The ownership torch at Greensboro, NC-based personal injury firm Ward Black Law was passed to Audrey and Gabriel Snyder on January 7 of this year. They have practiced with the firm for nine and eight years, respectively.
“We’ve got a really strong culture and team and a really strong presence in the community that we’re going to continue to push forward with and make sure our client service remains steady through this transition,” said Audrey.
“The transition follows years of intentional planning by founder Janet Ward Black, who invested deeply in preparing the next generation of leadership and ensuring a strong foundation for the firm’s future, which would be committed to her mission to seek justice, give generously, and love lavishly,” said the firm in announcing the sale.
Black was diagnosed in May 2025 with ALS. She passed away on November 2, 2025.
Janet Ward Black founded the firm in 2006 and grew it to one of the largest woman-owned law firms in the state. She served as the president of the North Carolina Advocates for Justice and the North Carolina Bar Association. She received the inaugural Trailblazer Award by the NCBA and was inducted into the NCBA Legal Hall of Fame in 2025 before her passing.
Faith-Based Firm
Gabriel and Audrey Snyder met when they were undergraduate students at Campbell University, later graduating together from Campbell Law.
Audrey is a past president of the North Carolina Association for Women Attorneys and chair of the North Carolina Advocates for Justice women’s caucus and products liability, class actions & mass torts sections.
Gabriel has served in leadership roles with the North Carolina Advocates for Justice, including as chair of the auto torts and premises liability sections.
“We share Janet Ward’s faith,” said Audrey. “We are going to continue to be a Christian-led law firm, which certainly shapes a lot about our culture and our character, serving the seriously injured. And all our business decisions need to be aligned with that sort of culture.”
“As a profession, we’re known for being cutthroat, doing whatever it takes to win,” said Gabriel. “And while that’s true for us on behalf of our clients as far as our advocacy, I think that we recognize that as a personal injury firm, when clients come to us, they have lost something. And that the only thing that we can give them historically has been money.”
“And as a firm, we want to do a better job of filling their cups, not only with money to help them recover, but with the Holy Spirit, if you will,” Audrey said. “The love and care that they need and deserve during and after their time as our client.”
“Ward Black Law has always been defined by its people and its purpose,” explained Gabriel. “Audrey and I are dedicated to preserving that legacy and making sure our clients continue to receive the representation, compassion, and support they deserve.”
Growth Plan
The firm has five attorneys and a staff of 27. It will continue to be based in its current offices in Greensboro. “But we are looking to grow, not just stay where we’re at,” said Gabriel. The firm hopes to open offices in Winston-Salem and Kernersville and expand to the west.
The firm will continue to be heavily involved in the community. It will continue its decades-long commitments to Women Build, a national Habitat for Humanity initiative, the Marine Corps’ Toys for Tots drive and supporting nonprofits across the state.
Ward Black Law
208 W. Wendover Ave
Greensboro, NC 27401
(336) 333-2244
www.wardblacklaw.com
