Portrait of Clayton Curry, Jr.

Clayton Curry, Jr.

Affiliated Counsel

Smithy Curry’s legal practice focuses on the representation of real estate developers, investors, contractors and owners in connection with the acquisition, development and management of real estate projects, including residential subdivisions, condominiums, apartments, multi-use projects, hotels and office buildings.

Smithy feels fortunate to have established a long-lasting and ongoing working relationship with many clients by stressing the importance of transactions being closed and projects being completed.

Since the fall of 1999, Smithy served as managing attorney of Horack Talley. During that period, Horack Talley strived to be a well-respected, mid-sized law firm servicing the Charlotte region and emphasizing the experience and skills required to benefit the firm’s clients in specific practice groups and niche practice areas.

Outside his legal practice, Smithy has been active in North Carolina and the Charlotte community by service as a District Governor and State Council Chairman for the North Carolina Lions and Lions Club International, on the Executive Committee and the Board of Directors for the North Carolina Lions Foundation, the Executive Committee and Board of Directors for the North Carolina Eye and Human Tissue Bank and as an officer and board member of Lion Services, Inc. (the Charlotte workshop for the blind).  Further, Smithy has been an active member of the YMCA and served on various committees.

Smithy is a member of several social clubs, including The Family Club in San Francisco, the Olympic Club in San Francisco, the Surf Golf and Beach Club in North Myrtle Beach, South Carolina and Myers Park Country Club in Charlotte, North Carolina, where he has been a past President, a member of the Board of Directors and a member of numerous committees.

    Education

    • (J.D.)
    • University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill (B.S.)
      • Business Administration

    State Bar Admissions

    • North Carolina

    Professional Affiliations

    • North Carolina Bar Association
    • Mecklenburg County Bar

    Recognitions

    • Named to The Best Lawyers in America® for Real Estate Law (2011-2026)

Firm Highlights

  • Podcasts
    Artful Donations: Exploring Museum Exchange
    In this episode of The Legal Canvas, host Caryn Keppler welcomes Robert Wainstein and Michael Darling, co-founders of Museum Exchange, the first digital platform dedicated to facilitating art donations to museums and nonprofit institutions across North America. Together, they explore how technology is transforming the way collectors, artists, estates, and cultural organizations connect through charitable giving. Robert and Michael explain the inspiration behind Museum Exchange, the challenges they set out to solve, and how the platform has grown into a network of more than 400 museums. They walk listeners through the donation process—from evaluating artwork and matching donors with institutions to handling logistics, documentation, and tax considerations. Along the way, they discuss the realities of museum collecting, why many donations are declined, and how thoughtful placements can help preserve artists' legacies while expanding access to important works of art. The conversation also explores Museum Exchange's work with living artists, artist estates, hospitals, universities, and smaller regional museums, as well as the launch of the Charis Foundation for the Arts, a nonprofit designed to steward significant collections before placing them with institutions that can best benefit from them. Robert and Michael conclude by sharing their vision for the future of charitable art transactions and how Museum Exchange is helping reshape philanthropy in the arts for generations to come.