Recognized in Business Organizations, Commercial Litigation, Corporate Law, and Real Estate Law; listed since 2014.
RALEIGH, N.C. (August 20, 2026) – Smith Debnam co-founder W. Thurston Debnam Jr. has been recognized in four areas in the 2027 edition of The Best Lawyers in America®: Business Organizations (including LLCs and Partnerships), Commercial Litigation, Corporate Law, and Real Estate Law.
The breadth of the recognition mirrors a career spent helping businesses and property owners navigate decisions that rarely fit neatly into a single legal category. Debnam’s practice has encompassed business and corporate planning, real estate transactions, land development, zoning, administrative proceedings, litigation, and appeals.
A former Smith Debnam managing partner, Debnam has also brought a public-sector perspective to his work. He served as municipal counsel for the Town of Zebulon and later as its mayor, experience that complements decades of work involving land use, real property, and business matters.
“Thurston helped build this firm around the idea that a lawyer should understand the whole problem, not simply the legal label attached to it,” said Smith Debnam Managing Partner Jerry T. Myers. “His recognition across four different areas says something important about the breadth of judgment he has brought to clients and to Smith Debnam for more than five decades.”
Best Lawyers has recognized Debnam since 2014. He earned his J.D., cum laude, and his undergraduate degree from Wake Forest University and is certified as a civil Superior Court mediator.
Debnam was admitted to practice before the US Supreme Court in 1995.
About Smith Debnam
Founded in 1972, Smith Debnam Attorneys at Law has built its reputation by helping businesses, financial institutions, professional service providers, and individuals navigate important legal decisions with confidence. From headquarters in Raleigh, North Carolina, and regional offices in Charlotte, North Carolina, and Charleston, South Carolina, the firm serves clients across diverse industries, delivering comprehensive legal counsel in litigation, business and transactional matters, creditors’ rights, family law, estate planning, and personal representation. Whether helping a financial institution manage risk, guiding a family-owned business through growth, assisting a family in planning for the future, or resolving complex disputes, Smith Debnam combines deep legal experience with integrity, responsiveness, and a commitment to building relationships that span generations.
