About Us

W. Woods Doster

Woods specializes in wills, trusts, powers of attorney, and the process of management and transfer of wealth from one generation to the next. He also practices in the areas of business planning and real estate.

“I enjoy helping my clients to set their goals, and then working with those clients to achieve those goals,” Woods said. “That might be deciding how to arrange their estates, or how best to structure the purchase of a business, or how to save taxes on the sale of a farm. When I created this firm I set three core values: trust, experience and respect. Everything we do for our clients is guided by those three values.”

Woods is certified by the North Carolina State Bar as a specialist in the area of Estate Planning and Probate Law, and has been for 25 years. He welcomes new clients who want an attorney to help them work through their problems to achieve their objectives.

Woods Doster was born in Charlotte, NC. He graduated from South Mecklenburg High School, and then attended the University of North Carolina. At UNC, Woods was a member of Lambda Chi Alpha fraternity, and worked as a reporter for The Daily Tar Heel, UNC’s daily student newspaper. He received his Bachelor’s degree in Journalism.

Upon graduation from college, Woods began a career as a reporter for the Associated Press. He reported from bureaus in Raleigh, Charlotte and Atlanta. Woods returned to UNC to enter law school, where he wrote his way onto the law review, and won the moot court competition. He continued on to receive his Juris Doctor degree.

Following graduation from law school, Woods returned home to Charlotte, NC, and joined the law firm of Cruciani and Falls, a bankruptcy firm. He married his wife, Kathryn Jones Doster from Greensboro, NC, and when their first child was on the way, Woods and Kathryn decided that Charlotte was too large and they went looking for a smaller town.

They found that town in Sanford, NC, where Woods began practicing with the law firm of Staton, Gavin, Perkinson and West.

Woods and Kathryn have two children. Will has his Master’s Degree in Logistics and Supply Chain Management and a third mate’s license in the U.S. Merchant Marine; and Jenny is a Content Architect at Oxford University Press in New York City.

Bar Admissions

• North Carolina
• United States Fourth Circuit Court of Appeals
• U.S. District Court for the Western District of North Carolina
• U.S. District Court for the Middle District of North Carolina

Education

• Juris Doctor, University of North Carolina
• Bachelor of Arts, University of North Carolina

Honors, Awards, & Certifications

• Board certified specialist in Estate Planning and Probate Law
• Chairman, Estate Planning and Fiduciary Law Section, North Carolina Bar Association
• Editor, The Will and the Way, newsletter of the Estate Planning & Fiduciary Law Section of the North Carolina Bar Association
• President, Lee County Bar Association
• Chairman of the Sanford Area Chamber of Commerce
• Member, Sanford Environmental Affairs Board
• Member, Lee County Environmental Affairs Board
• Member, Board of Directors, East Central Community Legal Services Corp.
• Chairman, Local Board, Wachovia Bank & Trust
• Member, St. Luke United Methodist Church
• Paul Harris Fellow, Rotary International
• Member, Sanford Rotary Club

---

J. Grant Brown

John “Grant” Brown was born and raised in Sanford, NC. He graduated from Lee County High School where he played baseball and basketball. After high school, Grant attended North Carolina State University. Grant graduated Cum Laude from NC State with a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration with a concentration in Finance and a minor in Law and Justice.

After NC State, Grant enrolled at North Carolina Central University’s School of Law. While in law school, Grant spent two summers interning at Doster, Post, Foushee, Post, & Patton where he gained valuable experience in many different legal fields. Additionally, during his third year of law school, Grant was a part of the School’s Consumer Financial Transaction Clinic. This clinic gave him hands-on experience in putting clients in better financial situations. Soon after, Grant obtained his Juris Doctor with Cum Laude honors.

After passing the North Carolina Bar Exam, Grant joined the Law Offices of W. Woods Doster. Grant’s areas of practice continue his experience in transactional work with a focus on Estate Planning, Real Estate transactions, Business Formations, and Contract Disputes.

Away from work, Grant enjoys spending time with family and friends. He is married to his high school sweetheart, Lexie Anne, who is a teacher in the Lee County Public Schools. Grant also enjoys playing golf and pulling for the Wolfpack.

Bar Admissions

North Carolina

Education

• Bachelor of Science, North Carolina State University
• Juris Doctor, North Carolina Central University

Professional Associations

• North Carolina State Bar
• Lee County Bar Association 
• North Carolina Bar Association, Real Estate Section 
• Young Lawyers Division