Tharrington Smith, LLP

On September 1, 1964, Harold Tharrington and Wade Smith, classmates at UNC-Chapel Hill, opened the doors of their new law firm. They welcomed any client who walked in, paying or not. They survived, soon prospered, and in the next few years they were joined by Wade’s brother, Roger, and by Wade Hargrove. The firm became Tharrington, Smith & Hargrove and began developing its eclectic collection of specialties. Tharrington eased into a family law practice; the Smiths focused on criminal defense; and Hargrove started to build a radio/television practice. Though these became the best known parts of the firm’s work, the lawyers continued to accept any kind of case that arose. By 1985, when the firm moved to its former location at 209 Fayetteville Street, there were a dozen lawyers on hand and a new specialty, education law. When George Rogister joined the firm, he brought his client, the Wake County Board of Education, followed soon by the North Carolina School Boards Association, and over time, the Boards for Edgecombe, Durham, Person, Hertford and numerous other North Carolina counties.