William G. "Bill" McNairy

William G. "Bill" McNairy

Greensboro, NC recognized lawyers icon Recognized in Best Lawyers since 1993
Brooks, Pierce, McLendon, Humphrey & Leonard LLP

63 Best Lawyers awards

Brooks, Pierce, McLendon, Humphrey & Leonard LLP logo

Awarded Practice Areas

Tax Law Trusts and Estates

Biography

Bill McNairy advises businesses on structuring private equity transactions, mergers and acquisitions, public offerings, and going private transactions. Bill is a CPA who uses his accounting experience to counsel family-owned businesses on issues related to tax law, trusts and estates, and tax saving strategies.

Bill has an active private equity practice. He regularly assists funds with their portfolio company investments, acquisitions and fund formation matters. Bill has worked with a wide variety of investors, from small closely-held companies to large companies with international investments and funds worth hundreds of millions of dollars. He also counsels a variety of partnerships, including LLCs and real estate developers on complex, tax-related issues.

He counsels businesses through complex tax saving strategies and represents clients in cases related to mergers, acquisitions, and dispositions of businesses. Bill takes an integrated approach to his practice, and often counsels on a variety of other legal issues, such as securities and environmental matters, that arise during his representation.

Bill helps families efficiently transfer control of their businesses to the next generation of owners as it relates to income, gift and estate taxes. He also counsels foundations and the families that own them on tax-related issues that are unique to foundations.

He represents clients on evaluation disputes related to estates and gifts. An experienced litigator, he represents clients before the Internal Revenue Service, the Tax Court, the United States District Court, the United States Fourth Circuit of Appeals, and the United States Supreme Court.

Brooks, Pierce, McLendon, Humphrey & Leonard LLP

63 Best Lawyers awards

Brooks, Pierce, McLendon, Humphrey & Leonard LLP logo

Overview

  • College of William & Mary, JD, graduated 1973
  • University of Virginia, MBA, graduated 1967
  • The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, BA, graduated 1965

  • North Carolina, United States

  • American Bar Association - Member, Tax Section
  • North Carolina Bar Association - Member, Tax Section

  • U.S. Supreme Court
  • U.S. Court of Appeals - 4th Circuit
  • U.S. Court of Federal Claims
  • U.S. District Court - Western District of North Carolina
  • U.S. District Court - Middle District of North Carolina
  • U.S. District Court - Eastern District of North Carolina
  • U.S. Tax Court
  • North Carolina, United States
  • American Bar Association - Member, Tax Section
  • North Carolina Bar Association - Member, Tax Section
  • College of William & Mary, JD, graduated 1973
  • University of Virginia, MBA, graduated 1967
  • The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, BA, graduated 1965
  • U.S. Supreme Court
  • U.S. Court of Appeals - 4th Circuit
  • U.S. Court of Federal Claims
  • U.S. District Court - Western District of North Carolina
  • U.S. District Court - Middle District of North Carolina
  • U.S. District Court - Eastern District of North Carolina
  • U.S. Tax Court

Client Testimonials

Bill McNairy has the vision, knowledge, and client understanding that is essential for long range planning in the structuring of estates and trusts.

Steve Pond (The Education Center)

Greensboro, NC

Awards & Focus

Recognized in The Best Lawyers in America® 2026 for work in:
  • Tax Law
  • Trusts and Estates
Additional Areas of Practice:
  • Litigation and Controversy - Tax
Special Focus:
  • COVID-19
Awards:
  • Recognized by his peers for inclusion in Business North Carolina's "Legal Elite" in Tax/Estate Planning Law (2002, 2005-2007, 2009-2010, 2013-2014) and Business Law (2003, 2011)
  • Recognized in North Carolina Super Lawyers (Thomson Reuters) in Tax Law (2006-2014)

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