The 2016 Triad Business Journal 40 Under Forty Awards were twice as nice for Womble Carlyle.

Womble Carlyle attorneys Edward Griggs and Gemma Saluta both were honored in a Feb. 18th ceremony at the University of North Carolina-Greensboro’s Elliott University Center. Griggs and Saluta also are profiled in a special publication of the Triad Business Journal.

Womble Carlyle alum Mark Johnson, now Corporate Counsel at Inmar Inc., also was honored as a 40 Under Forty winner.

The Triad Business Journal wrote that Griggs “has built a growing practice specializing in estates, gifts and charitable planning, including recently reorganizing a client’s structure and creating a for-profit subsidiary to allow for the sale of intellectual property without creating unrelated business income taxes. A past president of Ronald McDonald House, he also lends his legal expertise to the community including helping two volunteers establish a charity to assist foster children and assisting the N.C. Eugenics Project, which obtains compensation for people who were sterilized against their will.”

The paper said Saluta “defends manufacturers, sellers, distributors and other businesses against claims, with one of her most significant cases being the successful defense of a toy retailer at Hanes Mall against a $13 million lawsuit over a claim of personal injury. Her community service and pro bono work in 2014 earned her the N.C. Bar Association’s Citizen Lawyer award. She has led her firm’s participation in the Women’s fund of Winston-Salem’s Social Change Exchange addressing rape and sexual assault, while also serving with United Way’s Family Violence Impact Council.” 

The annual 40 Under 40 awards, now in their 13th year, recognize accomplished leaders in the Triad between the ages of 21 and 40 who are leaving an indelible mark on their professions, as well as the community by pouring themselves into local nonprofits and causes, addressing issues ranging from education to poverty to social injustice to bolstering the quality of life in the Triad.

Edward Griggs focuses his practice on the areas of wealth transfer planning, charitable planning, trust and estate administration, and fiduciary litigation. Griggs provides customized, sophisticated and comprehensive tax and charitable planning for individual clients. In addition, he advises charitable and education clients about governance, tax compliance, grant-making and fundraising issues. He practices in Womble Carlyle’s Winston-Salem office.

Gemma Saluta defends manufacturers, sellers, distributors and other businesses in product liability litigation. She also has experience counseling health care providers regarding medical records privacy issues, cases involving incentive loans to recruit doctors and workers’ compensation matters.  Saluta practices in Womble Carlyle’s Winston-Salem office.