Smith Anderson Earns Top Chambers Ranking for Private Wealth Law

Client feedback on Smith Anderson’s strategic counsel, depth of knowledge, and collaborative approach helped secure the firm’s highest ranking for Private Wealth Law in North Carolina in the 2026 Chambers High Net Worth Guide.

The guide also recognizes Ansley Chapman Cella, Deborah McDermott, and Kimberly Swintosky among North Carolina’s leading private wealth lawyers. Together, they advise individuals, families, business owners, fiduciaries, and charitable organizations on complex estate planning, tax, trust administration, and wealth-transfer matters.

Chambers develops its rankings through independent market research and interviews with clients, lawyers, and other professionals familiar with the work of the firms and attorneys under consideration.

Clients and peers highlighted the Smith Anderson Tax and Wealth Planning team’s reputation, strategic approach, and ability to navigate complex private wealth matters:

• “Smith Anderson has an impeccable reputation in our community for navigating complex matters that lead to desirable outcomes. Their scope, talent, and client service is superb.”
• “When working with Smith Anderson, I feel confident that I am getting the most knowledgeable person working on my engagement. I feel confident that the service team thinks through all aspects of an issue to provide the most comprehensive, advantageous position possible.”
• “Smith Anderson does a very good job thinking strategically through complex estate planning matters and also does a good job coordinating with the whole team.”

Smith Anderson’s Tax and Wealth Planning team helps clients preserve and transfer wealth across generations, achieve charitable goals, plan for closely held businesses, and manage estate, gift, income, and generation-skipping transfer tax considerations. The team also advises executors, trustees, beneficiaries, and other fiduciaries on trust and estate administration, tax compliance, and related legal matters.

Chambers High Net Worth ranks the leading lawyers and law firms for international private wealth. Those ranked in the guide understand the complex needs of HNW individuals and provide specialist advice and legal services. The leading annual legal directory for HNW clients also recommends top accountancy firms, private banks, wealth managers, trust companies and other professional advisers to high net worth and ultrahigh net worth individuals globally.  Legal rankings are based on in-depth market analysis and independent research, conducted by experienced researchers. Chambers and Partners’ rankings and research provides information, statistics and firm overviews needed to make an informed decision when purchasing professional services. For more information, please visit Chambers' methodology page.