News Archive

Moore & Van Allen PLLC (MVA) is pleased to announce that WomenInc. Magazine, a publication dedicated to comprehensive coverage of women’s achievements in business, has named the firm to its Top 100 Law Firms for Women list. 

Moore & Van Allen PLLC (MVA) is pleased to announce that it has advised Charlotte-based ButcherJoseph Financial Holdings, LLC, in its acquisition of Laffer Investments, Inc., an SEC Registered Investment Advisor based in Nashville, Tennessee. MVA Member Michael (Mike) E. Zeller and Associate Michael C. Tarwater, Jr. led the MVA team representing ButcherJoseph in the transaction. The acquisition was announced on November 1.

MVA is pleased to announce that U.S. News & World Report and Best Lawyers have ranked the firm nationally and regionally on the 2020 “Best Law Firms” list.

Moore & Van Allen PLLC (MVA) is pleased to announce that Charlotte White Collar, Regulatory Defense and Investigations Member Valecia M. McDowell has been named to the inaugural Lawyers of Color “Nation’s Best” list, which is presented by Major, Lindsey & Africa with the support of the Diverse Partners Network. 

Moore & Van Allen PLLC (MVA) is pleased to announce that it has been ranked as a “recommended” firm for both litigation and employment in North Carolina in the latest editions of Benchmark Litigation and Benchmark Litigation Labor and Employment. This is the 11th consecutive year in which MVA has earned Benchmark recognitions.

Moore & Van Allen’s client Capital Vision Services, LP (“CVS”), manager of the MyEyeDr. optometry practices, was acquired by the merchant-banking division of Goldman Sachs Group Inc. from Altas Partners LP and Caisse de dépôt et placement du Québec on August 29.

Charlotte Co-Head White Collar, Regulatory Defense and Investigations Member Valecia McDowell has been named a North Carolina Women of Justice 2019 honoree by North Carolina Lawyers Weekly. The official honoree list was published on September 2.

Moore & Van Allen was highlighted in the Charlotte Business Journal and Business North Carolina’s Daily Digest on September 5 for its commitment to the Charlotte Pro Bono Triage.

Moore & Van Allen is among the list of area donors highlighted in the Charlotte Business Journal and Charlotte Observer on September 5. MVA joins a coalition of nonprofits, local government and businesses that have donated to A Way Home, an endowment to provide rent subsidies, created by the Foundation For The Carolinas. The program met its $20 million target with a significant contribution from MVA and then climbed to $26 million. MVA is also contributing ongoing pro bono real estate legal services to the A Way Home program.

Charlotte Bankruptcy ＆ Financial Restructuring Associate Gabe Mathless is one of eight individuals selected from across the United States to serve as a Frank Family Fellow by the Jewish Council for Public Affairs (JPCA). The Fellowship is a 10-month program for emerging leaders in Jewish community relations that focuses on public policy, advocacy, civic engagement and intergroup/interfaith relations.

Moore & Van Allen PLLC (MVA) is pleased to announce that Financial Services Member Amy K. Johnson has been selected as a Corporate Counsel 2019 Women, Influence & Power in Law Award winner. 

Moore & Van Allen PLLC is pleased to announce that 83 attorneys were selected by their peers for inclusion in The Best Lawyers in America© 2020. Additionally, 10 attorneys from the firm’s Charlotte office were selected for Best Lawyers® “Lawyer of the Year” recognitions.

Charlotte Corporate Member Joe Fernandez was quoted in the Law360 article titled, “States' Green Goals May Fuel Clean Energy Land-Use Fights,” which was published on August 5.

Charlotte Financial Regulatory Advice and Response Member Ed O'Keefe has been invited to speak at the ABA Business Law Section Annual Meeting, which will take place September 12-14, in Washington, DC. O’Keefe will join the discussion for the panel titled: Managing Risk or Micromanaging It: Current Developments in Enforcement Actions on the first day of the meeting. 

Charleston Litigation Associate Lesley Firestone has been selected for inclusion to the Charleston Metro Chambers of Commerce’s incoming Leadership Charleston Class of 2020. The mission of Leadership Charleston is to identify and motivate emerging leaders and to develop their leadership potential by introducing them to the realities, opportunities and challenges of our civic and business communities. Graduates experience the power of working with other community leaders and organizations for positive growth and advancement of the region.

Moore & Van Allen is pleased to announce that Charlotte Litigation members Frank Schall and Christopher Tomlinson have again been recognized as leading U.S. litigation attorneys on Benchmark Litigation’s “40 & Under Hot List.”

Moore & Van Allen PLLC is pleased to announce that it has served as lead counsel to Pamlico Capital and MetaMetrics, Inc. in the pending sale of MetaMetrics® to Apax Digital Fund. 

Charlotte Estate and Wealth Planning Member Chris Jones has been ranked Band 2 by Chambers High Net Worth for Private Wealth Law. Chambers High Net Worth ranks the top lawyers and law firms for international private wealth.

A victory for the Human Trafficking Pro Bono Project and its advocacy work! On July 22, Governor Cooper signed into law a bill increasing access to justice for human trafficking survivors. Charlotte Ethics and Compliance Counsel Sarah Byrne chaired the NC Human Trafficking Commission subcommittee responsible for drafting legislative recommendations providing post-conviction relief and a civil remedy for human trafficking.

The American Bar Association has named Charlotte Estate ＆ Wealth Planning Associate Caitlin Horne to its 2019-2021 class of Trust and Estate Fellows. Caitlin is one of just five attorneys nationally selected as a member of the new Trust and Estate Fellows class.

Charlotte Litigation Members Tom Myrick and Neil Bloomfield argued and won at every level of the North Carolina judicial system over the last eight years establishing that North Carolina’s taxation of the Kimberley Rice Kaestner 1992 Family Trust, a New York based trust, violated the Due Process Clause of the U.S. Constitution.

Moore & Van Allen’s client Off Campus Partners, LLC was acquired by CoStar Realty Finance, Inc. on June 12. The primary corporate attorneys representing Off Campus Partners on this matter was Member Carolyn Meade. The specialists representing Off Campus Partners on this matter were Taxation Member Rachel Coyne and Counsel Randy Clark; Intellectual Property Associate Tucker McKinley; Employee Benefits and Compensation Counsel Janet Higley; Employment and Labor Member Paul Peralta and Associate Jared Nobles. CoStar was represented by Weil, Gotshal and Manges, LLP.

Moore & Van Allen’s client Marquee Brands LLC completed the acquisition of the Martha Stewart and Emeril Lagasse brands from Sequential Brands Group, Inc. on June 10, 2019. The Martha Stewart and Emeril Lagasse brands and will be added to the portfolio of consumer brands under the stewardship of Marquee Brands, including BCBG, Dakine and Bruno Magli, among others.

Moore & Van Allen served as counsel to senior management of Rotating Machinery Services, Inc. ("RMS"), a portfolio company of Incline Equity Partners ("Incline"), during the recent acquisition by Cortec Group, Inc. ("Cortec") which was finalized on June 10.

Moore & Van Allen PLLC is pleased to announce that its Banking and M&A practices have been ranked as Tier 1 North Carolina practices in the IFLR1000 United States. Additionally, Chairman Thomas (Tom) L. Mitchell was rated as “highly regarded” banking lawyer in North Carolina, and members Stephen (Steve) D. Hope and James R. Wyche were rated as “highly regarded” M&A lawyers in North Carolina. Members Joseph (Joe) A. Fernandez, C. Wayne McKinzie, Daniel (Tripp) H. Monroe III, and Ryan M. Smith were also listed on the firm’s IFLR profile.

Moore & Van Allen hosted the 18th annual Sally & Bill Van Allen Public Service Award Luncheon on June 6. This event serves as an opportunity to celebrate the achievements of our employees and community partners who are making significant service contributions.

Moore & Van Allen PLLC is pleased to announce that its Intellectual Property and Commercial & Technology Transactions practices have been recognized in the eighth edition of IAM Patent 1000: The World’s Leading Patent Professionals, which published on June 6. Additionally, Charlotte members Christopher (Chris) J. Knors, Dickson M. Lupo, W. Kevin Ransom, Todd C. Taylor, and J. Mark Wilson were listed as recommended attorneys in their respective practice areas.

Charlotte Litigation Member Ed O’Keefe was quoted in the Agenda article entitled, “Cyber Lawsuits Increasingly Target Boards” that was published on May 6. The article discusses how directors and officers are increasingly being targeted in derivative cases over cyber-related missteps.

As the North Carolina Bar Association prepared to celebrate and explore wellness at its Annual Meeting in June, the editors of North Carolina Lawyer magazine offered a few examples of NCBA members who are excelling at living healthy lives. Charlotte Privacy & Data Security Member Karin McGinnis was one of the few NCBA members to be featured.

Moore & Van Allen PLLC is pleased to announce that its client, Frontier Capital, a Charlotte-based growth equity firm focused exclusively on B2B software, has finalized a strategic growth investment in Phone2Action, a digital advocacy platform that connects citizens to lawmakers. Moore & Van Allen Corporate member Bill Zimmern was one attorney that led Frontier through the successful deal.

Moore & Van Allen was named one of North Carolina’s leading intellectual property firms in Managing Intellectual Property’s edition of IP Stars, a legal directory that provides state-by-state analysis of the nation’s IP market. The Firm’s Intellectual Property practice received a “Recommended” ranking. Additionally, Charlotte Intellectual Property Members Arlene Hanks, and Dickson Lupo were recognized as “IP Stars.”

On April 2, Moore & Van Allen client Watsco, Inc. (“Watsco”; NYSE: WSO) acquired the operating business of Dunphey & Associates Supply Co., Inc. (“DASCO Supply”). The primary MVA attorneys representing Watsco on this matter were Corporate Member Mike Miller and Corporate Associates Stacy Grant and Charise Patterson.

As of April 30, Men’s Shelter of Charlotte and Urban Ministry Center are legally one organization. Led by Charlotte Corporate Member James Wyche and Associate Wade Sample along with Charlotte Tax Member Rob Fisher, Corporate Member Steve Hope, Benefits Member Danny Johnson and Employment Member Paul Peralta.

Charlotte-based LendingTree Inc. (NASDAQ: TREE) in the coming years will relocate its headquarters to a mixed-use development in South End. Led by Charlotte Real Estate Member Evan Bass, Associate Richard Simons and Litigation Member Scott Tyler advised LendingTree during this relocation process.

Charlotte Privacy & Data Security Member Karin McGinnis was quoted in the TechTarget article, “Data breach legislation proposes jail time for CIO, HR execs” which was published April 8. The article discusses how data breaches caused by negligence may lead to jail time for corporate executives under legislation introduced last week by U.S. Senator Elizabeth Warren.

On April 25, Moore & Van Allen’s client, Mosaic Capital Partners, LLC announced the ESOP acquisition of Custom Profile Holdings, Inc. The transaction was led by Global Services Member Michael E. Zeller. Additional members of the team included Employee Benefits Member Danny Johnson, Counsel Ann West and Beth Yount Grimes, Global Services Associate Michael Tarwater, Jr., Intellectual Property Member Henry Ward, Intellectual Property Associate Sam Skains-Menchaca, Corporate Member Rob Fisher and Counsel Randy Clark, Financial Services Member Kimberly Zirkle, Environmental Member Peter McGrath and Paralegal Sally Hentz.

Moore & Van Allen PLLC is pleased to announce that Chambers & Partners has ranked seven firm practice groups and 26 firm attorneys in the 2019 edition of its legal directory Chambers USA: America’s Leading Lawyers for Business.

On April 18, Moore & Van Allen’s client, Jensen Hughes, Inc. (“Jensen Hughes”) acquired 100% of Hillard Heintze, LLC (“Hillard Heintze”). The primary attorneys representing Jensen Hughes on this matter was Corporate Member Bill Zimmern. The specialists advising Jensen Hughes on this transaction were Intellectual Property Associate Tucker McKinley, Benefits Counsel Beth Yount Grimes, and Real Estate Staff Attorney Charlie Harmon.

Congratulations to the following 26 Moore & Van Allen attorneys who have completed 50 or more hours of pro bono legal services in 2018 and are members of the 2018 NC Pro Bono Honor Society.

Charlotte Bankruptcy & Financial Restructuring Members David Eades, Luis Lluberas, Trey Rayburn and Zach Smith, Associate Gabe Mathless and Financial Services Member Lauren Biek are among this year's Turnaround Atlas Awards winners chosen by Global M&A Network.

Moore & Van Allen PLLC is pleased to announce that three attorneys have been named to Super Lawyers’ 2019 list of top attorneys in South Carolina, and one attorney was named to Super Lawyer’s 2019 Rising Stars list. These attorneys are located in the firm’s Charleston office.

MVA Public Affairs - Director of Public Relations, Ashley Simmons, is among the 2019 class of 40 under 40 winners announced by the Charlotte Business Journal March 29. Now in its 26th year, CBJ's 40 Under 40 program honors local professionals who are making major strides in their career while leaving a positive impact on their communities. These individuals are helping shape Charlotte's development as a major business center.