Culp Elliott & Carpenter P.L.L.C. is proud to share that two of our attorneys have been named the Best Lawyers® 2026 “Lawyer of the Year.”
William R. Culp, Jr.
• Trusts and Estates
John J. Carpenter
• Litigation and Controversy – Tax
Only a single lawyer in each practice area and designated metropolitan area is honored as the “Lawyer of the Year,” making this a significant and coveted accolade. These lawyers are selected based on particularly impressive voting averages received during the peer review assessments.
Receiving this designation reflects the high level of respect a lawyer has earned among other leading lawyers in the same communities and the same practice areas for their abilities, their professionalism and their integrity.
For more than four decades, Best Lawyers has assisted those in need of legal services to identify the lawyers best qualified to represent them in distant jurisdictions or unfamiliar specialties. Lawyers are not required nor allowed to pay a fee to be listed; therefore, recognition by Best Lawyers is considered a singular distinction.
About Culp Elliott & Carpenter P.L.L.C.
Founded in 1982, Culp Elliott & Carpenter is a dynamic law firm with a focus on entrepreneurs, growth-oriented businesses, and high net worth individuals. The foundation of our success is our sophisticated tax and family estate planning practices. Over the past three decades, our firm has grown to become one of the most highly respected tax law firms based in the Southeast. We have a culture of staying abreast of ever-changing tax laws and diligently representing clients so they pay the least amount of taxes legally possible. We are recognized by clients for our ability to creatively identify innovative and effective solutions to complex tax, legal and financial problems. We feel that our passion, experience and expertise in these areas are unmatched.
Our Work
Clients turn to CEC when they face their most challenging issues. We have built our reputation on providing innovative, efficient, effective and responsive legal counsel through an integrated platform. This translates into creative, high-quality services delivered at a fair and reasonable cost.
Our Team
In order to provide our clients with solutions to their toughest problems, we invite only the most qualified and creative professionals to join our firm. We have a multi-disciplinary practice of attorneys, certified public accountants and tax consultants, which provides us with a broad and deep pool of tax, legal, financial and accounting talent. Our lawyers have received professional recognition for their accomplishments, some of which include North Carolina Super Lawyers, Business North Carolina Legal Elite, The Best Lawyers in America and Worth Magazine Top 100 Attorneys in America. We are active in the professional community as authors and speakers on a variety of topics and regularly receive national recognition for our expertise.
Our Business Model
Our clients benefit from the fact that our attorneys, certified public accountants, and tax consultants operate from a single office. State of the art technology allows us to operate effectively on a national basis. Our one-office model aids collaboration, communication and efficiency – all of which contribute to the delivery of excellent integrated services. The low overhead of our one-office model allows us to provide services more cost-effectively than larger law firms employing a multi-office, high overhead business model.
Our Goal
Our goal is to provide you with cost-effective integrated services at the highest level. Regardless of you or your organization’s needs and challenges, our firm stands ready to assist you by providing innovative, efficient, effective and responsive services. We invite you to contact us to discuss how you or your organization can benefit from the integrated services offered by CEC.
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Culp Elliott & Carpenter P.L.L.C., in Charlotte, NC, recognizes seven of our attorneys for their peer-selection in the 2026 edition of The Best Lawyers in America®. William R. Culp, Jr. • Litigation – Trusts and Estates • Litigation and Controversy- Tax • Tax Law • Trusts and Estates W. Curtis Elliott, Jr. • Corporate Law […]
READ MORE We are very proud of our own Christopher Hannum, voted Tax Section Chairman for 2025-2026 and Stanton Geller, who will serve his first term on the NCBA Tax Section Council. Well done! Executive Committee • Chair: Chris Hannum, Culp Elliott & Carpenter | Charlotte • Vice Chair: Stacey Brady, Schell Bray | Greensboro • Treasurer: […]
READ MORE CE&C is pleased to announce that Senior Partner Curtis Elliott will be a speaker at the American Bar Association 2024 Criminal Tax Fraud and Tax Controversy Conference on December 12, 2024, at the Wynn Hotel in Las Vegas. Curtis will be a panelist for the program topic of “Presenting and Cross Examining the Expert Witness,” […]
READ MORE The IRS has granted tax return filing deadline extensions to May 1, 2025, for North Carolina resident individuals and businesses due to Hurricane Helene. The extension applies to individuals who had a valid filing extension in place for filing their return by October 15, 2024. The filing extension also applies to calendar year corporations whose […]
READ MORE In response to the widespread damage caused by Hurricane Helene, the IRS has officially extended the 1031 exchange deadlines for affected taxpayers (including all taxpayers in North Carolina and South Carolina). This extension provides crucial relief for property investors facing transaction delays due to the hurricane’s aftermath. Under the 1031 exchange rules, property owners typically […]
READ MORE Legal Alert: There are new federal reporting and compliance requirements under the Corporate Transparency Act that will impact many U.S. companies. As of January 1, 2024, a new reporting requirement has gone into effect that will require a broad range of entities to file a Beneficial Ownership Information (“BOI”) report with the United States Department […]
READ MORE As the newest member of the CE&C Commercial Real Estate Group, Madi Errichetti represents real estate investors, developers, and privately held businesses throughout all aspects of real estate transactions, including the financing, acquisition, exchange, development, leasing, and disposition of commercial property. Additionally, Madi assists clients with estate and wealth transfer planning to help preserve generational […]
READ MORE Chris Nolan joined us an attorney with CE&C’s Corporate Group. His practice focuses primarily on tax planning and corporate transactions, mergers and acquisitions, business succession planning, and tax controversy. Chris works closely with his clients to develop sophisticated planning strategies to minimize taxes, manage risk, and resolve complex tax and legal issues.
READ MORE Culp Elliott & Carpenter, PLLC is proud to have seven lawyers recognized by Best Lawyers ® in 2025 in America. William R. Culp, Jr. – Voted the Best Lawyers ® 2025 “Lawyer of the Year” for Litigation and Controversy in Tax in Charlotte, NC Curtis Elliott – Voted the Best Lawyers® 2025 “Lawyer of the […]
READ MORE Ben Dean has been selected to the 2024 North Carolina Rising Stars list for Estate and Probate. Each year, no more than 2.5 percent of the lawyers in the state are selected by the research team at Super Lawyers to receive this honor. Super Lawyers, part of Thomson Reuters, is a rating service of outstanding […]
READ MORE CE&C would like to congratulate our attorneys who have been recognized as 2024 North Carolina Super Lawyers. William R. Culp, Jr., for Tax W. Curtis Elliott, Jr., for Tax John J. (Jody) Carpenter for Estate and Probate Paul Hattenhauer for Estate and Probate Benjamin Ellis for Real Estate Each year, no more than five percent […]
READ MORE As the newest member of the CE&C Estate Planning team, Seth Elizondo’s practice focuses on estate planning, wealth transfer planning, and trust and estate administration. Through sophisticated planning, Seth assists individuals and families in minimizing income, estate, gift, and generation-skipping transfer taxes. He also helps clients realize non-tax objectives, such as charitable giving and business […]
READ MORE Charlotte, NC, United States, August 17, 2023 — Culp Elliott & Carpenter P.L.L.C. is pleased to announce that 7 lawyers have been included in the 2024 edition of The Best Lawyers in America®. Since it was first published in 1983, Best Lawyers has become universally regarded as the definitive guide to legal excellence. “For more […]
READ MORE Charlotte, NC, United States, August 17, 2023 — Culp Elliott & Carpenter P.L.L.C. attorney W. Curtis Elliott, Jr., was recently honored by Best Lawyers® 2024 as the “Lawyer of the Year” for both – Tax Law and Litigation and Controversy -Tax in Charlotte, NC. Only a single lawyer in each practice area and designated metropolitan […]
READ MORE Ben Dean has been selected to the 2023 North Carolina Rising Stars list for Estate and Probate. Each year, no more than 2.5 percent of the lawyers in the state are selected by the research team at Super Lawyers to receive this honor. Super Lawyers, part of Thomson Reuters, is a rating service of outstanding […]
READ MORE CE&C would like to congratulate our attorneys who have been recognized as 2023 North Carolina Super Lawyers. William R. Culp, Jr., for Tax W. Curtis Elliott, Jr., for Tax John J. (Jody) Carpenter for Estate and Probate Paul Hattenhauer for Estate and Probate Benjamin Ellis for Real Estate Each year, no more than five percent […]
READ MORE Nicholle Ruzal-Bron is an associate with the Firm’s Corporate group. Her practice focuses primarily on tax planning and corporate transactions, including mergers and acquisitions, business succession planning and complex issues relating to partnership taxation. Nicholle works closely with clients to develop and implement sophisticated planning strategies to minimize taxes, manage risk and structure closely held […]
READ MORE As the newest member of CE&C’s Commercial Real Estate Group, Brage A. Humphries represents real estate developers and investors through all phases of commercial real estate transactions, including the financing, acquisition, exchange, development, leasing and disposition of commercial property across various asset classes.
READ MORE Meghan B. Falk is an attorney with the Firm’s Estate Planning practice group. Her practice focuses on estate planning, wealth transfer planning, and trust and estate administration. Meghan helps individuals and families preserve wealth by minimizing income, gift and generation-skipping transfer taxes. She also assists clients in developing family businesses and achieving their charitable giving […]
READ MORE Charlotte, NC, United States, August 18, 2022 — Culp Elliott & Carpenter P.L.L.C. is pleased to announce that 7 lawyers have been included in the 2023 edition of The Best Lawyers in America®. Since it was first published in 1983, Best Lawyers has become universally regarded as the definitive guide to legal excellence. Culp Elliott […]
READ MORE Charlotte, NC, United States, August 18, 2022 — Culp Elliott & Carpenter P.L.L.C. attorney William R. Culp, Jr., received the accolade of Best Lawyers® 2023 “Lawyer of the Year” – Litigation and Controversy – Tax. Only a single lawyer in each practice area and designated metropolitan area is honored as the “Lawyer of the Year,” […]
READ MORE Ben Dean has been selected to the 2022 North Carolina Rising Stars list for Estate and Probate. Each year, no more than 2.5 percent of the lawyers in the state are selected by the research team at Super Lawyers to receive this honor. Super Lawyers, part of Thomson Reuters, is a rating service of outstanding […]
READ MORE CE&C would like to congratulate our attorneys who have been recognized as 2022 North Carolina Super Lawyers. William R. Culp, Jr., for Tax W. Curtis Elliott, Jr., for Tax John J. (Jody) Carpenter for Estate and Probate Paul Hattenhauer for Estate and Probate Benjamin Ellis for Real Estate Each year, no more than five percent […]
READ MORE As the newest member of the CE&C Estate Planning Group, Corinne represents clients for estate planning, trust and estate administration, and wealth transfer planning. Corinne joins us after completing her JD at Wake Forest School of Law. Her focus is preserving clients’ family wealth, developing family businesses and charitable giving while protecting wealth and assets […]
READ MORE Adam Webb joined CE&C as an attorney in the Commercial Real Estate Group. Adam represents real estate clients, developers and privately held businesses throughout all aspects of real estate transactions, including the purchase, sale and leasing of commercial property.
READ MORE Charlotte, NC, United States, August 19, 2021 — Culp Elliott & Carpenter P.L.L.C. is pleased to announce that 7 lawyers have been included in the 2022 edition of The Best Lawyers in America®. Since it was first published in 1983, Best Lawyers has become universally regarded as the definitive guide to legal excellence. “For more […]
READ MORE Charlotte, NC, United States, August 19, 2021 — Culp Elliott & Carpenter P.L.L.C. attorney W. Curtis Elliott, Jr., was recently recognized by Best Lawyers as the 2022 “Lawyer of the Year” for Trusts and Estates in Charlotte. Only a single lawyer in each practice area and designated metropolitan area is honored as the “Lawyer of […]
READ MORE Charlotte, NC, United States, August 19, 2021 — Culp Elliott & Carpenter P.L.L.C. attorney William R. Culp, Jr., was recently recognized by Best Lawyers as the 2022 “Lawyer of the Year” for Tax Law in Charlotte. Only a single lawyer in each practice area and designated metropolitan area is honored as the “Lawyer of the […]
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