Alexander C. Dale

Alex's practice experience encompasses a broad range of business law matters, including experience representing individuals, start-ups, small businesses, and multi-national companies in a variety of fields. His experience includes intellectual property transactional matters, corporate governance, business organization and succession planning, contract negotiation, and complex business litigation. He has also taken numerous cases to a final decision in the areas of breach of contract litigation, trusts and estates litigation, securities and investment advisor litigation, corporate litigation, and complex business litigation.  

As chair of the firm's Appellate Practice Group, Alex is frequently asked by his colleagues within the law firm and outside of the law firm to assist clients in appellate matters. He is a North Carolina State Bar Board Certified Specialist in Appellate Law. 

Alex also has represented clients in limited liability company member disputes, officer and director liability disputes, real estate development disputes, easement/boundary disputes, trust modification actions, will caveats, elective share claims, breach of warranty actions, copyright and trademark claims, and disputes in many other areas. He finds creative strategies to assist his clients in their disputes seeking favorable results by considering traditional and alternative means for dispute resolution.  Alex has represented community associations in civil litigation before the North Carolina Superior Court, the North Carolina Court of Appeals, the North Carolina Supreme Court, and the American Arbitration Association. He has guided community associations to favorable final judgments in each litigation forum.

Education

• J.D., Duke University School of Law, 2001. Research Editor, Duke Journal of Comparative & International Law.
• M.A. in Mass Communications, The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, 2001. Roy H. Park Fellowship.
• B.A., with honors and highest distinction, Phi Beta Kappa, The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, 1998

Honors and Distinctions*

• "Legal Elite," Business North Carolina, Appellate, 2018, 2019, 2021-2024
• "Litigation Star," Benchmark Litigation, 2021-2024
• NC Pro Bono Honor Society

   

Professional and Community Affiliations

• American Bar Association — Sections: Business Law; Science and Technology Law
• Community Associations Institute
• Fifth Judicial District Bar Association (director)
• MARBIONC (Marine Biotechnology in NC) Community Advisory Board (member)
• New Hanover County Bar Association (president)
• New Hanover County Criminal Justice Partnership Advisory Board
• New Hanover County Teen Court (judge)
• North Carolina Bar Association — Board of Governors (2016-2019)
• North Carolina Bar Association — Appellate Practice Section Council, 2019-2022
• North Carolina Bar Association — Committees: Appellate Rules; Convention Planning (multi-year chair); and Nominations
• North Carolina Bar Association — Sections: Antitrust and Complex Business Disputes Law; Elder & Special Needs Law; Litigation
• North Carolina Bar Association Foundation (board of directors)
• North Carolina Dispute Resolution Commission

• North Carolina Interest on Lawyers’ Trust Accounts (NC IOLTA), Board of Trustees

Related News

• Ward and Smith Protects Export Tax Credits for Philip Morris USA in North Carolina Supreme Court
• Ward and Smith's Continued Recognition in Benchmark Litigation
• Ward and Smith Attorneys File Amicus Brief on Behalf of the Association of Prosecuting Attorneys (APA)

Admitted to Practice

• North Carolina, 2001
• United States Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit
• United States District Court for the Eastern District 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.