Attorney Profiles

Nat Smith heads up the civil litigation practice with the firm, where he handles personal injury, workers compensation, civil litigation and estate planning cases.

A local product, Nat grew up in Raleigh. He was a member of Broughton High School's 50th graduating class in 1979. Nat attended the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, graduating in 1983 with a B.A. in Economics.

Nat returned to the UNC School of Law in 1990, and graduated with honors in 1993. During law school he clerked at Hornthal, Riley, Ellis & Maland in Elizabeth City, North Carolina and with the U.S. Postal Service's law department in Washington, D.C.

Nat was admitted to practice law in the State courts of North Carolina in 1993. He is also admitted to practice in Federal courts in North Carolina (Middle District, 1994; Eastern District 1996) and in the Eastern and Middle District Bankruptcy courts.

Since 1993, Nat has tried many cases throughout the State. He has had several published decisions from the North Carolina Court of Appeals, including Harris v. Stewart, 666 S.E.2d 804, and Murdock v. Chatham County, 2009 N.C. App._. Nat is a member of the North Carolina Bar Association and the North Carolina Advocates for Justice, and he served as President of the 15-B Judicial District (Orange and Chatham Counties) in 2004-05.

Nat lives in Carrboro with his wife, Kate, their three children and Australian cattle dog, Dixie. When he is not working, Nat enjoys playing bass with the local bluegrass/old-time band The Guilty Pleasures.

Areas of Practice:

Personal Injury
Worker's Compensation Law
Estate Planning
Civil Litigation in State and Federal Courts
Collections
Wrongful Death

Bar Admissions:

North Carolina, 1993
U.S. District Court Middle District of North Carolina, 1994
U.S. District Court Eastern District of North Carolina, 1996
U.S. Bankruptcy Court Eastern District of North Carolina
U.S. Bankruptcy Court Middle District of North Carolina

Education:

University of North Carolina School of Law, Chapel Hill, North Carolina, 1990
J.D.
Honors : With Honors

University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, 1983
B.A.
Major: Economics

Past Employment Positions:

Hornthal, Riley, Ellis & Maland in Elizabeth City, North Carolina
Clerk

U.S. Postal Service's Law Department, Washington, D.C.
Clerk

Professional Associations and Memberships:

North Carolina Bar Association
Member

North Carolina State Bar
Member

North Carolina Academy of Trial Lawyers
Member

North Carolina Advocates for Justice
Member

15-B Judicial District (Orange and Chatham Counties), 2004 - 2005
President

Fraternities/Sororities:

Phi Alpha Delta

Representative Cases:

Harris v. Stewart
666 S.E.2d 804

Murdock v. Chatham County
2009 N.C. App.

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What our Clients Say About Nathaniel Smith

"You will never know how grateful we are for all your long hours and the hard work you devoted to my case. Thank you for your patience with me and those tons of papers I kept dumping on you. Know that you will always be thought of with fondness."

"I just wanted to thank you once again for your assistance in getting my $10,000 refund. It was my pleasure doing business with you, and I would highly recommend your services."

"Thanks again for the great job with lawsuits. We know that they are not over, but feel a sense of relief by the success we have had thus far. We enjoy working with you and appreciate your enthusiasm and support."

"Just wanted to thank you for all of your hard work and support yesterday. I am so thankful to have you as my attorney. You went above and beyond the call yesterday."

"Thank you so much for all you have done for me. You are a wonderful attorney, but I feel even more blessed to call you my friend!"

"Thanks for everything you have done for us. We put our trust in you and you came through for [our son]. You have our deepest gratitude."

"I appreciate the time and attention you gave to my case . . . In my limited experience with the legal system it is rare to find an attorney willing to actually listen and try to understand. Thank you."

"Just wanted to thank you for all of your hard work and support yesterday. I am so thankful to have you as my attorney. . .You went above and beyond the call."

"I wanted to officially thank you for the way you handled my case. I realize it was not the normal cut and dry case; it involved a lot of unusual circumstances and situation[s] that involved quick thinking and tactical negotiating. The case involved many moments needing you to step in and intervene on my behalf to protect my rights, which you did without hesitating. I really appreciated the fact that you never complained about me bothering you with things I didn't understand and always respected my opinions when it came to making the decisions that affected me and the case. . . I was especially pleased when we were able to push the settlement until it was in the range above the normal and to an amount I really needed. I feel they really tried to take advantage of me when it came to the clincher and you really helped me to turn that around. I will say in closure that I am 100% satisfied with the performance of yourself and the firm you represent. I would gladly recommend you to anyone needing the kind of specialty assistance you provide."