Jerry T.
Myers

Managing Partner

Smith Debnam Raleigh
4601 Six Forks Road
Suite 400
Raleigh, NC 27609

Jerry Myers is Smith Debnam’s Managing Partner. He concentrates his practice in the area of creditors’ rights, with an emphasis on debt collection, judgment enforcement, and commercial litigation. Jerry served as President of the Commercial Law League of America, an organization of creditors’ rights professionals, and is an active member of the National Creditors Bar Association, presenting CLE programs and serving on committees. Jerry was also instrumental in forming the North Carolina Creditors’ Bar Association, a specialty bar whose members are committed to advocating for the rights of lenders and others in the credit and collections industry.

Jerry’s practice includes litigation, regulatory compliance, and licensing matters, and general business representation. He has practiced in the creditors’ rights field for more than 30 years and has written and lectured extensively on debt collection and judgment enforcement. Jerry has presented CLE programs sponsored by institutions including Wake Forest University School of Law, the North Carolina Bar Foundation, the Commercial Law League of America, and the National Creditors Bar Association.

Jerry is listed in North Carolina Super Lawyers, a rating service of outstanding lawyers from more than 70 practice areas who have attained a high degree of peer recognition and professional achievement.

Proven Record of Excellence

My Credentials

Admissions

North Carolina State Bar
South Carolina State Bar
Virginia State Bar

Education

J.D., Wake Forest University School of Law, 1984
B.S., Wake Forest University, 1980
A.A., summa cum laude, Wingate University, 1978

Awards & Recognition

National Creditors Bar Association – “2024 Member of the Year”
Listed among North Carolina Super Lawyers 2007, 2010 – present
Listed among Best Lawyers in America – Since 2024
Featured as an “Industry Giant” representing the Commercial Law League of America – May 2006
Martindale-Hubbell AV Peer Rated for Highest Level of Professional Excellence

Professional Affiliations

Commercial Law League of America; President, 2005-2006
National Creditors Bar Association, Member
North Carolina Creditors Bar Association (NCCBA), Past President, Treasurer
American Bar Association, Member
North Carolina Bar Association, Member
Virginia Creditors’ Bar Association, Member

Civic Involvement

American Red Cross Triangle Chapter, Board of Directors

Published Articles

Collections and Enforcement of Judgments in North Carolina, Lawyers Cooperative Publishing, 1997 (The leading creditors’ rights treatise in North Carolina.)
Contributing author, Judgment Enforcement, Aspen Publishers (A national treatise that focuses on creditors’ remedies.)
Contributing author, Commercial Law and Practice Guide, Matthew-Bender (A general treatise on commercial law.)
Contributing author, Manual of Credit and Commercial Laws, NACM, 2005, (A general treatise on commercial law.)
An Overview of UCITA, Commercial Law Journal (Fall 2001)

My Practices & Services

Creditors’ Rights

Litigation

Articles

CFPB Seeks Feedback on Proposed Third Party Debt Collection Rules

January 02, 2017

CFPB Penalizes Yet Another Debt Collection Law Firm

April 27, 2016

Creditors’ Rights

Law Firm Assessed $3.1 Million Fine – The Hanna Consent Order

January 21, 2016

CFPB Zeroing in on Inadequate Policies and Procedures

July 12, 2015

Creditors’ Rights

Why Law Firms Need Dedicated Compliance Officers

April 30, 2014

Transactional & Advisory Services

North Carolina Identity Theft Protection Act – The Importance of Keeping Private Information Private

August 01, 2006

VIEW ALL ARTICLES

Podcasts

Creditors’ Rights

The Bona Fide Error Defense

May 28, 2021

Creditors’ Rights

Picking Apart the New Debt Validation Notice Requirements | Beware the Traps

April 08, 2021

Industry Leadership

Jerry Myers is widely recognized as one of the leading voices in creditors’ rights and commercial law throughout North Carolina and beyond. Through decades of leadership, authorship, and industry involvement, he has helped shape conversations surrounding creditors’ remedies, collections law, and commercial litigation.

Jerry has played a foundational role in the creditors’ rights industry, including helping form the North Carolina Creditors’ Bar Association. He later served the organization as both President and Treasurer, helping guide its growth and influence within the legal community.

His national leadership includes serving as President of the Commercial Law League of America, one of the country’s oldest organizations dedicated to commercial law and creditors’ rights.

Jerry is also a frequent presenter for continuing legal education programs hosted by major legal institutions and industry organizations. In addition, he has authored and contributed to multiple leading treatises and publications involving judgments, creditors’ remedies, and commercial law.

His contributions to the profession continue to earn peer recognition, including being named a 2024 NCBA Member of the Year.