The Annual H. Brent McKnight Renaissance Lawyer Award

Paul, a white man with grey hair and a mustache, wears a white shirt, black tie and black blazer. By Paul B. Taylor

Each year, beginning in January, the North Carolina Bar Association Professionalism Committee reviews nominations for the H. Brent McKnight Renaissance Lawyer Award and recommends an awardee to the Board of Governors. The award is announced publicly and given to the awardee at the North Carolina Bar Association annual meeting in June.

The NCBA H. Brent McKnight Renaissance Lawyer Award was established by the North Carolina Bar Association in honor of United States District Court Judge for the Western District of North Carolina H. Brent McKnight’s contributions to professionalism and the practice of law in North Carolina, and in recognition of his enduring influence, high ideals, and example as a jurist whose life and career demonstrated the full, accomplished life of a “Renaissance Lawyer.” Judge McKnight was born in Mooresville, North Carolina, in 1952. He received a bachelor’s degree from UNC-Chapel Hill in 1974, a master’s degree from Magdalen College at Oxford University in 1976, where he attended as a Rhodes Scholar, and a law degree from the University of North Carolina School of Law in 1980.

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Lean In, Link Up: The Young Lawyer’s Guide to Leadership

By Alex, a Black woman with black hair, wears a black blouse and a blazer with black and white checks.Alex Gwynn

Back on September 13, 2025, I found myself in a lively conversation with community leaders in Durham at a Meet and Greet with the City of Durham’s Human Relations Commission (DHRC). We were deep in discussion about the Commission’s priorities, affordable housing advocacy, environmental justice, public safety, community engagement and improving race and ethnic relations.

As we talked about how the Commission could better collaborate with local organizations and leaders already doing this work, one community leader paused, looked at me and said, “What you’re doing is leaning in.”

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Checking In: December 16, 2025

Compiled by Jessica Junqueira

Baker Donelson Opens New Office in Winston-Salem

Baker Donelson has opened a new office in Winston-Salem. Fourteen attorneys have joined the firm, and nine are NCBA members. Seven individuals have joined as shareholders: Andrew “Drew” Felts, Kelly Otis, Jasmine Pitt, Donald Pocock, Kiki Scarff, Bryan G. Scott and Robert H. “Rob” Wall. Two individuals, Walker Helms and Hannah Mashburn, have joined as associate attorneys.

Drew, a white man with brown hair and a beard, wears a white shirt and a blue suit. Andrew “Drew” Felts practices commercial real estate law. He represents developers, investors, landlords, tenants, lenders and other market participants. He has advised clients in matters of renewable energy. He is licensed in North Carolina, South Carolina and West Virginia. He holds a law degree from West Virginia University College of Law and a bachelor’s degree from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.

Kelly, a white woman with light brown hair, wears a purple blouse and black suit. Kelly Otis works with purchasers, sellers, and developers through every stage of commercial real estate transactions. These include acquisitions, development, financing, leasing and dispositions. She has assisted clients with complex title issues and the impacts of development. She holds a law degree from Wake Forest University School of Law and a bachelor’s degree from Purdue University.

Jasmine, a Black woman with black hair, wears a light purple blouse with a black suit. Jasmine Pitt practices commercial litigation in state and federal courts. She has experience in complex business disputes, insurance coverage matters and bad faith litigation involving various commercial policies. She holds a law degree from Wake Forest University School of Law and a bachelor’s degree from Wake Forest University. Read more

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Retirement

By Marc E. Gustafson

I recently had lunch with a good friend where I, for the first time, spoke seriously about my retirement. By way of background, I am fifty-one years old and have been practicing law since 2001. My wife works for a large financial institution, and we have two sons, ages ten and twelve. But why would you care about my retirement? Well, because of the nature of our legal practices, I think it’s something that some lawyers struggle with, and I’m hoping to avoid that.

For the last ten years or so, I have casually mentioned retiring at age fifty-five. (If my own math works out, I will retire around fifty-seven.) Reactions to my talk of retirement have ranged from eyes nearly popping out of heads to subtle laughs to talk of wishful thinking. I like to think these reactions stem from the fact that many of us have not truly contemplated the end of our careers, in part, because like so many other professionals and maybe to an even greater degree, we feel defined by our professions.

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Breaking Barriers: A Fresh Start for North Carolinians

By Butch Segal

Sometimes, the biggest breakthroughs come from the smallest changes.

Session Law 2025-54 might not make the evening news, but for thousands of North Carolinians, it’s a game-changer. Officially titled “An Act To Modify Provisions Affecting The Courts of North Carolina and The Administrative Office of the Courts,” this law quietly dismantles a barrier that has stood for decades: the public notice requirement for legal name changes.

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Good Grief

Tiqeece, a Black man with black hair, wears a blue shirt, plaid blue tie, and grey blazer. He is smiling and holding a book.By Tiqeece Brown

Grief is something that touches all of us. How we respond — or don’t respond — when we are grieving can be pivotal. At its core, grief is the mental and emotional process of learning how to live with loss.

That loss doesn’t always look like death.

Grief can manifest in many ways: procrastination, anger, depression, anxiety, withdrawal, isolation, and even physical symptoms such as chronic fatigue, weakened immunity and bodily pain. When left unaddressed, many people cope in unhealthy ways. This reality contributes to the often-repeated statement that lawyers experience high rates of substance abuse and mental health struggles.

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North Carolina Traffic Law For New Attorneys

Tyler, a white man with brown hair and a beard, wears a white shirt, purple tie and black jacket. Anastasia, a white woman with brown hair, wears a white blouse and black jacket. By Tyler Chriscoe and Anastasia Tramontozzi

Few attorneys enter law school dreaming of being traffic lawyers, yet traffic cases form a large portion of daily district court practice across North Carolina. Outcomes in traffic cases carry real consequences for clients, from impacting employment, to increased insurance costs, to long-term suspension or revocation of one’s driving privilege. Many lawyers handle traffic matters because they are frequent and predictable, but there is a difference between handling these cases and handling them well. Excellence in traffic practice begins at intake. The purpose of this blog is to help all, but especially new attorneys who practice traffic law.

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The Chair’s Column: My Heroes Are Privacy Attorneys

Karen, a white woman with brown eyes and brown hair, wears a black suit.By Karin M. McGinnis

Is it just me, or is there nothing better than a story about a team of distinct personalities who come together — each with unique skills — and form an unstoppable force? You know the type: the awkward teens who start a metal group and win the citywide battle of the bands, or the underdogs who topple the smug reigning sports champions who haven’t lost in a decade. There’s truth in the saying: the whole is greater than the sum of its parts.

Our section is living proof. Since August, we’ve seen some real superpowers at work. Read on for some highlights.

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On The Horizon: The Young Lawyers Division’s Upcoming DEI Programming

Taylor, a Black woman with black hair, wears a blue and white blouse and black jacket.Tia, a Black woman with black hair, wears a white blousea nd black jacket.By Taylor Gibbs and Tia Overway

Hi everyone!

As we step into December, Tia and I want to extend a heartfelt thank you to everyone who attended and participated in the DEI Committee’s first event: Bridging the Gap: Wisdom from the Bench and Bar. The panel featured an incredible range of legal professionals who provided great advice on how young lawyers can successfully transition into their careers. We are grateful to all who joined us and look forward to the many events we have planned in the future.

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Enhanced Life Estate “Lady Bird” Deeds in North Carolina: Historical Roots and Defining Their Legal Validity

Zachary, a white man with brown hair, wears a white shirt, pale blue tie with white stripes, and blue suit. By Zachary Westmoreland

In my experience working with estate planning, estate administration, and real estate attorneys, I have found that the discussion and use of Lady Bird Deeds, also known as Enhanced Life Estate Deeds, often divides practitioners in North Carolina. Some attorneys use them regularly and view them as effective tools for estate or Medicaid planning, while others avoid them due to differing interpretations of North Carolina law, case precedent, or the absence of direct authority in certain opinions. I have worked with attorneys who would only prepare such deeds in states where they were expressly codified by statute, which does not include North Carolina. I subsequently worked for an attorney who saw no issues with the use of Lady Bird Deeds in North Carolina and had me prepare several, citing supporting case law as discussed in this post. Given these contrasting perspectives, I believe this is a valuable topic to explore.

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