Fast Facts

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Firm

• One of the largest law firms in the Southeast with over 300 attorneys and offices in Charlotte and Research Triangle, North Carolina and Charleston, South Carolina. 
• Full-service law firm that serves local, national and international clients in a wide range of industries including, corporate, financial services, government, health care, manufacturing and telecommunications.
• Founded in 1950 by James O. Moore and former partner Robert Lassiter. William Van Allen, who still practices from the Charlotte office, joined later that year.  
• MVA represents 12 of the 14 largest Fortune 1000 companies based in the Carolinas.

Attorneys

• The ratio of members to associates is approximately 1.0 to 1.0. 
• Half of our members left prior firms to join MVA as lateral attorneys.
• Over the last five years, nearly 73% of those up for membership were elected.
• MVA has achieved greater than a 40% increase in female representation and a 300% increase in minority representation since its Diversity Committee was formed seven years ago.  

Rankings & Accolades

• For the second consecutive year, MVA was named the best law firm in Charlotte for 2007 by Corporate Board Member magazine. (The firm tied for first place in 2006).
• Ranked within the top three firms nationally in documenting syndicated lending facilities.
• The only Charlotte-based law firm in the national top 100 profits per partner in 2005 and 2006.
• Ranked 153^rd largest firm in the country by revenue (2006).
• Received the Balanced Life Workplace Award (Large Firm), presented by the North Carolina Association of Women Attorneys (2007). 
• Received the Mecklenburg County Bar Pro Bono Large Firm of the Year (2007).
• Received the Clean Air Innovation Award (2007).
• Received the Clean Air Challenge Award, Medium Business (2006).
• Received the Charlotte Chamber of Commerce Multicultural Community Involvement Award (2005).

Leadership

• MVA attorneys actively participate in more than 200 boards and other community organizations.
• Collaborated with Legal Services of Southern Piedmont and Bank of America to establish the Hispanic Outreach Task Force to provide pro bono, consulting and legal education services to the Latino community.
• Three times since 2000, we have led all Charlotte firms in raising associate salaries. The current Charlotte pay scale jumped to $145,000 for first-year associates and tops out at $190,000 for seventh-year attorneys.
• Founding law firm member of the Mecklenburg County Bar Association’s Legal Diversity Clerkship Program and a signatory to the Mecklenburg County Bar’s 2006 Initiative on Diversity.
• In 2000, a group of MVA attorneys, with the support of the Management Committee, initiated a dialogue about diversity, establishing an internal Diversity Committee.
• Instrumental in organizing the Charlotte Chamber of Commerce’s Black Professionals Network.

Community Service

• Charlotte attorneys and staff recorded 4,377 public service hours, 2,211 pro bono hours, and 967 Bar service hours last year.
• MVA attorneys provide pro bono representation to indigents, children, elderly and non-profit organizations in areas such as bankruptcy, domestic violence, guardianship, wills and estates, landlord-tenant disputes, non-profit management, real estate transactions and social security disability.
• Signed a 100-hour commitment to staff the Self Serve Center at the Mecklenburg County Courthouse though the Judicial Pro Se Project, an  initiative of the local Judiciary and Court Administrators supported by the Mecklenburg County Bar and the Mecklenburg Bar Foundation.
• Participants in the Walk to Cure Diabetes for 19 years and counting.
• Manages a weekly reading program for third graders at Devonshire Elementary.
• Donated 28 cellular telephones, batteries and chargers to the National  Center for Refugee and Immigrant Children for unaccompanied immigrant children who may need to call 911.
• Donated 30 BlackBerries to the Council for Children's Rights for staff atttorneys' use. 
• Contributed a combined total over $330,000 through firmwide fundraising campaigns last year for the American Heart Association, Arts & Science Council, Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation, Leukemia & Lymphoma Society, Susan G. Komen Foundation and United Way.
• A Charlotte member (Larry Gwaltney) chairs the Mecklenburg County Volunteer Lawyers Program, which is responsible for the administration of pro bono legal services in the Charlotte area.