Bill Powers

Bill Powers is a Board-Certified Criminal Law Specialist and the 2020 recipient of the North Carolina State Bar's honor, the John B. McMillan Distinguished Service Award. Powers Law Firm selected for inclusion in the Best Lawyers® "Best Law Firms" in 2010 - 2025 * and Bill has also been individually included in the publication Best Lawyers in America * since 2010. Selection for inclusion is based on the criteria and methodology established by Best Lawyers® "Best Law Firms". Bill Powers has also been recognized by Super Lawyers® North Carolina Magazine ** for 20 consecutive years (2007-2026), he is included in the 2026 North Carolina Super Lawyers® "Top 25 Lawyers in Charlotte" and the "Top 100 Lawyers in North Carolina." **

As the founder of Powers Law Firm, Bill has dedicated over three decades to high-stakes litigation and now focuses on DWI defense, vehicular homicide, and catastrophic personal injury. He is both a zealous advocate for the accused and a compassionate champion for those injured by negligence.

From his home base in Charlotte, Bill Powers provides sound, trusted legal advice to clients in Mecklenburg, Union, Iredell, and Gaston counties, while maintaining a select statewide practice for felony death by vehicle, misdemeanor death by vehicle, felony serious injury by vehicle, and serious injury and wrongful death cases.

With over 30 years of trial experience, he is widely recognized as a leading authority in North Carolina DWI defense, vehicular homicide, and catastrophic injury cases involving “drunk driving.”

*For more information on the criteria for selection for Best Lawyers® "Best Law Firms", go to: Methodology Overview

**For more information on the criteria for selection for Super Lawyers®, go to: The Super Lawyers Selection Process

As a former President of the North Carolina Advocates for Justice (2016-2017) and a member of the North Carolina State Bar Ethics Committee, Bill Powers has helped shape the legal landscape in which he practices. He has defended the rights of the accused (since 1992) and the injured (since 1996), bridging the gap between complex criminal defense and high-stakes civil litigation.

From his home base at Powers Law Firm in Charlotte, he provides strategic, thoughtful legal representation to clients in Mecklenburg, Union, Iredell, and Gaston counties, while maintaining a select statewide practice in felony death-by-vehicle and serious injury cases.

Bill Powers does not just practice the law. He is dedicated to teaching it to the next generation of lawyers and enforcement officers. He is the author of the NC DWI Quick Reference Guide, a legal resource utilized by attorneys across the state.

• The Governor’s Task Force: Since 2014, Bill has served on the North Carolina Statewide Impaired Driving Task Force, under three successive governors (McCrory, Cooper & Stein).
• Educating Law Enforcement: Bill regularly teaches at the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Academy, offering recruits and officers the critical perspective of defense counsel to help build the integrity of the judicial process.
• Mastering Advocacy: He regularly chairs and hosts premier Continuing Legal Education (CLE) programs, including the 2026 Top Notch CLE: Practical Strategies in Criminal Defense & DWI and Seminar Chair for the NCAJ 2025 Criminal Law Masters of Advocacy, helping peers with the technical precision demanded in high-stakes litigation.

Bill Powers recognizes that legal crises rarely exist in a vacuum. His experience defending impaired driving cases provides important, valuable insight when representing plaintiffs in civil litigation involving alcohol-related crashes.

This dual-perspective approach allows Powers Law Firm to handle the implications of criminal and civil law with dedication and compassion:

• Criminal Defense: Advocacy for DWI, felony death by vehicle, misdemeanor death by vehicle, and serious traffic offenses.
• Personal Injury: High-stakes representation for victims of wrongful death, trucking accidents, and catastrophic injury through our dedicated Personal Injury & Accident Legal Representation.
• Domestic & Family Law:Charlotte Divorce Lawyers, insightful counsel for families navigating the impact of substance use or mental health concerns in custody and divorce proceedings.

While many firms treat criminal defense and personal injury as separate worlds, Bill Powers utilizes his 30+ years of DWI defense insights to pursue accountability for negligent parties in civil court. This perspective can be particularly helpful in Wrongful Death and Drunk Driving accidents, where the criminal statutes and civil liability deserve a sophisticated, dual-lens approach.

Powers Law Firm serves as a primary legal resource for the Charlotte-Mecklenburg region, including:

• Mecklenburg County: Charlotte, Huntersville, Matthews
• Union County: Monroe, Indian Trail
• Iredell County: Mooresville, Statesville
• Gaston County: Gastonia, Belmont
• Rowan & Lincoln Counties
• Statewide: Consultation for Felony Death by Vehicle, Misdemeanor Death by Vehicle, and Serious Personal Injury litigation.

• Juris Doctor: Campbell University Norman Adrian Wiggins School of Law (Academic Scholarship, Teaching Assistant, Legal Research & Legal Writing, American Jurisprudence Book Award)
• Undergraduate: North Carolina State University (Scholars of the College)
• Board Certification: Board Certified Criminal Law Specialist by the National Board of Trial Advocacy (NBTA)
• Bar Admissions: North Carolina (1992)
• Professional Memberships: Founding Member, DUI Defense Lawyers Association; Member, Charlotte Collaborative Divorce Professionals; Founding Member of the Center for Legal Education and Advocacy (CLEA); Member, International Academy of Collaborative Professionals.