MVA Alumni Newsletter 

FT Innovative Lawyers North America has shortlisted both MVA for the “Innovative Lawyers in access to justice and civil rights” category spearheaded by Senior Counsel Sarah Byrne and Member Valecia McDowell for the “Innovative Practitioner” category.

MVA is pleased to announce its role in the success of a monumental equity structure transformation on behalf of firm client MSC Industrial Direct Co., Inc. (“MSC”), a leading North American distributor of metalworking and maintenance, repair and operations products and services.

MVA is pleased to announce that it has been ranked as a “highly recommended” firm for Dispute Resolution in the 2024 edition of BENCHMARK LITIGATION. This is the 15th consecutive year in which MVA has earned Benchmark recognitions.

MVA Co-head of Litigation and Co-head of White Collar, Regulatory Defense & Investigations JOHN FAGG is one of five individuals named a Law360's 2023 MVPs of the Year Award in the White Collar MVP category. The elite group of attorneys chosen as Law360's 2023 MVPs have distinguished themselves from their peers by securing hard-earned successes in high-stakes litigation, complex global matters and record-breaking deals.

MVA Financial Services Member MATT MOLLOZZI was profiled in The American Lawyer article, “How I Made Partner: 'Don't Assume a Career Path Is a One-Size-Fits-All Situation.”

MVA Intellectual Property Member KATE COLE and Intellectual Property Counsel SAM MERRITT were recognized in IAM Strategy 300: The World’s Leading IP Strategists 2023.

MVA Financial Regulatory Advise & Response Senior Counsel SARAH BYRNE served as a presenter for the Charlotte Triage Pro Bono Partnership panel titled, “Human Trafficking and Financial Exploitation: Credit Repair Needs of Survivors and the Debt Bondage Repair Act,” which took place on September 20.

MVA Financial Regulatory Advice & Response Senior Counsel JOHN STOKER and Member KATE WELLMAN's article titled, “Suit Alleging FDIC Overdraft Overreach May Not Make Waves” was published by Law360 on September 21.

MVA Co-head of White Collar, Regulatory Defense & Investigations and Head of Civil Rights & Racial Equity Assessments VALECIA MCDOWELL and Litigation Associate RAQUEL MACGREGOR PEARKES'S article titled, “Amotion sees resurgence after almost a decade” was published by NCLW on September 19, the same day that this issue was argued on appeal to the 4th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals.

MVA Corporate Associate MILES REYNOLDS joined with other members of the American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network to meet with Senate and Congressional offices representing North Carolina to advocate and lobby on behalf of cancer patients and those whose lives have been changed by cancer forever in Washington DC.

MVA Environmental Member PETER MCGRATH‘s article, “Bat's Newly Endangered Status Likely To Slow Development” was published by Law360 on Sept 15.

MVA Co-head of White Collar, Regulatory Defense & Investigations and Head of Civil Rights & Racial Equity Assessments Valecia McDowell was named to the 2023 Charlotte Business Journal Power 100 List. The Power 100 List recognizes the region’s leaders in diversity, equity, and inclusion.

MVA Litigation Associate Elena Mitchell was named to the 2023 Charlotte Business Journal Power 100 List. The Power 100 List recognizes the region’s leaders in diversity, equity, and inclusion.

MVA is pleased to announce that Health Care Member CHARLES M. JORDAN, JR., through a rigorous application and interview process, was SELECTED to participate in the DIVERSITY LEADERS INITIATIVE (DLI), an award-winning program of Furman University’s Riley Institute. Jordan is one of 42 individuals selected for the 17th Lowcountry cohort and joins a network of more than 2,700 other distinguished leaders who are committed to creating social and economic progress in South Carolina.

MVA Financial Regulatory Advice & Response Senior Counsel SARAH BYRNE served as a presenter for the “ACAMS Carolinas Chapter: 2023 AML and OFAC Symposium” which took place on September 13.

MVA is pleased to announce its recent victory on behalf of Clear Blue Specialty Insurance Group (Clear Blue) in a lawsuit that deals with an important issue at the intersection of banking/lending and insurance. As a result of the win, Clear Blue has been fully dismissed from the lawsuit.

MVA members John Fagg and Jim McLoughlin were named to Lawdragon’s 2023 list of “500 Leading Litigators in America”. Co-head of Litigation and White Collar, Regulatory Defense & Investigations JOHN FAGG was named for the Criminal & Government Investigations & Enforcement practice category and Litigation Member JIM MCLOUGHLIN was named for the Civil & Criminal Litigation and Appellate categories.

MVA is pleased to announce that DANIEL YOUNG has joined the firm as Director of Economic Development. In this role, he will leverage his many years of experience serving as executive director of the South Carolina Coordinating Council for Economic Development (CCED) to help lead MVA’s nationally recognized ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT & INCENTIVES team.

MVA is pleased to announce that RICHARD I. SIMONS, a Member in the firm’s Commercial Real Estate Practice, has been named a 2023 Influencer in Net Lease by GlobeSt. Real Estate Forum.

MVA Financial Regulatory Advice & Response Member KATE WELLMAN and Senior Counsel JOHN STOKER served as guest speakers for a live 90-minute premium CLE video webinar with interactive Q&A on August 29.

MVA is pleased to announce that Co-head of White Collar, Regulatory Defense & Investigations and Head of Civil Rights & Racial Equity Assessments VALECIA MCDOWELL has been named to the "50 MOST INFLUENTIAL WOMEN" list for 2023 by The Mecklenburg Times. The publication will be hosting an event to honor these individuals in partnership with its sister publication, North Carolina Lawyers Weekly on October 19, at the Hilton Charlotte University Place.

MVA is pleased to announce that, following 13 years of contentious civil litigation and arduous fact and expert discovery, the Western District of North Carolina entirely denied defendants’ motion for summary judgment in Mason v. Health Management Associates, Inc. Thus MVA, on behalf of the plaintiffs, Thomas L. Mason, et al., will now prepare for trial by jury and ultimate pursuit of justice in a matter involving the fraudulent and retaliatory actions of a major regional healthcare group.

MVA is pleased to announce that the 2024 edition of The Best Lawyers in America© lists 109 MVA attorneys who were highly recommended by their peers. This includes five firm attorneys were named Best Lawyers® “Lawyer of the Year.” In addition, 42 MVA attorneys were selected to the 2024 edition of Best Lawyers: Ones to Watch® in America.

MVA is pleased to announce that the 2024 edition of The Best Lawyers in America® lists 16 MVA attorneys in South Carolina who were highly recommended by their peers. This includes firm Member DOUGLAS “DOUG” M. MULLER, who was named a Best Lawyers® 2024 “Lawyer of the Year.” In addition, MVA attorney WILLIAM R. STROUD was selected as among the Best Lawyers: Ones to Watch® in America.

MVA Environmental Associate PIERCE WERNER, Head of Environmental MARY KATHERINE STUKES and Member PETER MCGRATH co-author the article titled, “Moving goalposts: U.S. Supreme Court narrows scope of federal protection for wetlands,” published by Westlaw on August 10.

MVA Commercial Real Estate attorney WILLIAM STROUD has been named to the Charleston Business Magazine’s 2023 South Carolina Legal Elite listing of top attorneys in the region as recognized by their peers.

MVA Intellectual Property Associate ANUP IYER and Member NICK RUSSELL’s article “Drafting patent claims for AI-based inventions: navigating eligibility and precision” was published by Westlaw on August 7. Anup and Nick discuss how as technology accelerates, our legal systems, particularly the patent system, struggle to keep pace.

MVA Co-head of White Collar, Regulatory Defense & Investigations VALECIA MCDOWELL is included in the Business Today list, “Top 10 Powerhouse Lawyers Influencing White-Collar Crime Litigation in North Carolina 2023.”

MVA Litigation Counsel COURTNEY DUNCIL's article “Why ChatGPT Won’t Put Discovery Counsel Out of a Job” was published by Bloomberg Law on August 2. AI has revolutionized e-discovery, and in this article Courtney discusses how discovery attorneys are more relevant to the process than ever, particularly when it comes to protecting client data confidentiality.

MVA is pleased to announce that firm Member FRANK E. SCHALL has been named to the 2023 Benchmark Litigation 40 & Under list – a guide to the most notable up and coming litigation attorneys in the United States.

MVA Head of Environmental MARY KATHERINE STUKES has been elected as a Fellow of the American College of Environmental Lawyers (ACOEL). ACOEL is a professional association of distinguished lawyers who practice in the field of environmental law. Membership is by invitation and members are recognized by their peers as preeminent in their field.

In observance of the UNITED NATIONS’ WORLD DAY AGAINST TRAFFICKING IN PERSONs, MVA is pleased to announce that the Human Trafficking Pro Bono Project, in collaboration with LEXINGTON LAW and Credit.com, has developed an online financial wellness tool for human trafficking survivors.