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President

Mike Wells PRESIDENT North Carolina Bar Association mikew@wellsjenkins.com

R. Michael Wells Sr. of Winston-Salem was installed as president of the North Carolina Bar Association on Saturday evening, June 23, at the 2012 NCBA Annual Meeting. The 118th president of the NCBA, he succeeds Martin Brinkley of Raleigh.

Areas of Practice

• Estate Planning
• Estate Administration
• Medicaid Planning and Elder Law
• Real Estate
• Civil Litigation
• Personal Injury
• Workers' Compensation
• Bankruptcy

Education

• University of Virginia (B.A., 1971)
• Wake Forest University (J.D., 1974)
• Member of Law Review (1972 - 1974)

Profile

• Elected to the Academic Affairs Committee of the Wake Forest University Baptist Medical Center, 2011.
• Elected to the Wake Forest University Baptist Medical Center Research Park board, 2010.
• Elected as Fellow of the American Bar Foundation in August 2010. (Recognition of outstanding achievements, dedication to the welfare of community and highest principles of the legal profession.)
• Listed in North Carolina "Super Lawyers" for 2006, 2007, 2009, and 2010 (selection criteria available at www.superlawyers.com
• Chosen by Triad Business Magazine as one of the most influential people in the Triad in 2007, 2008, 2009, and 2010.
• Hosts weekly public service call-in radio show "You and the Law" on WSJS 600-1200 AM.
• Author of monthly column on legal issues for the Winston-Salem Journal.
• Regular contributor to WFDD radio, the local National Public Radio affiliate, of a series entitled "What I Learned about Life on the Way to the Courthouse".
• Licensed to practice law in North Carolina and West Virginia.
• Licensed to practice law before the United States Supreme Court.
• Served as law clerk to the North Carolina Supreme Court.
• Served as adjunct professor of law at Wake Forest University, and lectures regularly at the Law School.
• Author of over twenty-five manuscripts for continuing legal education programs for North Carolina lawyers on a variety of legal topics.
• Awarded the United Way of North Carolina 2006 Chairman Award (recognition of outstanding leadership, service and commitment to the United Way); Chairman of the Forsyth County Community Campaign, 2006.
• Selected as Citizen Lawyer by the North Carolina Bar Association 2007 (recognition based upon recipient's service to community and profession of law).
• Recipient of the Duke Energy Citizenship & Community Service Award, 2007
• Recipient of the Paul Fulton Tocqueville Leadership Society Award, 2011

Professional Activities

• President-Elect, North Carolina Bar Association, 2011-12
• Board of Governors, North Carolina Bar Association, 2007 - 2011; Executive Committee 2009-2010
• United Way of Forsyth County, Board of Directors, 2003 - present; Chairman 2010 - 2011
• Department of Social Services, Board Member, 2008 - present
• Winston-Salem Alliance, Board of Directors, 2008 - 2011
• Winston-Salem Business, Inc., Board of Advisors, 2007 - present
• North Carolina Baptist Hospital, Board of Trustees, 2005 - 2008, 2010 - present
• Forsyth Technical Community College, Board of Trustees, 1994 - 2006
• North Carolina State Bar Ethics Committee, 1994 - 2000
• An inaugural member of North Carolina Bar Association Task Force on Alternatives to Litigation, 1985 - 1987, that led to mandatory mediation in civil litigation matters in North Carolina
• North Carolina Bar Association Communications Committee Chairman, 2004 - 2006
• Past Chairman of Wake Forest University Planned Giving Council
• Member of Estate Planning Council of Winston-Salem
• Member of Estate Planning and Fiduciary Law Section of the North Carolina Bar Association
• National Association of Elder Law Attorneys
• President, Reynolda Rotary, 1989 - 1990
• Graduate of Leadership North Carolina (Inaugural Class) and Leadership Winston-Salem

Personal

• Active member of Rotary
• Active member of his church; adult Sunday School teacher for over 15 years
• Married for 40 years, proud father of three children, and grandfather of two grandchildren
• Favorite service activities are tutoring high school students who are "at risk" of dropping out of school, and volunteering legal advice to at-risk citizens on common legal issues.