Jim Hickmon is certified by the North Carolina State Bar Board of Legal Specialization as a Board Certified Legal Specialist in Estate Planning and Probate Law and is a Certified Financial Planner®. In addition to Super Lawyers, he is recognized through peer review by Martindale Hubbell as an AV Preeminent Peer Rated Lawyer and at Business North Carolina Legal Elite. He serves as an adjunct professor of law at Wake Forest University teaching Wealth Transfer and Fiduciary Income Taxation of Trusts and Estates to upper-level law students. Jim is admitted to practice before the State Bars of North Carolina and Virginia.
Jim is passionate about protecting family and closely held business owners through succession planning that protects family assets after the owner’s death keeping family businesses within families. He has counseled families with businesses across a spectrum of industries, from farming to real estate development and trucking to software engineering. He is the author of numerous articles surrounding this subject focusing on wealth transfer, tax, probate, and fiduciary responsibility. Jim’s work is published in both regional and national publications, including the Bureau of National Affairs’ Tax Management and Compensation Planning Journal. He is a contributing author to the North Carolina Bar Association’s Estate Administration Manual and Fiduciary Litigation holds an undergraduate degree in finance from the University of North Carolina, Wilmington, an MBA from East Carolina University and his law degree from the Wake Forest University School of Law.
Jim has involved himself in a number of charitable and community service organizations at the local, state, and national levels. He was selected by his fellow members of the Bar as a member of Business North Carolina magazine’s Legal Elite in the field of Tax and Estate Planning Law for 2010 and 2012. He is a member of the Charlotte chapter of the Financial Planning Association and the Charlotte Estate Planning Council.
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Practice Areas
25 years
25 years
25 years
25 years
We have not found any cost information for this lawyer
State: North Carolina
Acquired: 2004
No misconduct found
State: Virginia
Acquired: 2001
No misconduct found
5605 Carnegie Blvd., Suite 420, Charlotte, NC, 28209
charlotteestatelawyer.com/Other places you can find James online.
Showing 1 - 3 of 3 client reviews from Avvo
Posted by Richard | January 27, 2016 | Hired Attorney
I engaged Jim after a major investment firm froze all of my father’s assets, and subsequently the assets that I had with the firm as well. At 100 years of age my father had finally begun to succumb to a number of health issues. With diminished capacity as well as significant memory issues, he was d...
Posted by Bill | May 26, 2015
I desired a trust and associated documents to be completed. He and his firm handled that assignment very, very well. All work was done correctly, on time, and very professionally. I can not imagine a more satisfactory encounter.
Posted by David | September 19, 2011
My family and I called on Jim 5 years ago to assist us in entering into a Guardianship for our brother, who was deemed medically and legally an Incompetent. Jim's knowledge of the State Guardianship laws, coupled with his excellent preparation of the case, took us through Mediation and final Court h...
"I strongly endorse Jim Hickmon. I am a business lawyer and we worked together on common clients at a prior law firm. Jim has very strong skills regarding setting up an appropriate and well-designed estate plan for clients with complex legal and tax needs. You won't find estate matters that are too difficult for Jim Hickmon."
"When it is complicated and absolutely has to be done right, Jim always comes through. His understanding of business realities and the law makes him a true partner to business clients."
Business lawyer
Insurance lawyer
Elder law lawyer
Tax lawyer
Estate planning lawyer
Estate planning lawyer
Estate planning lawyer
Estate planning lawyer
Mediation lawyer
Criminal defense lawyer
Litigation lawyer
2025
Super Lawyer, Super Lawyers
2024
Super Lawyer, Super Lawyers
2023
Super Lawyer, Super Lawyers
2023
North Carolina Super Lawyers, Estates and Trusts Section, Thomson Reuters
2023
AV Preeminent 5.0 out of 5 Peer Review Rated, Martindale-Hubbell
2022
Super Lawyer, Super Lawyers
2022
North Carolina Super Lawyers, Estates and Trusts Section, Thomson Reuters
2022
AV Preeminent 5.0 out of 5 Peer Review Rated, Martindale-Hubbell
2021
Super Lawyer, Super Lawyers
2021
North Carolina Super Lawyers, Estates and Trusts Section, Thomson Reuters
2021
AV Preeminent 5.0 out of 5 Peer Review Rated, Martindale-Hubbell
2020
AV Preeminent 5.0 out of 5 Peer Review Rated, Martindale-Hubbell
2020
Super Lawyer, Super Lawyers
2020
North Carolina Super Lawyers, Estates and Trusts Section, Thomson Reuters
2019
Legal Elite - Tax and Estate Planning, Business North Carolina Magazine
2019
AV Preeminent 5.0 out of 5 Peer Review Rated, Martindale-Hubbell
2019
AV Preeminent 5.0 out of 5 Peer Review Rated, Martindale-Hubbell
2019
Super Lawyer, Super Lawyers
2018
Super Lawyer, Super Lawyers
2018
North Carolina Super Lawyers, Estates and Trusts Section, North Carolina Super Lawyers, Estates and Trusts Section
2018
North Carolina Super Lawyers, Estates and Trusts Section, Thomson Reuters
2017
Super Lawyer, Super Lawyers
2017
AV Preeminent 5.0 out of 5 Peer Review Rated, Martindale-Hubbell
2017
North Carolina Super Lawyers, Estates and Trusts Section, Thomson Reuters
2016
Super Lawyer, Super Lawyers
2016
North Carolina Super Lawyers, Estates and Trusts Section, Thomson Reuters
2016
Legal Elite - Tax and Estate Planning, Business North Carolina Magazine
2016
AV Preeminent 5.0 out of 5 Peer Review Rated, Martindale-Hubbell
2015
Legal Elite - Tax and Estate Planning, Business North Carolina Magazine
2015
AV Preeminent 5.0 out of 5 Peer Review Rated, Martindale-Hubbell
2014
Legal Elite - Tax and Estate Planning, Business North Carolina Magazine
2014
AV Preeminent 5.0 out of 5 Peer Review Rated, Martindale-Hubbell
2013
Legal Elite - Tax and Estate Planning, Business North Carolina Magazine
2013
AV Preeminent 5.0 out of 5 Peer Review Rated, Martindale-Hubbell
2012
AV Preeminent 5.0 out of 5 Peer Review Rated, Martindale-Hubbell
2012
Legal Elite - Tax & Estate Planning, Business North Carolina Magazine
2012
Five-Star Wealth Manager - Estate Planning, Charlotte Magazine
2011
AV Preeminent 5.0 out of 5 Peer Review Rated, Martindale-Hubbell
2011
Five Star Wealth Manager - Estate Planning, Charlotte Magazine
2010
North Carolina Legal Elite - Tax & Estate Planning, Business North Carolina Magazine
2010
Professional Services All-Star, Charlotte Business Journal
2010
Five Star Wealth Manager - Estate Planning, Charlotte Magazine
2009
Five Star Wealth Manager - Estate Planning, Charlotte Magazine
2002
Admitted, U.S. Tax Court
1996
Certified FInancial Planner (R), Certified Planner Board of Standards
N/A
Client Champion Award, Martindale-Hubbell
N/A
AV Preeminent Rated, Martindale-Hubbell
2012 - Present
Shareholder, Hickmon Law, PC
1900 - Present
Member, North Carolina Estate Planning & Fiduciary Law
2009 - 2012
Special Counsel, Hedrick Gardner Kincheloe & Garofalo, LLP
2006 - 2009
Shareholder, Hickmon Law, PC
2003 - 2006
Associate, McGuireWoods
2001 - 2003
Associate, Williams Mullen
2010 - Present
NC Bar Association Estate Planning & Fiduciary Law Ethics CommitteeMember
2007 - Present
NC Bar Association Estate Planning & Fiduciary Law Legislative CommitteeMember
2006 - Present
NC Bar Association, Estate Planning and Fiduciary Law SectionMember
2004 - Present
North Carolina State BarMember
2004 - Present
North Carolina Bar AssociationMember
2001 - Present
American Bar AssociationMember: Estate Planning & Employee Benefits Committees
2001 - Present
Virginia State BarMember
2001 - Present
Virginia Bar AssociationMember
1996 - Present
Financial Planning AssociationMember
Ruling for Plaintiffs/Beneficiaries
2001
JD - Juris Doctor
1996
MBA
1996
Certified Financial Planner Board
1992
BS - Bachelor of Science
2013
2012
Understanding & Mitigating the Federal Fiduciary Income Tax
2012
2012
Modifications to North Carolina's General Statutes Governing the Administration of Decedent's Estates
2011
2011
2011
2012
2012
2011
2003
2002
English
