D. Stuart Smith

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...

Bill is the leader of the Financial Transactions and Regulation Practice Group. His practice experience includes the representation of lending institutions, companies, individuals, and community associations in a wide variety of commercial real estate matters. Bill regularly represents lenders and borrowers in loan transactions; purchasers and sellers in the negotiation and preparation of real estate letters of intent and purchase agreements; landlords and tenants in the negotiation and prepa...

Melody Jolly is a top attorney recognized by Best Lawyers in the practice area(s) of Professional Malpractice Law - Defendants. Melody, who practices law in Wilmington, North Carolina, has been recognized since 2018. This recognition is based on an exhaustive peer-review survey, reflecting the high esteem in which Melody is held by other top lawyers in the same geographic and legal practice area.

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...

John D. Martin is a top attorney recognized by Best Lawyers in the practice area(s) of Litigation - Insurance, Medical Malpractice Law - Defendants, Personal Injury Litigation - Defendants and Professional Malpractice Law - Defendants. John D., who practices law in Wilmington, North Carolina, has been recognized since 2006. This recognition is based on an exhaustive peer-review survey, reflecting the high esteem in which John D. is held by other top lawyers in the same geographic and legal pr...

Andrew McVey is a top attorney recognized by Best Lawyers in the practice area(s) of Litigation - Labor and Employment. Andrew, 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 Andrew is held by other top lawyers in the same geographic and legal practice area.

Trip maintains a diverse litigation and general business practice. He has significant experience in corporate, construction, commercial, class action, maritime, and real property litigation, and regularly appears as lead or local counsel throughout the state and federal courts of North and South Carolina, as well as in other jurisdictions. He also provides general business counsel to domestic and international clients. Prior to joining the firm, Trip practiced in the Wilmington office of a la...

Greg is certified by the National Elder Law Foundation as a Certified Elder Law Attorney (CELA). He also is certified by the North Carolina State Bar both as a Board Certified Specialist in Estate Planning and Probate Law and as a Board Certified Specialist in Elder Law. Greg has been rated by his peers as being "preeminent" in his fields of law. He frequently lectures to civic and community groups and at continuing legal education seminars on various topics relating to estate planning and ad...

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.

Eldridge is certified by the North Carolina State Bar as a Board Certified Specialist in Estate Planning and Probate Law. She assists all types of clients in drafting and implementing estate plans, including estate, gift, and generation-skipping transfer tax planning, and also provides counsel to executors and trustees in administering estates and trusts. Eldridge has also earned a Graduate Certificate in Gerontology from the University of Southern California . Her years of experience as an a...