At Smith Debnam, our philosophy is simple – to provide the best possible value to our clients. We firmly believe that the key to delivering such value is equally simple – the people who make it happen. Our professional service team, the attorneys, paralegals and staff, is therefore our most important asset. We are committed to maintaining an environment that provides professional fulfillment, actively supports professional development, and communicates the value of each person’s contributions.

The foundation for translating this philosophy into practice is our emphasis on forming strong, positive and effective working relationships, both within the firm and in our community. Smith Debnam ranks as one of the largest law firms in North Carolina, recognized in the legal and business community as a leader in our practice areas. We complement this long-standing reputation with partner leadership that embraces a collegial practice environment, fostering communication and cooperation on both a professional and personal level.

Professional and Community Leadership

Our leadership begins within the structure of our legal operations, wherein practice groups of attorneys, paralegals and staff meet together regularly to discuss client service and practice management issues, ideas and opportunities. Within the legal profession, Smith Debnam is actively engaged in leadership in the State Bar, the State Bar Association, various national trade and membership organizations, as well as providing continuing legal education in various practice areas. In our community, we build relationships by investing our time and resources through civic organizations which promote our community welfare, such as the Triangle American Red Cross, American Cancer Society, The Healing Place, Helping Hands Mission, Habitat for Humanity and the NC Komen Race for the Cure. We also regularly contribute to our community through provision of pro bono legal services that naturally arise in our law practice.

Professional Development Commitment

At Smith Debnam, our commitment to developing well-rounded professionals begins with our focus on continuing education. As quality of client service hinges directly on attorneys and staff staying abreast of developments in law, business practices, and economic and technology trends, we provide our team members access to relevant continuing education, skills-based training and information resources. We also provide structured direction for professional development through our Attorney Development Program, paralegal professional certification, and other developmental programs within the firm. Successful members of our team are dedicated to continual progression in their professional skills and motivated by a desire for excellence in client service.

Supportive Environment

The firm’s practice support structure is tailored to assist our professionals in meeting the everyday challenges of a diverse law practice. Our long-standing philosophy is to seek out and implement technology solutions that increase efficiency while maintaining required security and confidentiality. As a result, we provide our employees with state of the art tools with which to meet our clients’ needs. Our centralized administrative services also allow our professionals to devote their attention to the practice of law.

While we work hard to serve our clients, Smith Debnam encourages its employees to maintain a balance between professional and personal life. Frequent special firm activities are provided to build camaraderie and provide periodic relief from the daily grind. Events such as our annual new year kick-off, holiday parties, chili cook-offs and special recognitions and outings for attorneys, paralegals and staff provide a fun and relaxing break, while serving to strengthen our team. Through these and other special occasions we focus on recognizing the contributions and extra effort of our employees.