advocacy, preparation and service. I look forward to bringing those principles to the Superior Court and am grateful for this opportunity to serve the citizens of North Carolina.”

Butler’s appointment continues a longstanding tradition of Ward and Smith attorneys serving the North Carolina judiciary, and the firm anticipates her continued impact on the legal community from the bench.