Justin Hill and Hayley Wells Earn NC State Bar Board Certification in Employment Law

Ward and Smith, P.A. is proud to announce that Justin Hill and Hayley Wells have become Board Certified Specialists in Employment Law by the North Carolina State Bar’s Board of Legal Specialization.

Hill, based in the firm’s Raleigh office, focuses his practice on labor and employment matters, working with businesses, employers, and human resources professionals across the state. He is also a member of the firm’s Professional Licensing group and the Name, Image, and Likeness Practice Group.

Wells, based in the Asheville office, concentrates her practice on labor and employment law, civil litigation, and alcoholic beverage law. She leads the firm’s Alcoholic Beverage Law Practice Group and regularly advises both individual and corporate clients on employment matters and litigation.

This achievement brings the firm’s roster of Employment Law specialists to eight, following X. Lightfoot, Emily Massey, and Devon Williams, who received their certifications in May 2025.

Earning this credential requires attorneys to demonstrate substantial expertise through multiple channels: passing a rigorous six-hour written examination, maintaining significant hands-on experience in employment law matters, undergoing peer evaluation, and completing specialized continuing legal education requirements.

Ward and Smith’s involvement in this specialty extends beyond individual attorney achievements. The firm’s attorneys were instrumental in developing the certification program itself. 

Grant Osborne leads the Board of Legal Specialization’s Employment Law Specialty Committee as chair, while Will Oden serves as Co-Chair. Ken Gray, who heads the firm’s Labor and Employment Practice, holds a position on the Advisory Committee. Their collective work helped establish the standards and framework for this certification, which received official approval in March 2024 as North Carolina’s 15th legal specialization, positioning the state among only seven nationwide to recognize board certification in this field.

“Our team now has eight North Carolina State Bar Board Certified Specialists in Employment Law,” said Gray. “I’m so proud of the efforts our team has put into this program, and know our clients appreciate their leadership in and commitment to the discipline of Labor and Employment Law.”

For information about the advantages of engaging a board-certified specialist, visit the North Carolina Legal Specialization website.