Van Winkle Law Firm celebrates centennial

April 17, 2007 — When Kingsland Van Winkle and Thomas J. Harkins opened their law office in June 1907, they laid the groundwork for a practice that would be involved in some of the region’s most notable events. Today, as The Van Winkle Law Firm celebrates its centennial, the firm remains dedicated to shaping the community, through both its work and a commitment to philanthropy.

Early in their practice, Van Winkle and Harkins assisted George W. Vanderbilt’s widow, Edith, with the transfer of land that would help create Pisgah National Forest, the first national forest east of the Mississippi. (The original title notes for this transaction are still on file at the firm’s office.) More recent work has included helping create Pisgah Legal Services, a community-based nonprofit providing free legal assistance to low-income residents in Western North Carolina, and serving as counsel for Pack Square Conservancy as it revitalizes the area around City-County Plaza, which – coincidentally – served as the original location for The Van Winkle Law Firm.

Early city phone directories show the firm’s location as Southwest Pack Square before it moved into the Legal Building on Market Street, and then into the Jackson Building – Asheville’s first skyscraper – in the 1920s. In subsequent moves necessitated by the firm’s growth, the office relocated to 18 Church Street in 1952 and then, in 1986, to its present location at 11 North Market Street. In the fall of 1988, Van Winkle opened a second office in Hendersonville to serve the booming population in southern Buncombe County and Henderson County.

Today, The Van Winkle Law Firm is one of the oldest practices in the state and the largest firm west of Charlotte. It has expanded its reach to include clients throughout North Carolina and the Southeast while building its list of services as well. The firm’s roster of practice areas (24) is the most extensive in the area, going beyond litigation to include services such as tax, zoning and land use, mergers and acquisitions, bankruptcy, securities, antitrust and trade regulation, employment, healthcare, construction, real estate law, and environmental law.

“The firm has been careful and deliberate in bringing in new attorneys, seeking to train them in practice areas that will be suitable, productive, and satisfying, ensuring long-term service to the firm and the community,” said O.E. Starnes, a principal who has been with the firm for nearly 50 years.

Firm President Philip Smith said the firm strives to be the most comprehensive source of legal services in the area. “Our goal is become a trusted partner in all of our clients’ business and personal dealings,” he said. “By doing so, we’re able to better address all of their affairs while anticipating any needs that may arise in the future.”

Throughout the history of The Van Winkle Law Firm, its attorneys have balanced their professional work with extensive civic involvement. They’re currently active in organizations such as Asheville Art Museum; Asheville Buncombe Community Christian Ministries; Big Brothers, Big Sisters; The Community Foundation of Western North Carolina; Habitat for Humanity; Literacy Council of Buncombe County; Pisgah Legal Services; United Way; and multiple hospital foundations. Since 2003, the firm has sponsored Asheville’s Light Up Your Holidays fireworks display.

To celebrate its centennial, Van Winkle has developed a new partnership with Asheville Art Museum. The firm will match up to $50,000 in contributions to its new Give 100 campaign, which is raising money for the museum’s Literacy Through Art program. Through this program, the museum provides art education to students in rural and urban Western North Carolina Schools, sending artists into classrooms to work with youth on projects that combine sketching, painting, sculpting and music with reading and writing.

As a result, children see better grades and increased confidence, building talents that will help them excel as they continue their education and enter the workforce.

“The Asheville Art Museum’s Literacy Through Art program is the perfect match for the firm’s fundraising endeavor because of the long-term positive effect it has on the participants and, thus, our greater community,” Smith said. “We’re proud to work with the museum to offset decreased government funding and enrich the lives of children who will become leaders of our region.”

As The Van Winkle Law Firm heads into its second century of service, the firm plans further expansion of its services and a continued focus on incorporating the latest technologies into its practice. But above all, firm leaders remain wholly committed to community and client service.

"As laws change and Western North Carolina continues to grow, the opportunities for new areas of service and expertise will arise," said Starnes. "Our goal is to always be truly attuned to the needs of the communiyt, on both a professional and an altruistic level."