Nathaniel Coates Smith

Nathaniel Coates Smith, a prominent attorney in Chapel Hill, North Carolina, spearheads the firm's civil litigation practice. His expertise encompasses serious personal injury, workers’ compensation, business litigation, and trust and estate litigation. Additionally, he manages civil appeals, providing comprehensive legal support to the firm's clients.

Originally from Raleigh, Mr. Smith graduated from Broughton High School in 1979. He earned a Bachelor of Arts in Economics from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill in 1983 and graduated with honors from the UNC School of Law in 1993. During law school, he gained valuable experience clerking at Hornthal, Riley, Ellis & Maland in Elizabeth City, NC, and with the U.S. Postal Service's labor law department in Washington, D.C.

Admitted to practice in North Carolina since 1993, Mr. Smith is qualified to appear in the state's Federal courts, including the Middle District (1994), Eastern District (1996), and the Eastern and Middle District Bankruptcy courts. With over 20 years of court experience across North Carolina, he is a respected shareholder at the firm.

Mr. Smith has achieved favorable outcomes in the North Carolina Court of Appeals on diverse legal matters, such as real estate contract interpretation (Harris v. Stewart, 666 S.E.2d 804), appellate review of county government actions (Murdock v. Chatham County, 679 S.E.2d 850 (2009)), and negligent transmission of a disease (Carsanaro v. Colvin, 716 S.E.2d 40 (2011)).

An active member of the North Carolina Bar Association and the North Carolina Advocates for Justice, Mr. Smith served as President of the 15-B Judicial District (Orange and Chatham Counties) in 2004-05. He volunteers as a pro bono attorney for the NC Bar Association’s “Lawyers on the Line” program and has acted as an arbitrator in Orange County District Court.