After appearing before the Honorable John D. McConnell in September 1978 for my oath as an attorney, I left the courtroom to complete a trademark application and began a 41-year career as an attorney in Anson County. In my first two years of practice with the Honorable H.P. Taylor, Jr. I appeared in various state courts, argued a case before the Fourth Circuit Court of Appeals and as a rookie experienced the wonderful collegiality of the old 20th District Bar.
After several years I opened a solo practice and narrowed the focus of my practice to wills, trusts, estate administration, real estate and local government law.
In 1993 Fred Poisson, Jr. and I were considering forming a law partnership. One of our meetings resulted in the following headlines in the Anson Record “Brakeless Truck Rams Hub Restaurant’s Wall and Jolts Diner.” I was that diner. What followed has been a 26-year partnership during which I have been blessed with the ongoing friendship and support of the Poisson family, partners, associates and staff.
I am grateful for the many clients in Anson County and the surrounding area who have permitted me to represent them.
While helping clients navigate challenging situations, I have learned much and made many friends. It has been great to practice in our hometown.
On Saturday morning, before penning these words, I ran some errands and visited several places including IGA, Little’s Hardware and the Post Office and saw two clients. One client said he regretted that my retirement would prevent me from handling his estate. I told him I was glad that my services had not yet been needed. We had a good laugh and wished each other well.
I plan to continue my work with a charitable trust, visit my new grandson often, travel and complete many pending chalk painting projects.
