Areas of Practice Business Law & Taxation • Real Estate & Development • Wills, Trusts, Estate Planning & Estate Administration •
Mr. Gibson’s practice is concentrated in the areas of agribusiness law, estate planning and administration, corporate and business law, commercial transactions and intellectual property law.
Mr. Gibson’s agribusiness law practice includes representation of family and corporate farmers, timber growers, distributors, processors of agricultural products and investors, in a variety of areas, including corporate and business matters, real estate, transportation, regulatory, conservation easements, tax and estate planning. As a co-owner and manager of his family’s North Carolina Century Farm engaged in the production of row crops and timber, he is a fifth generation family farmer.
Mr. Gibson’s estate planning services include the preparation of wills, trusts, asset protection plans, estate succession plans, gifting, charitable giving, general and limited powers of attorney, guardianships, special needs planning, life insurance trusts, powers of attorney, health care powers of attorney, and living wills.
Mr. Gibson practices in the area of general corporate and business matters, including the planning, organization and governance of corporate entities, mergers, acquisitions, and dispositions of businesses, and business planning strategies. He also advises families on the transfer of family businesses to the next generation of owners and on asset protection plans. Mr. Gibson has experience in the representation of multinational companies and in international commercial transactions. Mr. Gibson also handles trademark and copyright matters, including the registration of state and federal trademarks, protection of trademark and copyright rights, name and brand selection, licensing, and internet activities.
A part of Mr. Gibson’s practice is devoted to the representation of non-profit and tax-exempt organizations, including the formation, operation, governance, merger or dissolution of such entities, and obtaining a determination of tax-exempt status from the Internal Revenue Service.
Mr. Gibson assists clients with aircraft ownership structure, organization of ownership entities, aircraft financing, purchases and leases, Federal Aviation Administration regulations, state and local tax laws, insurance, and import and export matters. He holds a commercial pilot’s license and serves on the panel of approved lawyers for the Legal Services Plan of the Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association.
Professional Experience
Representing a large multi-national manufacturing company with its operations in the U.S. and abroad.
Representing closely held business owners with entity selection, general corporate and business matters, succession planning, and asset protection strategies.
Representing aircraft owners, pilots and fixed base operators.
Professional Activities & Affiliations
- Member NCBA (Estate Planning and Fiduciary Law, Intellectual Property Law and Business Law Sections; Nominations Committee 2004 and 2005).
- Member, American Bar Association; North Carolina State Bar Association; Fifth Judicial District Bar Association, and New Hanover County Bar Association (member, Executive Committee, 1991-1992; member, real property section).
- Member, Fourth Circuit Judicial Conference; American Intellectual Property Lawyers Association; National Business Aircraft Association; New Hanover County Estate Planning Council;
- Member, Magistrate’s Selection Committee, U. S. District Court for Eastern District of North Carolina
- Member, American Agricultural Law Association (AALA).
Community Activities and Affiliations
- North Carolina Community Foundation, Inc. (Board of Directors); New Hanover Community Foundation, Inc. (Board of Directors and past President); North Carolina Aviation Museum, Inc. (Board of Directors); St. James Parish Foundation, Inc. (Board of Directors and past President); Episcopal Diocese of Eastern North Carolina Foundation, Inc. (Board of Directors and past President); Lower Cape Fear Hospice Foundation, Inc. (Board of Directors); Greater Wilmington Chamber Foundation, Inc. (Board of Directors and past President); Wilmington Civitan Club (Board of Directors and past President).
- St. James Episcopal Church (Senior Warden, Vestry, and Chancellor)
- Greater Wilmington Chamber of Commerce (Board of Directors and past President)
- Member, City of Wilmington Military Affairs Committee
- Member, Advisory Board, CresCom Bank
Honors & Awards
- New Hanover County Legal Services Pro Bono Award
- Governor’s Award for Service to Children
- Civitan Club Good citizenship Award
Article, Publications, Speeches
- Presenter at programs on estate planning and charitable giving.
- Lecturer on legal issues at FAA safety seminars.
- Author of published articles on aviation law.