Biography
Sam represents business entities with respect to corporate and other entity structure, organization and capitalization issues, mergers and corporate reorganizations, purchase and sale of businesses, economic development incentive agreements, contract negotiation and drafting, asset based and non-asset based financing, commercial real estate purchase, sale and financing, and multi-state and interstate transactions.
Areas of Focus
+Outside General Counsel Services
- Manages the relationship with and provides general counsel to medium to large privately-held companies in a wide range of businesses
- Coordinates and directs the provision of specialized legal services
+Economic Development
- Negotiations of economic development incentive agreements for companies and for governmental and other economic development agencies and entities
+Business Organizations & Transactions
- Commercial real estate: purchase, sale and financing
- Asset-based and non-asset-based financing
- Corporate and other entity structure, organization and capitalization issues
- Mergers and corporate reorganization
- Purchase and sale of businesses
- Contract negotiation and drafting
- Multi-state and interstate transactions
Credentials
+Education
Duke University School of Law, J.D., 1972
Duke University, B.A., 1969
+Notable Accomplishments
North Carolina Bar Association’s Citizen Lawyer Award, 2015
Ranked in Business North Carolina magazine’s “Legal Elite” (Corporate) 2015
Recognized in The Best Lawyers in America® 2025 Lawyer of the Year for Closely Held Companies and Family Businesses Law; (Corporate Law) 2013-2019, 2021, 2023-2025; (Closely Held Companies and Family Business Law) 2023-2025; (Business Organizations) 2023-2025; (Mergers and Acquisitions Law) 2024-2025
2006 Rocky Mount Area Chamber of Commerce’s Distinguished Citizen Award
2008 Boy Scouts of America* Distinguished Citizen Award (Tar River District)
+Professional & Community Activities
Seventh Judicial District Bar Association
Nash-Edgecombe Bar Association
North Carolina Bar Association, Business Law Section
Futrell-Mauldin Community Foundation
American Bar Association, Business Law Section
Fellow, American Bar Foundation
