About Stephen
Stephen Baynard is one of the most actively recognized defense attorneys in southeastern North Carolina. A 1990 graduate of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and a 1993 graduate of Campbell University School of Law, Mr. Baynard has built a career defined by both courtroom achievement and extraordinary leadership within the legal community.
Mr. Baynard's trial practice centers on civil litigation, insurance defense, products liability, and construction law. He has an extensive record of favorable outcomes for his clients, including multiple successful summary judgments, appellate victories, and defense verdicts across North Carolina's state and federal courts.
His leadership within the profession is unmatched among his peers in the region. Mr. Baynard has served as President of both the 5th Judicial District Bar (2005) and the 6th Judicial District Bar (2019), encompassing New Hanover and Pender Counties. He chaired the North Carolina Conference of Bar Presidents (2009) and served on the Chief Justice's Commission on Professionalism.
Within the North Carolina Association of Defense Attorneys, Mr. Baynard served a three-year term on the Executive Board (2017–20) and chaired multiple practice groups including Young Lawyers, General Liability, and Construction Law. In 2018, the NCADA selected Mr. Baynard and partner Maynard Brown to author an Amicus Brief on behalf of the association — a distinction reserved for the organization's most trusted legal minds.
Mr. Baynard is a sought-after speaker on insurance defense and litigation topics, having presented to claims handlers for North Carolina Farm Bureau and at NCADA annual meetings.
Notable Case Results: • Court of Appeals upheld dismissal at Trial Court level on a case of first impression in workers' compensation subrogation • Summary Judgment obtained in Columbus County in a child dart-out pedestrian case • Court of Appeals upheld Summary Judgment in trip-and-fall defense • Successfully dismissed litigation and defended appeal from Brunswick County Civil Trial Superior Court
Reported Cases
Robinson v. Leach, 514 S.E.2d 567 (1999); 350 N.C. 835, 539 S.E.2d 293 (1999)
Moore v. Cincinnati Ins., 147 N.C.App. 761, 556 S.E.2d 682 (2001)
Wolfson v. Cox, 164 N.C.App. 601, 596 S.E.2d 473 (2004)
Parker v. Willis, 606 S.E.2d 184 (N.C. App. 2004); 359 N.C. 411, 612 S.E.2d 322 (2005)
Smith v. Murrell, 605 S.E.2d 742 (2004)
Hailey v. Terminix Co. of North Carolina, Inc., 646 S.E.2d 443 (2007)
Moore v. Rhodes, 190 N.C.App. 822, 662 S.E.2d 36 (2008)
Hewett v. Weisser, 364 N.C. 129, 695 S.E.2d 759 (2009)
Other Attorneys at the Firm
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