Stephen M. Bennett

Stephen M. Bennett grew up in Marietta, South Carolina and graduated from Travelers Rest High School. Mr. Bennett continued his education at the University of South Carolina Honors College, where he received his bachelor’s degree with a major in Chemistry in 2003. Thereafter, Mr. Bennett received his Masters in Healthcare Administration in 2005, also from the University of South Carolina.

Mr. Bennett then attended the University of South Carolina School of Law, graduating cum laude in 2008. While in law school, Mr. Bennett received the academic CALI Award for Real Property, Administrative Law, and Family Law. Additionally, he was an Articles Editor for the ABA Real Property, Probate, & Trust Journal.

After graduation and admittance to the North Carolina State Bar, Mr. Bennett moved to the Charlotte area, entering private practice. Mr. Bennett’s main practice areas include General Civil Litigation, Business Litigation, Real Estate Litigation, Business Law, Land Use Development, and Estate Planning.

He is an experienced attorney and has handled a variety of cases in North Carolina District Court, North Carolina Superior Court, North Carolina Business Court, the North Carolina Court of Appeals, and in Federal Court, specifically in the Western District of North Carolina.

Additionally, Mr. Bennett regularly represents landowners and developers before county and municipal boards and councils.

Prior to his licensure, Stephen worked as a summer law clerk for Haynsworth Sinkler and Boyd, P.A. in Greenville, South Carolina, and Womble Carlyle Sandridge & Rice, LLP in Greensboro, North Carolina. He has also worked with the South Carolina Department of Health and Environmental Control, and Yellowstone National Park.

He is currently a member of the North Carolina Bar Association, the North Carolina State Bar, and the Union County Bar Association. Stephen was also named Business North Carolina’s Legal Elite in 2017 in the field of Litigation.

Mr. Bennett met his wife in law school, and they now reside in Waxhaw, North Carolina with their two sons.

Business Law. An attorney practicing business law should be well versed in the expansive field of all legal issues that might arise during the lifespan of a business. This would include forming new business entities for clients as well as developing the client's operating agreement or by laws, review of various contracts a business encounters in its daily operations (e.g. vendor contracts, lease agreements), review and generation of various agreements for the internal operation of the business (noncompete agreements, stock buy back or retirement agreements), litigation involving the business (contract based lawsuits, allegations of fraud or mismanagement, interference with other businesses), representing a business during an acquisition of another business or its own acquisition, and representation during the dissolution and winding up of a business.

Civil Litigation. General civil litigation is the broad field of legal disputes that are not criminal in nature and do not encompass family law issues. This can run the gamut of claims involving breach of contract, allegations of fraud or misrepresentation, most lawsuits involving real estate (such as representing buyers or sellers in real estate purchases gone wrong, attempts by the government to "take" someone's land, representing landowners in lawsuits regarding claims to the ownership of their land (i.e. title issues or adverse possession type claims), or stormwater related property damage), challenges to the provisions of a will or efforts to remove someone from administering an estate, allegations of unfair competition, victims of financial fraud, and disputes with governmental entities such as zoning violations and the like.

Estate Planning. An estate planning attorney aids clients in the preparation for their eventual death. In short, clients should have four (4) main estate planning documents: (1) a will or will substitute (i.e. a living trust), (2) a general durable power of attorney, (3) a health care power of attorney, and (4) a living will or declaration of desire for a natural death. A Will or Will Substitute, such as a Trust is used to determine who receives your assets upon death. A General Durable Power of Attorney appoints a person to handle your financial affairs if you are unable or unwilling to do so yourself. A Health Care Power of Attorney appoints a person to make medical decisions on your behalf if you are unable to make them yourself. A Living Will or Declaration of Desire for a Natural Death allows you to make end of life choices according to your own wishes.

Land Use Development. With the booming growth in the Charlotte area, many changes to the use of land have and will take place. An effective land use attorney can help guide clients through this changing market in multiple ways. Real estate developers often need local representation in efforts to rezone or entitle tracts of land for future residential and/or commercial development. In particular, a qualified land use attorney can engage in effective negotiation with a municipality or governmental entity on behalf of a client or represent clients before governmental planning boards, councils, and/or boards of adjustment to obtain required rezoning, variances, or special use permits. Additionally, qualified land use attorneys are able to aid clients with post-zoning related issues they encounter that have slowed the acquisition of various development and building permits.