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Dynamic Duo: Brad Evans and Devon Williams Nab Spots on Business North Carolina's 2023 Power List
May 17, 2023
Ward and Smith, P.A.
Ward and Smith Co-Managing Directors Brad Evans and Devon Williams have made Business North Carolina's 2023 Power List.
This marks the third consecutive year the pair has been recognized in the annual report, which identifies the most influential leaders in the state. The selection process involves interviews with officials from the business community, research, and reader suggestions, and the resulting list honors individuals in 18 different categories who have made a noteworthy impact on their communities and professions, ranging from agriculture to information technology, life sciences, and transportation.
This year, the law category recognized over 30 attorneys statewide, representing a sampling of the most powerful individuals in leadership positions, many of whom work for larger firms in metropolitan areas. The magazine published a special featurette with profiles of the honorees. Here are Brad and Devon's profiles.
BRADLEY EVANS
Evans grew up in Ahoskie and earned bachelor’s and law degrees at Wake Forest University. He litigates cases and advises clients involving intellectual property disputes and commercial, business, estate and professional licensing issues. He is a certified Superior Court mediator who says there’s no place better to live than eastern North Carolina.
Favorite N.C. place to visit: Warm months — Emerald Isle; Cool months — our cabin in Bertie County.
What do you listen to on your commute: A combination of public radio news and the Grateful Dead channel on Sirius XM.
Major inspiration: Our firm has about 250 employees that are my daily inspiration. Every day I am driven to work hard to help provide professional satisfaction and security for them and for their families.
Favorite hobby: Offshore fishing. There is no better escape from daily life than trolling the Atlantic Ocean well out of cellphone range.
Best advice for industry newcomers: Look for meaning in your life’s work that energizes and motivates you. The practice of law is a profession, not simply a job. We have opportunities to help people during some of the most challenging times in their lives. Finding the reward in those opportunities for service makes the challenge worthwhile.
DEVON WILLIAMS
Devon Williams regularly counsels human resources executives and C-suite officers to keep them out of costly litigation and help them create a more positive workplace culture.
Williams serves with Bradley Evans as co-managing partners of the law firm, which has about 90 attorneys with offices in Asheville, Greenville, New Bern, Raleigh, and Wilmington. The firm traces its roots back to 1895 and now includes more than 30 practice areas.
Williams’ practice is focused on labor and employment issues, including terminations, federal contractor compliance, employment discrimination, harassment, and retaliation claims. She is also part of the firm’s Hemp Law practice group, where she helps clients in the agribusiness, hemp, and CBD industries navigate changing rules amid increasing legalization.
The Campbell University Law School graduate was a standout high school and college athlete. In 2022, the Salisbury-Rowan Sports Hall of Fame selected her to be the 13th woman to enter the group. At West Rowan High School, Williams pitched and played third base on the Falcons’ softball team, earning MVP honors while leading the team to 2002 and 2003 state championships. The team finished runner-up in her senior year. She also was a four-year starter at the University of Maryland.
Favorite family tradition: Enjoying my mom’s breakfast pizza with my entire family
on Christmas morning.
Favorite N.C. place to visit: Asheville and anywhere on the coast are always favorites, as is my family’s farm around Cleveland, North Carolina, where I grew up.
What do you listen to on your commute: I bounce back and forth between country, pop, and news podcasts.
Career highlight: Having the trust and confidence of my law partners to co-lead our 270+ employee, five-office, statewide law firm.
Favorite hobby: Watch “Jeopardy” with my husband and our daughter.
Best advice for industry newcomers: Find a good mentor, work hard, and actively develop good working relationships with colleagues, clients, and opposing counsel.
Key industry change in next five years: For law firms, that change is the successful integration of AI into law practice, while acknowledging its limitations and privacy and security concerns.
You can view the 2023 Law Power List here and view the complete report here.