Business North Carolina Names 10 Smith Anderson Attorneys to 2026 Legal Elite

Ten Smith Anderson attorneys have been named to Business North Carolina magazine’s Legal Elite 2026, a peer-selected list recognizing the state’s top-performing lawyers.

This year marks the 25th class of Legal Elite honorees. Fewer than 1,100 attorneys were selected from more than 30,000 lawyers regulated by the North Carolina State Bar. More than 4,000 attorneys received at least one vote.

The Smith Anderson attorneys recognized for 2026 and their practice areas are:

• Christopher G. Smith – Appellate
• Curtis C. Brewer IV – Business
• Darrell A. Fruth – Intellectual Property
• Ansley Chapman Cella – Tax & Estate Planning
• Joshua D. Bryant – Tax & Estate Planning
• Kara Brunk – Young Guns
• Byron B. Kirkland – Corporate Law
• Kevin M. Ceglowski – Employment
• David W. Berry – Environmental
• Michael W. Mitchell – Litigation

Smith Anderson’s Hall of Fame members include:

• Gerald Roach – Business
• Peter Marino – Construction
• Steve Mason – Real Estate
• Allen York – Real Estate

As part of this year’s feature, Business North Carolina asked the 2026 category winners to share words of wisdom they rely on when facing professional challenges. Responses ranged from practical advice passed down by parents and mentors to broader philosophical reminders such as “this too shall pass” and “don’t borrow trouble,” with inspiration drawn from figures as varied as Theodore Roosevelt and Kendrick Lamar.

The full Legal Elite 2026 list appears in the January 2026 issue of Business North Carolina.