Business North Carolina Names 14 Smith Anderson Attorneys to State’s Top Lawyers List

Fourteen Smith Anderson attorneys appear on Business North Carolina (BNC) magazine’s 2025 Legal Elite list, a peer-selected roster of the state’s top lawyers.

For the 24th year, BNC invited every active member of the N.C. State Bar living in the state to vote for attorneys they consider the best in 17 practice areas. Approximately 1,300 attorneys received votes, and those with the most votes in each category are named Hall of Fame members.

The Smith Anderson attorneys recognized for 2025 and their practice areas are:

• Andrew Atkins – Construction
• Curtis Brewer – Business
• Josh Bryant – Tax & Estate Planning
• Kara Brunk – Young Guns
• Kevin Ceglowski – Employment
• Ansley Chapman Cella – Tax & Estate Planning
• Darrell Fruth – Intellectual Property
• Byron Kirkland – Business
• Rosemary Kenyon – Employment
• Merrill Mason – Business
• Michael Mitchell – Litigation
• Chris Smith – Appellate
• Kerry Shad – Employment
• Kim Swintosky – Tax & Estate Planning

Smith Anderson’s Hall of Fame members include:

• Gerald Roach – Business
• Peter Marino – Construction
• Steve Mason – Real Estate
• Allen York – Real Estate

Fun Fact: BNC asked top attorneys for tips on working smarter. Suggestions ranged from making phone calls instead of relying on email to viewing perfection as "the enemy of good work."

The entire Legal Elite list can be viewed here.