Ward and Smith, P.A.
Ward and Smith, P.A. is a full-service law firm founded in 1895, operating seven offices across North and South Carolina. It serves individuals, businesses, community associations, healthcare providers, agribusiness firms, and government entities with legal services spanning business law, litigation, estates, real estate, IP, and emerging niches in AI, hemp, and data privacy.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1895
- HeadquartersAsheville, United States
- Headcount251–500
- GTM typeB2B and B2C
- OfferingServices
What Ward and Smith, P.A. does
Ward and Smith, P.A. is a full-service law firm established in 1895 and operated as a Professional Association under North Carolina law. The firm operates across seven offices covering six North Carolina metros (Asheville, Greenville, Morehead City, New Bern, Raleigh, Wilmington) and one South Carolina metro (Columbia), with a stated headcount of 251-500 employees. Legal services span business/corporate law, litigation, trusts and estates, family law, community associations, government relations, healthcare, intellectual property, real estate, labor and employment, tax, construction, environmental, and insurance, alongside emerging niches in agribusiness, hemp/cannabis, privacy and data security, PFAS regulation, natural disaster recovery, and AI-related legal advisory.
The firm utilizes standard law firm management technology for case management, client communication, and document handling — with no proprietary AI/ML platform disclosed. Underlying capability is anchored in attorney talent (including LL.M. in Taxation, CPAs, ABOTA Fellows, and inductees into American College of Real Estate Lawyers and American College of Trust and Estate Counsel) and institutional knowledge accumulated across 130+ years of continuous operation.
Commercial model is professional services billing: fee-based legal representation quoted by practice area, matter complexity, attorney time, and client type, with pricing not publicly disclosed. Clients span individuals, families, businesses of all sizes, community associations, governmental entities, healthcare providers, agribusiness firms, and institutions across North Carolina, South Carolina, and select national/international matters. Client acquisition relies on attorney relationships, professional referrals, community involvement, industry recognition (Super Lawyers, Best Lawyers, Chambers USA, U.S. News Best Law Firms, Benchmark Litigation), and thought leadership content (articles, webinars, newsletters, social channels including LinkedIn, Facebook, Instagram, and Bluesky). Devon Williams serves as Co-Managing Director based in the Raleigh office.
Ward and Smith, P.A. firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Ward and Smith, P.A.
- Legal name
- Ward and Smith, P.A.
- Website
- https://wardandsmith.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1895
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 251–500 employees
- Short description
- Ward and Smith, P.A. is a full-service law firm founded in 1895, operating seven offices across North and South Carolina. It serves individuals, businesses, community associations, healthcare providers, agribusiness firms, and government entities with legal services spanning business law, litigation, estates, real estate, IP, and emerging niches in AI, hemp, and data privacy.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Ward and Smith, P.A. industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Legal Services
- NAICS
- Offices of Lawyers (541110)
- SIC
- Services-Legal Services (8111)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Real Estate & Construction Law (BPAHAAAE)
- akta.pro secondary industry
- Family & Private Client (Trusts & Estates) Law (BPAHAAAK)
Keywords
Where Ward and Smith, P.A. is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Asheville
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices7 records
Markets served
Ward and Smith, P.A. business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B and B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure
Revenue model
- Legal Services: Ward and Smith provides comprehensive legal services across multiple practice areas including business law, family law, litigation, intellectual property, real estate, trusts and estates, and more. Revenue is generated through professional legal fees charged to individual clients, businesses, and institutions for legal counsel and representation.
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels1 record
Marketing channels6 records
Ward and Smith, P.A. product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Ward and Smith, P.A. is a full-service law firm that provides comprehensive legal representation across more than a dozen practice areas, including business/corporate law, litigation, family law, trusts and estates, community associations, real estate, construction, healthcare, insurance, intellectual property, labor and employment, tax, technology, AI, agribusiness, hemp/cannabis, privacy and data security, and natural disaster recovery. The firm delivers these services through attorney-client relationships at seven offices in North and South Carolina to individuals, businesses, institutions, community associations, and government entities.
Product overview
Ward and Smith, P.A. is a full-service law firm operating as a single, unified legal practice with multiple specialized practice areas. The firm offers comprehensive legal services across business/corporate law, litigation, family law, community associations, trusts and estates, government relations, real estate, natural disaster recovery, and specialized practices including artificial intelligence, agribusiness, hemp/cannabis law, privacy and data security, and insurance counseling. The firm serves individuals, businesses, and institutions across seven offices in North Carolina (Asheville, Greenville, Morehead City, New Bern, Raleigh, Wilmington) and South Carolina (Columbia).
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Family Law Legal representation for individuals on family law matters including marriage-related issues, family disputes, and related personal matters, offered through the firm's Family Law practice area.
- Community Associations Law Legal counsel for homeowners associations, condominium associations, and commercial associations on governance, covenant enforcement, financial management, and developer transition.
- Trusts and Estates Estate planning, trust administration, and probate legal services for individuals and families, including wealth transfer planning.
- Government Relations Legal advisory and representation for governmental bodies and public entities on government relations, regulatory compliance, and policy advocacy.
- Business and Corporate Law Comprehensive business legal services for all types and sizes of associations, businesses, institutions, and proprietorships, spanning business formation, contracts, financing, tax planning, acquisitions, mergers, reorganizations, and general corporate governance, with cross-disciplinary support from Community Associations, Construction, Health Care, Intellectual Property, International, Nonprofit Organizations, Securities, Tax, and Technology groups.
- Litigation Services Civil litigation and trial representation for clients across the firm's practice areas, supported by attorney recognitions including ABOTA Fellow designation and Benchmark Litigation Future Star and 40 & Under List honors.
- Construction Law Legal services for the construction industry as part of the firm's Business Practice Group.
- Environmental Law Environmental legal services offered as one of the firm's listed practice areas.
- Health Care Law Health care legal services for healthcare providers and medical practices, including regulatory compliance, practice management, and transaction support, integrated within the Business Practice Group.
- Insurance Counseling and Coverage Legal counsel on insurance matters, including insurance claims guidance, offered as a dedicated practice area.
- Intellectual Property Law Intellectual property legal services including trademark protection, anchored in the firm's IP Summer School education series on trademark law and integrated with the Business Practice Group.
- Labor and Employment Law Employment law and human resources advisory services as one of the firm's listed practice areas.
- Real Estate Law Real estate legal services across transactions and related matters, supported by attorney membership in the American College of Real Estate Lawyers.
- Tax Law Tax legal services supported by attorneys with LL.M. in Taxation and CPAs on staff, integrated within the Business Practice Group.
- Technology Law Legal services on technology matters, integrated within the Business Practice Group, including AI vendor contract guidance.
- Artificial Intelligence Legal Services Legal counsel on artificial intelligence matters including AI vendor contracts, AI-related regulatory issues, and AI-focused client education such as the firm's AI Summer School series.
- Agribusiness Law Legal representation for farmers, processors, storage operations, and chemical and equipment providers in the North Carolina agribusiness sector.
- Hemp and Cannabis Law Legal services for the hemp and cannabis industry, offered as a specialized practice area within the firm's full-service practice.
- Privacy and Data Security Law Legal counsel on privacy and data security matters, including data protection compliance, offered as a specialized practice area.
- Natural Disaster Recovery Legal Services Legal services supporting clients with hurricane preparedness and natural disaster recovery matters.
Companies that use Ward and Smith, P.A.
Customer profileNamed customers3 records
Segments4 records
Ideal customer profiles4 records
Ward and Smith, P.A. technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Ward and Smith, P.A. partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Three partnerships are on record, tiered minor.
- Wilmington Business JournalminorWard and Smith sponsors WilmingtonBiz Power Breakfast events organized by the Wilmington Business Journal, including the Vital Signs healthcare-focused discussion.
- The Buena Vista OrchestraminorWard and Smith sponsors events organized by The Buena Vista Orchestra, supporting community cultural events.
- Brain Injury Association of North CarolinaminorAttorney Jeremy M. Wilson serves on the Board of Directors, including as 2025 Chair, supporting this nonprofit organization.
Scale indicators2 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights6 records
Ward and Smith, P.A. competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Smith Anderson: Raleigh-headquartered full-service law firm and one of North Carolina's largest, with directly comparable practice areas in business, government, healthcare, and litigation. Closest peer given shared Raleigh base and overlapping client segments.
- Robinson Bradshaw: Charlotte-based full-service law firm with comparable practice breadth and similar tier of corporate and litigation work. Direct competitor for North Carolina-based mid-market and large-cap clients across overlapping practice areas.
- Parker Poe: Carolinas-headquartered full-service law firm of similar size with comparable practice areas including business, healthcare, real estate, and litigation. A direct peer competing for the same mid-market corporate and institutional clients in the region.
- Maynard Nexsen: Southeastern full-service law firm with offices in both North and South Carolina, including Charleston, Columbia, and Greensboro. Directly comparable given shared Carolinas footprint and overlapping practice area mix including government, healthcare, and business law.
- Wyrick Robbins: Raleigh-based full-service law firm of similar size focused on business, technology, and litigation matters. Directly comparable peer competing for the same Research Triangle corporate and emerging-company clients.
- Brooks Pierce: North Carolina-based full-service law firm with comparable mid-size headcount and practice breadth across business, litigation, real estate, and IP. Directly comparable as a competing Carolina full-service firm serving similar mid-market clients.
- Womble Bond Dickinson: Transatlantic law firm with major North Carolina presence (including Wilmington and Raleigh offices) competing in the same practice areas. Direct peer given overlapping Carolinas offices and shared mid-market and enterprise client base.
Broad incumbents
- Fox Rothschild: National law firm with a significant Carolinas presence including Charlotte and Raleigh. Comparable mid-market to enterprise client focus with overlapping practice areas, but operates at substantially larger national scale.
- McGuireWoods: National full-service firm with significant presence in Charlotte and the Carolinas. Comparable across business, healthcare, litigation, and IP practices but operates at substantially greater scale and geographic breadth.
- Nelson Mullins: Larger full-service Southeastern firm with extensive North and South Carolina presence. Comparable across most practice areas but operates at broader scale and geographic footprint, making it a large incumbent competitor.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Ward and Smith, P.A. social profiles
Digital presenceWard and Smith, P.A. financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Ward and Smith, P.A. leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles1 record
Ward and Smith, P.A. funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Ward and Smith, P.A. M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Ward and Smith, P.A.
What does Ward and Smith, P.A. do?
Ward and Smith, P.A. is a full-service law firm that provides comprehensive legal representation across more than a dozen practice areas, including business/corporate law, litigation, family law, trusts and estates, community associations, real estate, construction, healthcare, insurance, intellectual property, labor and employment, tax, technology, AI, agribusiness, hemp/cannabis, privacy and data security, and natural disaster recovery. The firm delivers these services through attorney-client relationships at seven offices in North and South Carolina to individuals, businesses, institutions, community associations, and government entities.
Is Ward and Smith, P.A. a public or private company?
Ward and Smith, P.A. is a private company. It is classified as management employee owned and is currently operating.
When was Ward and Smith, P.A. founded?
Ward and Smith, P.A. was founded in 1895. It employs 251 to 500 people.
Where is Ward and Smith, P.A. based?
Ward and Smith, P.A. is headquartered in Asheville, United States, in the North America region.
How does Ward and Smith, P.A. make money?
One revenue line is on record: legal Services.
Who are Ward and Smith, P.A.'s main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Smith Anderson, Robinson Bradshaw, Parker Poe, Maynard Nexsen, Wyrick Robbins, Brooks Pierce and Womble Bond Dickinson. Broad incumbents are Fox Rothschild, McGuireWoods and Nelson Mullins.
Does Ward and Smith, P.A. have an API?
No public API is recorded for Ward and Smith, P.A..
What industry is Ward and Smith, P.A. in?
Ward and Smith, P.A.'s product category is Legal Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is BPAHAAAE, Real Estate & Construction Law, with a secondary code of BPAHAAAK, Family & Private Client (Trusts & Estates) Law. Its NAICS code is 541110 and its SIC code is 8111.