Charles S. Baldwin IV

Benton L. Toups is a top attorney recognized by Best Lawyers in the practice area(s) of Employee Benefits (ERISA) Law, Employment Law - Individuals and Employment Law - Management. Benton L., who practices law in Wilmington, North Carolina, has been recognized since 2023. This recognition is based on an exhaustive peer-review survey, reflecting the high esteem in which Benton L. is held by other top lawyers in the same geographic and legal practice area.

John leads the firm's Trusts and Estates practice. He is certified by the North Carolina State Bar as a Board Certified Specialist in Estate Planning and Probate Law. John's practice experience encompasses estate planning, estate administration, estate and gift tax planning, and related services primarily, though not exclusively, to high net worth individuals and families. His practice also involves business succession planning for closely-held business owners, asset protection, and estate pl...

Ryal is an experienced litigator. He has handled a wide range of litigation cases in state and federal courts, many of them jury trials. Ryal has extensive construction law experience, including lien law, federal and state bond claims, and defective workmanship cases. He also has significant experience with agribusiness litigation, property owner association disputes, personal injury, and all types of real estate disputes, including title insurance claims, trespass, adverse possession, condem...

Richard has significant experience in a broad range of business law matters, including mergers and acquisitions, tax planning, private securities offerings, and start-up businesses. He recently served as in-house counsel for a major background screening and compliance provider, giving him the rare experience of managing both the inside and outside counsel roles for the same entity. That experience colors his practice, and Richard is now known as "an inside counsel's outside counsel." During h...

Patrick M. Mincey is a top attorney recognized by Best Lawyers in the practice area(s) of Criminal Defense: White-Collar. Patrick M., who practices law in Wilmington, North Carolina, has been recognized since 2024. This recognition is based on an exhaustive peer-review survey, reflecting the high esteem in which Patrick M. is held by other top lawyers in the same geographic and legal practice area.

B.T. Atkinson is a corporate attorney with Ward and Smith, P.A. With nearly 30 years of experience, B.T. is a veteran banking attorney whose practice focuses on corporate, securities, and regulatory matters in the financial services space. He regularly advises regional and community banks, underwriters and issuers, and public and private companies. Clients rely on B.T.'s extensive experience for guidance with securities offerings and reporting, business formation, mergers and acquisitions, re...

Scott Holmes is a top attorney recognized by Best Lawyers in the practice area(s) of Real Estate Law. Scott, who practices law in Wilmington, North Carolina, has been recognized since 2021. This recognition is based on an exhaustive peer-review survey, reflecting the high esteem in which Scott is held by other top lawyers in the same geographic and legal practice area.

Knox is a general business attorney with a financial institutions and regulatory background. He helps large, mid-sized, and small businesses with general corporate and business issues, including mergers and acquisitions, and is particularly well-equipped to address a variety of regulatory issues and lending matters. Knox has experience with securities issues, and also advises on trust issues, securities brokerage, investment advice and asset management services, and insurance services. He ser...

Troy's practice experience encompasses a wide range of business law, from start-up businesses to complex transactional matters. He also represents health care providers, both private and institutional, and is regularly involved in government affairs, land use regulation, and municipal law matters. Troy has been a continuing legal education lecturer for the North Carolina Bar Association. He has been rated by his peers as being "preeminent" in his fields of law.

Jeremy leads the Personal Injury and Wrongful Death practice. He has extensive experience litigating claims for wrongful death, serious personal injury, and a broad range of civil litigation before state and federal courts, including cases involving vehicle accidents, professional malpractice, premises liability, products liability, and class actions, among other areas. He also has litigated numerous cases involving complex insurance coverage issues and "bad faith" claims. In addition, Jeremy...