John practices in the areas of estate planning and tax law. His estate planning and administration practice focuses on wills, trusts, and powers of attorney, in addition to more sophisticated planning with charitable trusts, insurance trusts, business succession, and structured gifts. In his tax practice, John works with individuals, businesses, and families to minimize taxation of personal and professional transactions. He has been designated as a Board Certified Specialist in Estate Planning and Probate Law by the North Carolina State Bar Board of Legal Specialization.
Practice Highlights
- John has extensive experience with creative solutions for business succession and charitable planning as part of an overall estate plan. He teams with other Van Winkle attorneys to incorporate estate planning as part of the law firm’s overall representation of a client’s legal matters. His focus is on prompt and thorough work, with attention to detail, even for the most common cases that do not involved sophisticated business and tax issues..
Professional Affiliations
- 28th Judicial District Bar
- Land of Sky Estate Planning Council
- Past President
- North Carolina Bar Association, 1996-present
- Estate Planning & Fiduciary Law Section, 1997-present
- Council Member, 2005-present
- Tax Section, 1997-present
- Estate Planning & Fiduciary Law Section, 1997-present
Recognitions
- Board Certified Specialist in Estate Planning and Probate Law by the North Carolina State Board of Legal Specialization

