Our attorneys regularly represent clients in a variety of litigation settings including mediations, arbitrations, non-jury and jury trials in both state and federal courts, and all levels of the state and federal appeals process. We also represent clients in administrative hearings and proceedings before the North Carolina Alcoholic Beverage Control Commission, the Industrial Commission, the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC), the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), professional licensing boards, and local planning and zoning boards.
Our attorneys work closely with clients to make important litigation decisions and zealously represent our clients' interests, while maintaining the professionalism our clients have come to know and expect. We provide our clients with exceptional and strategic legal judgment tempered by a cost effective approach to achieve the best possible result. Our attorneys routinely prepare litigation budgets and case management plans. We offer our clients the latest in litigation and trial technology including both in-house and hosted document management and E-discovery programs. We utilize a number of multi-media tools for mediation, arbitration, and trial presentations.
The breadth and depth of the Litigation Practice Group is evident from the number of practice areas in which we regularly represent clients. We have extensive experience representing plaintiffs and defendants in cases involving aviation, banking, business, condemnation, construction, contract, employee relations, environmental, equitable distribution, family law, health care, housing authority, insurance, intellectual property, maritime, medical malpractice, personal injury and wrongful death, product liability, professional liability, real estate, tax, trusts and estates, and zoning and land use litigation.
Our group addresses the litigation, mediation, and arbitration needs of larger corporate clients. Litigators in this group are uniquely equipped to address the complexities of representing these types of business entities, often working in collaboration with in-house legal counsel. Our litigation attorneys also serve the needs of clients whose cases are handled by other practice groups in the Firm, including Agribusiness, Alcoholic Beverage, Community Associations, Dealer/Distributor and Franchising, Intellectual Property, International, Nonprofit Organizations, Securities, Tax, and Trusts and Estates.
To better serve our clients, our attorneys associate with and manage attorneys who have been retained by our clients to defend suits pending in courts outside North Carolina. For North Carolina businesses that offer products and services nationwide, this service provides quality assurance, cost control, continuity, and uniformity in the clients' dispute resolution policies and strategies, document production, and confidentiality orders. It also frees the clients' key personnel to operate the business rather than manage litigation. This representation includes monitoring the progress and strategy of a case, reviewing the statements rendered by the out‑of‑state attorneys to ensure compliance with the clients' billing requirements, and forwarding approved statements to clients for payment.
Ward and Smith is a member of The Law Firm Alliance, a strategic alliance of 50+ mid-sized law firms across North America, Europe, and Asia offering a wide range of legal and industry specialties. Members share information regarding improving legal services, firm governance, and effective marketing strategies as well as in-network client referrals. We frequently associate with Law Firm Alliance members to facilitate litigation in other jurisdictions, and act as local counsel for their clients with North Carolina litigation.
The firm also associates with State Law Resources, an international network of independent law firms with government relations practice groups. State Law Resources connects businesses, trade associations and public policy coalitions to the highest quality legal representation across jurisdictions.
Finally, our attorneys are members of the American Association for Justice, American College of Trial Lawyers, Defense Research Institute, Eastern North Carolina Inn of Court, Litigation Counsel of America, North Carolina Advocates for Justice, and North Carolina Association of Defense Attorneys. Many of our litigators have been honored to serve in leadership roles with a number of these organizations.
We are your established legal network with offices in Asheville, Greenville, New Bern, Raleigh, and Wilmington, NC.
