Twenty-eight lawyers from Ward and Smith, P.A. were recently selected by their peers for inclusion in The Best Lawyers in America® 2012 (copyright 2011 by Woodward/White, Inc., of Aiken, S.C.). Since its inception in 1983, Best Lawyers has become universally regarded as the definitive guide to legal excellence. Because Best Lawyers is based on an exhaustive peer-review survey in which more than 41,000 leading attorneys cast almost 3.9 million votes on the legal abilities of other lawyers in their practice areas, and because lawyers are not required or allowed to pay a fee to be listed, inclusion in Best Lawyers is considered a singular honor.
Ward and Smith attorneys recognized as 2012 Best Lawyers are the following:
Asheville
Derek J. Allen (2009) — Litigation - Land Use and Zoning; Land Use and Zoning Law
Michael L. Miller (1995) — Arbitration; Employee Benefits (ERISA) Law; Mediation; Tax Law;
Trusts and Estates
Greenville
A. Charles Ellis (1995) — Medical Malpractice Law - Plaintiffs; Personal Injury
Litigation - Plaintiffs
Paul A. Fanning (2011) — Banking and Finance Law; Bankruptcy and Creditor Debtor
Rights / Insolvency and Reorganization Law; Litigation - Bankruptcy
John M. Martin (1995) — Personal Injury Litigation - Plaintiffs
New Bern
James Lee Davis (1993) — Real Estate Law
Donalt J. Eglinton (2009) — Commercial Litigation; Copyright Law; Litigation - Construction;
Litigation - Intellectual Property; Litigation - Patent; Patent Law
Michael P. Flanagan (1995) — Bankruptcy and Creditor Debtor Rights / Insolvency and
Reorganization Law; Litigation - Bankruptcy
S. McKinley Gray, III (2009) — Workers' Compensation Law - Employers
William R. Lathan, Jr. (2005) — Banking and Finance Law; Financial Services
Regulation Law
E. Eric Mills * — Copyright Law
Gregory T. Peacock (2010) — Litigation - Trusts and Estates; Trusts and Estates
C. H. Pope, Jr. (1995) — Land Use and Zoning Law; Real Estate Law; Timber Law
E. Knox Proctor V (2010) — Administrative / Regulatory Law; Banking and Finance Law;
Financial Services Regulation Law
Clint D. Routson (2005) — Real Estate Law
Frank H. Sheffield, Jr. (1995) — Environmental Law; Litigation - Environmental
J. Troy Smith, Jr. (1987) — Bet-the-Company Litigation; Commercial Litigation,
Corporate Law
David L. Ward, Jr. (1983) - Banking and Finance Law; Corporate Law; Financial Services
Regulation Law; International Trade and Finance Law; Litigation - Antitrust
Leigh A. Wilkinson (2010) — Health Care Law
A. Rexford Willis, III * — Corporate Law; Tax Law
Kenneth R. Wooten (2005) — Bet-the-Company Litigation; Commercial Litigation;
Litigation - Construction
Raleigh
William Joseph Austin, Jr. (2009) — Employment Law - Management; Labor Law -
Management; Workers' Compensation Law - Employers
Albert R. Bell, Jr. (1995) — Employment Law - Management; Labor Law - Management
Stuart B. Dorsett (2001) — Trusts and Estates
Gary J. Rickner (1995) — Bet-the-Company Litigation; Commercial Litigation; Personal
Injury Litigation - Plaintiffs
James F. Verdonik (1995) — Corporate Law, Technology Law, Venture Capital Law
Wilmington
Jenna Fruechtenicht Butler (2010) — Commercial Litigation; Personal Injury
Litigation - Plaintiffs
Ryal W. Tayloe (2009) — Bet-the-Company Litigation; Litigation - Construction; Litigation -
Real Estate
(Year) First year the lawyer was listed.
(*) Lawyers who are listed for the first time in Best Lawyers.
