Smith Anderson Welcomes Six New Attorneys

Smith Anderson, the largest business and litigation law firm in the Triangle, is pleased to announce that it has welcomed seven attorneys who bring a wide breadth of experience to the firm’s real estate development, intellectual property, banking and finance, litigation, employment, mergers and acquisitions and health care practices: Amy Crout, Joseph Fields, Hope Garber, Sam Hipps, Paula McDonald and Tommy Postek. These additions to the Smith Anderson team bring the tally of attorneys joining the firm so far in 2022 to 13.

Amy Crout advises clients on a wide range of commercial real estate development issues, with a focus on land use and zoning. Prior to joining Smith Anderson, Amy worked for an international law firm representing real estate developers, end users and local governments in land use and commercial real estate matters, as well as focusing on civil litigation, North Carolina constitutional law, business formation and appeals. She also served as the legislative liaison for the North Carolina Industrial Commission and as a law clerk for the North Carolina Court of Appeals.

Joseph Fields advises buyers and sellers on mergers and acquisitions, divestitures and joint ventures in a wide range of industries. He also advises companies and nonprofit organizations on corporate governance, business and real estate transactions and nonprofit law matters. Prior to joining Smith Anderson, Joseph worked for a North Carolina law firm practicing corporate law. He is a graduate of the University of North Carolina School of Law.

Hope Garber is a member of Smith Anderson’s Litigation practice. Before joining Smith Anderson, Hope practiced in the Litigation group of a Northeast law firm, focusing on class action defense and complex commercial disputes. She is a graduate of Duke University School of Law. While at Duke, Hope was recognized by the North Carolina Bar Association for her Pro Bono service. Hope also has served as a law clerk to the Honorable Don R. Willett, U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit and to the Honorable Donald W. Molloy, U.S. District Court for the District of Montana.

John Gibson is a member of Smith Anderson’s Health Care group and advises clients on value-based care, mergers and acquisitions, regulatory compliance, contract negotiations, privacy and security issues and private equity matters. John graduated from the University of South Carolina School of Law and served as a law clerk to the Honorable Paul M. Burch, Fourth Judicial Circuit, South Carolina. Prior to joining Smith Anderson, John worked for a law firm in Charlotte where he practiced health care law.

Sam Hipps is a member of the firm’s Banking and Finance group and focuses his practice on commercial lending, corporate finance, venture debt and other finance transactions. Prior to joining Smith Anderson, Sam worked for an international law firm, where he represented commercial banks and private credit lending institutions in a broad range of bilateral and syndicated finance transactions, including acquisition financings, refinancings and restructurings. 

Paula McDonald advises clients on a wide range of technology and intellectual property issues. Prior to joining Smith Anderson, Paula worked for an international law firm in Chicago. Prior to attending law school at the University of Michigan Law School, Paula worked as an integration engineer for health care technology company Epic. During her undergrad at North Carolina State University, she obtained a B.S. in electrical engineering, received the Senior Engineering Award in Humanities and was a member of the Electrical Engineering Honor Society, German Honors Society and Student Senate.

Tommy Postek is an attorney with Smith Anderson’s Employment, Labor and Human Resources practice. Prior to joining Smith Anderson, Tommy worked for national and international law firms, representing employers before state and federal administrative agencies in discrimination claims, workers’ compensation actions and other employment-related matters and assisting clients on other multifaceted legal issues. Prior to that, he served as a law clerk to the Honorable Edward Bronfin in Denver District Court.