Smith Debnam Lawyers Named to 2022 Best Lawyers® List

Raleigh, N.C. (August 19, 2021) – Smith Debnam today announced that twelve Smith Debnam lawyers were named in the 2022 Edition of The Best Lawyers® in America. Best Lawyers® in America is one of the most respected attorney peer-review publications in the legal profession. In all, eight separate practice areas are represented by the twelve Smith Debnam attorneys appearing in the 2022 edition of The Best Lawyers® in America.

Smith Debnam congratulates the following attorneys and their respective practice areas recognized in the 2022 Edition of The Best Lawyers® in America:

BANKING AND FINANCE LAW

• Byron L. Saintsing– Saintsing is a senior partner at Smith Debnam and leads the firm’s construction law practice. He frequently serves as a guest speaker, providing legal analysis on many topics centered around commercial real estate development and equipment leasing.

BANKRUPTCY AND CREDITOR-DEBTOR RIGHTS / INSOLVENCY AND REORGANIZATION LAW

• Franklin Drake– Drake is a nationally recognized speaker on financial services regulation and compliance-related matters, with over four decades of experience representing clients in the financial services industry.
• Ronald Jones – Jones is a partner at Smith Debnam’s Charleston, South Carolina office. As a certified specialist in bankruptcy and debtor-creditor law by the South Carolina Supreme Court, Jones concentrates his practice in the areas of commercial law and bankruptcy.
• Bettie Kelley Sousa – Sousa has been practicing law with Smith Debnam since becoming licensed in 1981. She has a wealth of experience in state and federal courts, including bankruptcy courts, at both trial and appellate levels. She represents businesses — large and small — in a variety of matters, including contract review, drafting, and disputes.

COMMERCIAL LITIGATION

• Thurston Debnam, Jr.– Debnam is one of the firm’s founding partners and has more than 45 years of experience in commercial planning and business litigation.

CORPORATE LAW

• Thurston Debnam, Jr.– Debnam is one of the firm’s founding partners and has more than 45 years of experience in commercial planning and business litigation.
• Bettie Kelley Sousa– Sousa has been practicing law with Smith Debnam since becoming licensed in 1981. She has a wealth of experience in state and federal courts, including bankruptcy courts, at both trial and appellate levels. She represents businesses — large and small — in a variety of matters, including contract review, drafting, and disputes.

FAMILY LAW

• Alicia Jurney– Jurney is a Board Certified Family Law Specialist by the North Carolina State Bar and serves as a collaborative attorney with the Integrated Accountability and Collaborative Transparency Program (IACT).
• Lynn W. McNally– McNally is a Board Certified Family Law Specialist by the North Carolina State Bar and Certified Family Financial Settlement Mediator by the North Carolina Dispute Resolution Commission.
• John W. Narron– Narron is a Board Certified Family Law Specialist by the North Carolina State Bar and has been practicing law in North Carolina since 1977.
• Rose H. Stout – Stout has been a Board Certified Family Law Specialist by the North Carolina State Bar since 1991, with extensive trial experience in family law court. Stout and McNally lead the firm’s family law group.

LABOR LAW – MANAGEMENT

• Connie E. Carrigan – Carrigan is a partner in the firm, with a practice concentration in Business Law. Her focus is assisting clients with issues regarding employment law, business advice and litigation, construction law, equipment leasing and creditor bankruptcy.

LITIGATION – BANKRUPTCY

• Ronald Jones – Jones is a partner at Smith Debnam’s Charleston, South Carolina office. As a certified specialist in bankruptcy and debtor-creditor law by the South Carolina Supreme Court, Jones concentrates his practice in the areas of commercial law and bankruptcy.

REAL ESTATE LAW

• Lauren V. Reeves– Reeves is a partner inside Smith Debnam’s real estate, foreclosure, and creditors’ rights sections. She represents lenders, individuals, and businesses in real estate matters, including real estate closings, purchasing, leasing, selling, financing and all issues of title arising in both residential and commercial real estate transactions.
• Jeff D. Rogers– Rogers has 34 years of experience representing creditors, lenders, and businesses of all sizes on matters of foreclosure, bankruptcy, and collections.

About Best Lawyers

Best Lawyers publishes The Best Lawyers® in America by geographic region and practice area, recognizing lawyers for excellence based on an exhaustive peer-review survey where, on average, over 50,000 attorneys across the U.S. cast more than 5.5 million votes on the legal and professional abilities of other lawyers. For this reason, inclusion in Best Lawyers is considered a singular honor.

About Smith Debnam

Founded in 1972, Smith Debnam is a leading, multi-practice regional law firm for institutions and private individuals who value a responsible and caring approach from an accomplished team of experienced legal professionals. Headquartered in Raleigh, North Carolina, with a regional office in Charleston, South Carolina, the firm represents clients in Banking, Financial Services, Equipment Leasing, Construction, Mortgage Servicing, Manufacturing, and Professional Services industries. Smith Debnam has extensive experience in state and federal courts across a diverse list of practice areas, including Corporate and Business Law, Business Litigation, Commercial Bankruptcy and Reorganization, Foreclosures, Creditor Representation, Consumer Collections, Commercial & Residential Real Estate, Construction Law, Employment Law, Equipment Leasing & Finance, Family Law, and Trusts & Estates.

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