Peggy M. Saunders

Peggy Saunders joined the law firm in March of 2007. Her practice focuses in the areas of real property law, estate planning, estate administration, contracts, and business transactions. She handles both residential and commercial real estate closings and has coordinated complex transactions. She has experience in the acquisition of conservation easements and public lands, joint ventures between private individuals and municipal governments, and like-kind exchanges. She has represented several land developers and has been involved in creating several subdivisions and homeowners associations. She also has experience in trusts and elder law and routinely advises clients in matters regarding asset protection. She currently serves as town attorney for the Town of Connelly Springs.

A native of Rutherford County, North Carolina, Peggy graduated from Berea College, Berea, Kentucky, with a Bachelor of Arts degree in English. After receiving a Masters of Arts degree from the University of North Carolina at Greensboro, she taught English at Freedom High School. In 1989, she obtained her J. D. degree from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, where she was a staff member of the North Carolina Law Review for two years. After graduation, she returned to Morganton and joined the law firm of Byrd, Byrd, Ervin, Whisnant, McMahon & Ervin, P.A., where she became a partner. Her practice there focused on residential and commercial real estate and other property matters, but she  also gained experience in other areas, including estate planning and administration, and business law. She continued these areas of practice when she became a solo practitioner in 2001. Peggy has been recognized with an AV Preeminent® rating from Martindale-Hubbell Peer Review.

Peggy has been active in a number of civic and community activities, including serving on the Board of Directors for the Burke County Chapter of the American Red Cross, the Burke County Chamber of Commerce, the Burke Council on Alcoholism and Chemical Dependency, the Burke Literacy Council, and the local board for the Bank of Granite (now Community 1).  In 1996, she was named Burke County Woman of the Year. She was awarded the Clara Barton Volunteer Award and Board Member of the Year from the Burke County Chapter of the American Red Cross. She was selected by the National American Red Cross to receive training as an instructor in International Humanitarian Law and facilitated numerous seminars locally and regionally. Peggy is an active member of Zion Baptist Church in the Oak Hill community. She and her husband, C. J., have one son, Jake.