Williams Mullen Adds Three Attorneys from Smith Moore Leatherwood

Williams Mullen is pleased to announce that Ramona C. “Mona” O’Bryant, Amber R. Duncan and Anne C. “Annie” Warren have joined the firm. All three formerly worked at Smith Moore Leatherwood. Ms. O’Bryant and Ms. Duncan joined the firm as partners, and Ms. Warren joined as of counsel. The team has extensive experience advising clients on administrative and regulatory law, including tobacco-related laws and regulations and environmental compliance.

“We are thrilled that Mona, Amber and Annie are joining Williams Mullen,” Carolinas Managing Partner David Paulson said. “Their experience addressing complex federal and multistate compliance and regulatory issues will be an asset to clients throughout our firm.”

Ms. O’Bryant has more than three decades of experience representing clients in a bevy of administrative law matters. She has been recognized by Chambers USA for her work in environmental law each year since 2007 and was selected to Business North Carolina’s Legal Elite Hall of Fame in Environmental Law in 2011. Her environmental counseling practice includes environmental compliance, planning and permitting, administrative proceedings and more. Ms. O’Bryant also advises clients on the regulation of tobacco-related products at the federal, state and local levels.

Ms. Duncan helps highly regulated businesses comply with advertising, tax, licensing and promotional issues. She represents clients in the tobacco-related product industry on compliance and business issues that arise under federal and state law related to the manufacture, distribution, retail sale (including e-commerce) and marketing of tobacco-related products.  Amber enjoys counseling clients on launching compliant consumer sweepstakes, promotions and contests and designing their social media campaigns to be compliant with federal, state and platform-specific requirements. Ms. Duncan advises public and private corporations, banks and other financial institutions on sophisticated business transactions, securities filings and corporate governance issues. She was honored as one of the Charlotte Business Journal’s Top 40 Under 40 in 2018, and she has been named among Business North Carolina’s “Legal Elite” (2017-present).

Ms. Warren also helps highly regulated businesses with issues relating to tax, licensing and promotional activities. She represents tobacco-related industry clients on compliance issues that arise under federal, state and local law. She also has extensive litigation experience and has represented clients in product liability, general tort and business litigation matters.

Ms. O’Bryant and Ms. Warren earned their Juris Doctor degrees from the University of North Carolina School of Law, and Ms. Duncan earned hers from the Wake Forest University School of Law. All three join Williams Mullen’s Raleigh office and will also have workspace in Greensboro and Charlotte.