Ward and Smith, P.A.


Headquarters: New Bern, North Carolina

44 The Best Lawyers in America® awards

7 Best Lawyers: Ones to Watch® in America awards

Best Law Firms Edition 14 National Badge Visit Best Law Firms profile for Ward and Smith, P.A. Visit Website

Ward and Smith, P.A. is the successor to a practice founded in 1895. Our core values of client satisfaction, reliability, responsiveness, and teamwork are the standards that define who we are as a law firm. Ward and Smith ensures that your legal matters are handled with attentive intelligence by attorneys and staff who work together to build meaningful relationships with our clients. We do this by being knowledgeable in more than 30 practice areas, providing efficient results, and effectively using technology. We are your established legal network with offices located in Asheville, Greenville, New Bern, Raleigh, and Wilmington.

Ward and Smith is committed to building and maintaining relationships with every client because we understand that every client has unique needs. We work to become fully acquainted with the management style and operations of our clients. This enables us to provide timely and effective legal services. Our attorneys are dedicated to providing frequent and full communication to our clients with respect to pending and anticipated legal issues that may affect them. We advocate a proactive and preventive approach to our clients' legal issues so that through proper planning and maintenance our clients can avoid legal difficulties and costs. We believe that this approach provides our clients with responsive, high-quality, and cost-effective legal services.

At Ward and Smith, we work seamlessly as a single team by drawing on attorneys from different practice groups who are best qualified to address clients' problems. The Firm has a strategic objective that at least two attorneys will have extensive, in-depth experience in each area of the law. This assures our clients that their distinct needs always are handled by someone with experience in their matters.

Our Firm is dedicated to leveraging technology and achieving a collaborative environment which fosters growth, innovation, and productivity. Ward and Smith's award-winning business intake process exemplifies its dedication to business process efficiency. We invest in industry best practices and software solutions which enable us to practice optimally. Our Firm adheres to best practices and mitigates risks through the use of leading edge technologies including risk management, records, and case management solutions. Furthermore, Ward and Smith proactively engages in the advancement of technology initiatives through its Technology Advisory Committee comprised of attorneys and key administrative personnel. Investments in cloud technology solutions, videoconferencing, and a robust infrastructure enable legal solutions to be obtained from any of our five offices, offering clients the advantage of an enterprise of legal experts. Our courtroom presentation technology has helped to achieve favorable results for clients and has won praise from our opponents. Mobile solutions supporting all smartphones and tablets ensure our attorneys can maintain constant contact with clients and access work product while out of the office.

Ward and Smith is a full-service law firm. Our dedication to the practice of law and commitment to each and every client is our collective mission and we believe it is what sets us apart from other law firms. We welcome the opportunity to be your first choice for legal services.

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  • Administrative / Regulatory Law
  • Antitrust Law
  • Banking and Finance Law
  • Bankruptcy and Creditor Debtor Rights / Insolvency and Reorganization Law
  • Bet-the-Company Litigation
  • Business Organizations (including LLCs and Partnerships)
  • Commercial Litigation
  • Community Association Law
  • Construction Law
  • Copyright Law
  • Corporate Law
  • Employee Benefits (ERISA) Law
  • Environmental Law
  • Family Law
  • Financial Services Regulation Law
  • Health Care Law
  • Land Use and Zoning Law
  • Litigation - Bankruptcy
  • Litigation - Construction
  • Litigation - Intellectual Property
  • Litigation - Labor and Employment
  • Litigation - Patent
  • Litigation - Real Estate
  • Litigation - Securities
  • Litigation - Trusts and Estates
  • Medical Malpractice Law - Plaintiffs
  • Patent Law
  • Personal Injury Litigation - Plaintiffs
  • Real Estate Law
  • Securities / Capital Markets Law
  • Tax Law
  • Timber Law
  • Trademark Law
  • Trusts and Estates
  • Workers' Compensation Law - Employers

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Filing For Divorce in North Carolina


by Melody J. King

Family law lawyer Melody King answers some of the most important questions individuals may have about filing for divorce in North Carolina.

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Road to Recovery


by Jeremy M. Wilson and Lynwood P. Evans

If you’ve been involved in a car wreck, shock and adrenaline might keep you from thinking clearly. Here’s a list of the important things you need to do in the immediate aftermath to ensure the quickest recovery, both physical and financial.

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Anatomical Gifts and Funeral Planning


Also, the choice to place the symbol on one's license or identification card is shown on the internet organ donor registry maintained by the Division of Motor Vehicles.

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E. Knox

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Estate Planning Through Premarital Agreements


by Gregory T. Peacock

Planning for the end of a marriage before the marriage vows are exchanged can be disconcerting.

Estates & Premarital Agreements

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