2025 Citizen Lawyer Award: B. Joan Davis
B. Joan Davis is a North Carolina native, with over three decades of legal experience. She is a partner at Howard Stallings Law Firm, a firm based in Raleigh, North Carolina, where she focuses her practice in eminent domain and condemnation law, civil litigation, personal injury, and wrongful death cases.
Joan represents a diverse clientele, including Fortune 100 and Fortune 500 companies, real estate developers, shopping centers, retailers, lenders, and individuals seeking justice. Her notable clients include McDonald’s Corporation, Walgreens, Harris Teeter, and Sheetz. She has achieved multiple recoveries exceeding a million dollars for her corporate and individual clients, earning her lifetime membership in the Multi-Million Dollar Advocates Forum.
She has repeatedly been ranked among the Best Lawyers in America by US News & World Report. Her peers have recognized her with numerous accolades, including recognition from Super Lawyers and NC Business Magazine’s Legal Elite, and she has received an AV Preeminent Rating from Martindale-Hubbell for her adherence to the highest ethical standards.
She is also an accomplished author and speaker, having published numerous articles on eminent domain issues, including “What Commercial Landlords, Tenants and Lenders Need to Know about Eminent Domain” and “Eminent Domain and Condemnation: 5 Essential Steps to Protect Your Commercial Property.” Her work has been included in the National Anthology of Best Practices for Eminent Domain and Economic Growth. She has been a frequent speaker at UNC’s Festival of Learning, NCAJ’s Land Condemnation Continuing Education Conference, and the National Business Institute’s Continuing Education Series.
Beyond her legal practice, Joan is actively involved in community service. She serves as Vice Chair of the Board of Directors of Cary Academy, chairs their Governance Committee, and is an active participant in their Diversity & Inclusion Committee. She has served as past chair for the North Carolina Advocates for Justice’s Land Condemnation Section and was a founding member of the Board of Trustees for Art for Hospice, Inc. and Cards from the Heart, Inc. whose efforts to comfort the sick, elderly, and shut-ins have been featured in the Wall Street Journal and recognized by President Joe Biden, respectively. Additionally, she has served on the Board of Trustees for the Montessori Community School in Chapel Hill and chairs the architectural review and community relations committees for her homeowner’s association in Durham, NC, where she has twice received the Durham Inter-neighborhood Council’s Neighborhood Hero Award.
Joan is a graduate of Peace College and UNC-Chapel Hill, and she earned her Juris Doctor with honors from the University of North Carolina School of Law.
Through her professional achievements and ongoing community service, Joan Davis exemplifies the impact of a principled, compassionate, and results-driven attorney committed to justice and service.