Smith Anderson Welcomes H. Hunter Bruton as a Litigation Partner

Smith Anderson is pleased to announce that H. Hunter Bruton has returned as a partner, joining the firm’s top-ranked Litigation team of more than 50 lawyers strong that has been named “North Carolina Firm of the Year” by Benchmark Litigation for five consecutive years. 

Hunter practiced with an international law firm in Washington, D.C. before returning to North Carolina to practice with a regional firm. He started his career as a summer associate at Smith Anderson while a student at Duke University School of Law, where he was valedictorian. He went on to clerk for Justice Samuel Alito at the U.S. Supreme Court; Judge Allyson K. Duncan at the United States Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit; and Judge Ellen S. Huvelle and Judge Thomas F. Hogan at the United States District Court for the District of Columbia. He also served as a Bristow Fellow with the Office of the Solicitor General at the U.S. Department of Justice where he focused on United States Supreme Court litigation.

Hunter focuses his litigation practice on legal strategy, complex business counseling, critical motions and appellate advocacy. He has experience in federal and state cases involving constitutional law, administrative law, class actions, data privacy, mass tort, trade secret misappropriation and other complex commercial litigation. Hunter has argued before multiple appellate courts including the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit, the Ninth Circuit, and the Federal Circuit.

Hunter has been recognized as “One to Watch” in appellate practice by The Best Lawyers in America for 2023-2024. He is a member of both the North Carolina Pro Bono Honor Society and the Capital Pro Bono Honor Roll, with High Honors from 2020 to 2023.